Skip to content

Glimpses of Revelstoke’s past

Travel to the past through these items from Revelstoke newspapers, as gleaned and edited by Cathy English, curator of Revelstoke Museum & Archives.
11846395_web1_180516-RTR-glimpses-May16_1
Revelstoke Museum & Archives Photo 686 Howard McDonald’s airplane landing on the Columbia River at Revelstoke, 1938. Earle Dickey photo.

Travel to the past through these items from Revelstoke newspapers, as gleaned and edited by Cathy English, curator of Revelstoke Museum & Archives.

125 Years Ago: Kootenay Star, May 20, 1893

Tom Reid, who has been trapping down river came up in his boat, the “Hattie R.” His catch included two caribou, 14 martens, two beavers, one otter and one lynx. He had the lynx stuffed and mounted by local taxidermist, George Shiel.

120 Years Ago: Kootenay Mail, May 18, 1898

About 10 feet of the Revelstoke Water, Power, & Light Company’s flume was entirely carried out by the swift water of the fast rising Illecillewaet Monday morning. The company will carry an open flume across the gap and expect to have the light running again in a few days. The Illecillewaet Dam had just gone into operation in February of 1898.

100 Years Ago: Revelstoke Review, May 16, 1918

A bush fire on the eastern end of Mount Revelstoke broke out last Saturday afternoon and Sunday, but was got under control late Sunday night. Freshening winds fanned the embers into flames a couple of times since, but has not spread to any extent. Park Warden Field had a night and day force fighting the fire from Saturday till Tuesday.

90 Years Ago: Revelstoke Review, May 16, 1928

A determined effort to put a stop to bicycle riding on sidewalks in being made by the city police. Five men and boys, the first to fall in the hands of the law since the drive commenced, will appear in police court tonight. Others will follow if the practice is not stopped at once. Each offender was fined $1.

80 Years Ago: Revelstoke Review, May 20, 1938

Howard McDonald, a native of Revelstoke, and his wife flew into Revelstoke last Monday from Red Pass Junction, west of Jasper. McDonald was flying a Canadian Airways five passenger aeroplane, fitted with pontoons. They made a perfect landing on the Columbia River, drifting slowly downstream for a short distance in order to taxi into the back-water of the river, just below Campbell Ave.

70 Years Ago: Revelstoke Review, May 20, 1948

A mudslide came down at Twin Butte, 12 miles east of Revelstoke, early on Monday, May 17, stopping traffic on the CPR line for two-and-a-half days. The slide caused the track to give way under Engine 5909, with Engineer Roy McQuarrie, derailing the engine and several cars. The line was almost restored by Monday evening, but another mudslide came down and tore out more track.

30 Years Ago: Revelstoke Review, May 18, 1988

Downie Street Sawmills was preparing to go into operation again after a closure of 2 ½ years. Bill Gawiuk, mill supervisor, was overseeing the start-up and expected to have everything ready for opening on May 24. The Downie Street employees group came to an agreement with new owners Nimilowicz and Associates for operation of the mill.

20 Years Ago: Times Review, May 20, 1998

The city is setting new water rates to put aside money for its planned Greely Creek water filtration plant project. The rates were set at $14.59 a month for residential users, or about $175 per year. This was a 40 percent increase over the previous rates. The planned increases would be phased in over two years.