50 years ago (1965):

A plane crash claimed the lives of three men, including local pilot Bruce Downey, when the men’s Cessna 180 float plane hit a telephone wire while taking off from the Columbia River. The three had been planning to head to Fortress Lake.

 

45 years ago (1970):

Upper Columbia Valley resident and then University of Victoria student David Gee won the Royal Canadian Legion Branch 71 scholarship, worth $200. Gee would go on to become principal of J.A. Laird Elementary School.

 

40 years ago (1975):

The Canal Flats Flyers women’s fastball team won the Columbia Valley women’s fastball league championship. The Flyers won 18 of their 20 games during the season. The most valuable player trophy was jointly awarded to Doreen Magee and Myrna Rotvold.

 

30 years ago (1985):

Local First Nations  fast pitch team, the B.C. Arrows, won the North American Native Fast Pitch Championships for the third time in a row. The valley team beat an Oklahoma team 4-0 in the final game. The tournament, held in Reno, Nevada, featured 32 First Nations teams.

 

20 years ago (1995):

Windermere resident Lindy Meadows was preparing to shoot and direct a feature-length drama film in the valley. It was to feature nine local actors.

 

10 years ago (2005):

An elusive cougar prowling around the district of Invermere was giving conservation officers fits. The cat had been killing and eating local pets for months, but the conversvation officers had been unable to catch it.