J. and M. THIES Tourist Supplies - Groceries - Tobaccos kK ke Ok HORNE LAKE STORE R.R. 1 Qualicum Beach V.I., B.C. VAN ISLE RESORT Official 4-Star Rating DELUXE COTTAGES ON THE BEACH R.R. 1, Qualicum, V.L, B.C. Seaview Auto Camp Finest Location on the Beach HOUSEKEEPING CABINS AND OVERNIGHT CABINS QUALICUM BEACH V.I. SHADY REST INN LICENSED PREMISES Lunch Counter & Dining Room Official V.I.C.L. Bus Stop Qualicum Beach, B.C., Ph. 361 LOG CABIN INN "ON THE BEACH” Good Food - Modern Cabins QUALICUM BEACH Vi. 2, Gibson Stores Limited The RED & WHITE Stores Hardware - Groceries PHONE 341 QUALICUM BEACH B.C. Suscribe to the ‘Seatls Strap QUALICUM BEACH Cold Storage Lockers With Which is Incorporated Qualicum Meat Market (J. C. REID) Phone Qual. 321 Qualicum Beach Page Twenty-six ite suspect. Another also came under suspicion. Pickard had worked so hard at the fires and had seemed so ready to co-operate that, to a layman anyway he would be the least likely suspect. Known to his friends as Willie, the 27-year-old Calgary born boy raised in Medicine Hat was described as an odd character but quite polite, although others said he could be very abusive when in the mood. The first report from Medicine Hat police described him as of fairly good character, coming from a poor though respectable and honest family. Maybe it was Willie, as his Medi- cine Hat friends knew him, was too polite and too helpful. In any event the marshal and detective decided to find out more about him. The de- tective went to Medicine Hat to probe further into Pickard’s record and to- gether they went to Kimberley to probe the source of some mysterious fires when Pickard worked on a dairy farm there. Those fires too were around cattle barns. These further checks on Pickard’s background disclosed one of the grim- mest stories in police records. The “fairly good character’ and ‘‘honest but poor parents’ reports on his character were soon exploded by Saunders’ check-up. The man who by the time he was 27 had caused one death, a heavy toll of valuable cattle and many thousand dollars of property damage was an embryo pyromaniac before he was 15 years old. Evidently the craving to start fires had grown on him until he craved to see fires as an addict craves nar- cotics. A confession he made which in- cluded all the Colony Farm blazes and the Kimberley fires revealed his mental state. “I had a fire urge; no other rea- son,” he said in telling of a midnight blaze in Kimberley. Probably his early background, for the records shows he was a prod- uct of a large family headed by a father who was a poor provider and forced to work at an early age, had something to do with another state- ment in his confession. Hunting - Fishing - Boating - Swimming Little Qualicum Lodge COMMANDER and MRS. F. L. BOYER R.R. 1., Qualicum Beach Vancouver Island, B.C. 7 “T just had the urge to set these fires for the excitement. I would i have liked to-have had a chance to build myself up there like in Dan’. place. I wanted a better job and | felt as if I was no good; like as jf I was held down and did not know | anything.” His confession revealed many things. The question of the green dye for instance and why 15 of the staff examined showed no signs of jt. “I pulled the fire alarm box with a handkerchief because I was scared my fingerprints would be on the alarm. I burned the handkerchief ip the furnace in the bunkhouse.” Photo by On-The-Spot A ficeman points out charred remains of one of the many cows destroyed in the fires. Speaking of one midnight fire he tells how he set fire to some barns by lighting some straw. His excitement on these occasions must have been delayed until the flames shot up or screaming horses or bellowing cattle signalled their ter- tor for he calmly walked through the bulls and through the paddock to his room. Then at the alarm he raced to the scene to get some stock out and help fight the fire. His confession would indicate an amazing nonchalance over the bunk- house fires. On one occasion he says he saw a magazine on a table by a bed. He put a match to it and threw it at the foot of the bed. He lit two fires in another staff room. “T put lighter fluid on some clothes hanging in a closet and then set a match to them. Then I started a fire under the table with newspapers, went out, pulled the fire alarm and helped fight the fire.’”’ _A few days later he had another big day. He started a fire by lighting paper in a workmate'’s room: closed THE SHOULDER STRAP