Page 12 December Cassiar Courier Once again everybody is busy getting ready for Christmas. To mark the arrival of December, the Annual Fireman’s Ball will be held at the Rec Centre on Saturday, December 3rd. After the Fireman’s Ball, the Rec Centre and Squash Court will be closed until after Saturday, December 10th, as the decorations will remain in the hall for the Children’s Christmas Party Saturday, Decem- ber 10th. Notices have been given out as early as October for all non-Cassiar Resources employed C.C.C. members about the details of the Child- ren’s Christmas Party. If you are not on the pay- roll of Cassiar Resources and/or you are not sure whether your children are on the Christmas Party List please contact the C.C.C. Administration Of- fice as early as possible. *** A note to all departments:-If you are planning a Christmas Party for your shift or department, please check as soon as possible with the Rec Centre to book a room. *** The Blue Valley Figure Skating Club will be having a Toy Bingo on Wednesday, December 21st at the Rec Centre, 7:30 p.m. This will take the place of their monthly Big Prize Bingo. *** C.C.C. Facilities Holiday Hours are: Saturday, December 24th - ’ Arena - 2:30 - 5:00 p.m. - Public Skating Rec Centre - 10:30 a.m, - 6 p.m. Lounge - 12 noon - 9 p.m. December 25th and 26th - All Facilities Closed December 31st - Arena - 2:30 - 5:00 p.m. - Public Skating Rec Centre - Closed for New Year’s Eve Ball set up Lounge - Normal Hours January Ist, 1984 - All Facilities Closed 1983 IN REVIEW 1983 has been an eventful year as far as re- creation is concerned. In January we attended a meeting concerning the Second Yukon Games. Groundwork was being done during December, 1982, for Cassiar to host part of the Yukon Games. At that meeting, we were Officially grant- ed the Volleyball and Senior Hockey events of the Games, which were held in March. This was a significant chapter in the Recreation Department as it not only allows our athletes to participate, it also allows Cassiar to be more involved with the Games by hosting them. In February, Cassiar again sent its athletes to the Northern B.C. Winter Games in Terrace. Due to the delayed information on the Games, Cassiar was not able to send as many teams or athletes as Photo Studio a we would have liked to have sent. However, one notable mention was the combined Watson Lake/ Cassiar Bantam Hockey Team. This will hopefully open the door for more co-operative adventures between Cassiar and the neighbouring towns. March has traditionally been a busy month for the Recreation Department with most of the sports clubs’ seasons coming to a close. The town was busy with one event after another. Minor Hockey Tournament, Curling Bonspiel and of course, this year the first ever Yukon Regional Games in Cassiar. We have witnessed during the Games, the tremendous support from the town, from people who were involved in the organiza- tion of the Games to the people who billeted and came out to support the sports events! We did re- ceive a very favourable final report on the Games in Cassiar. April marked the winding down of many clubs. Also, due to the Yukon Regional Games in March, Schmoo Daze was moved to the second weekend in April. This year’s Schmoo Daze was a shorter version from last year. This is partly due to the lack of participation in organizing the Car- nival and partly due to cut backs in funding. However, the actual crowd participation was still enthusiastic in most events. We feel that for the next Schmoo Daze, we would seriously re- examine the whole Schmoo Daze concept. Work had also been started around the middle of April to start up the Swimming Pool. The Arena was closed after Schmoo Daze. The Swimming Pool opened in May with a full program for aquatics. The Swimming Pool Funding Committee also sat and discussed some of the major renovation work requested by the Community Club. Among the most urgent was a better drainage and skimmer system. The Com- munity Club also put in new doors and drapes on both dressing rooms. Work also was done in the softball field for a new fence. The Community Club received three grants from the Federal Government for the Simmons Lake Summer Project as well as-a career oriented project for students, in the month of June. Over 30 applications were received and inter- views were set up with all the applicants. Nine students were selected after the interviews and they were scheduled to begin work at the end of June. However, at. the last minute, one of the grants was discontinued because of the cutback by the Government. June also saw the winding down of the whole Town as people prepared for the July/August Shutdown, but not before a co- operative adventure between the C.C.C., Coffee House and the Lions for an outdoor concert and B.B.Q. at the Simmons Lake Campground. July was relatively quiet as most people were away on holiday. The C.C.C. however, offered a Children’s Summer Program through the Govern- ahumtamtnata Home b. ous New Year! ‘Seasons HOLT AGENCIES INSURANCE LTD. Tenant ; Commercial Personal Articles For appointment call. 778-7220 164 Elliott St. (Marvel Travel) Cassiar, B.C. _ Tuesdays 10: Re S Sq aca st gcc > COMMUNITY CLUB NEWS ® ment yrants program. Participation was poor, which might partly be due to the low number of people left in town. Meanwhile, the Simmons Lake workcrew were hard at work at clearing the campground. Also we had provided a number of picnic tables at the campsite to offer as an altern- ative for camping and picnicking from the Chain Lakes Campground. August was still a slow month, as the work- force was not back to full strength. The Summer Project wound down at the end of the month. Al- so the annual renovation of the Rec Centre was done the last week of the month. The Recrea- ‘tion Department was busy about the starting of the Fall Season. Contacts were made with all the new and old executives of different clubs, and new ideas were being conceived and examined. September started with a very busy schedule of registrations and membership drives. We were very happy to see a few new clubs started this year.=the McDame Gun Club, the Gymnastics Club and the Golf Club. Brochures about all the activities were printed and sent out to both in and out-of-town interest groups,as well as the general public. Most clubs started their activities about mid-September. In October, we saw the election of the second Teen Club Executive, who are very enthusiastic in organising events for the Teen Club. Also we re- ceived word that due to the B.C. Government’s Restraint Program, all the recreation branches outside Victoria were to be closed. The Commun- ity Club sent a letter of concern to the Ministry with regards to the possibility of reduced service to the smaller and remote centres in the North. The same month also saw a new adventure into ‘lifestyling’. The response was very good. And we may be looking at a new trend of awareness on the individual lifestyle which might affect the future of recreation. In November, we saw a two week strike by the B.C. Government Employees, which affected all facets of the public sector. Fortunately, the strike was not long enough to have a big influence on the planning of the recreation department and it was business as usual by mid-month, People in town were busy planning for the December festivities. The Fireman’s Ball signifies the start of De- cember. The Annual Children’s Christmas Party follows a week later. The December events are noted elsewhere in this issue. To sum up 1983, we in the Recreation De- partment see a continuing trend of tight money policies in the general economy. This translates into relying more than ever on volunteers in all events and programs. Perhaps we can see a strong- er community spirit.to see us through these times of restraint. Cutback funding also will mean that for the north and remote areas, we have to rely more on our own resourcefulness and creativity. The community has shown very strong support before, e.g. The Yukon Games, and we hope that it will continue this enthusiasm for a better 1.984. We at the Cassiar Community Club, wish every- one a Merry Christmas and a Happy and Prosper-. y) ~ Se > s Sas So NS 74 Adee a Od dED WA a dae Oia dae Oi ee Shiscm Lest? Greetings 2 Cargo Campers a.m. to 5:00 4 cas S14 SATA. Ne re Te eH Ie eR Ne DENG ta 00 ray Were WN Ban) rome a tp CF oj Waa AS eS wr 1 DIV BS 9a 1 AISI Glib ak cc Cassiar Courier December Page 13 4y* Good Hope Lake News 4 GEORGE HOLMAN has been appointed Cor- oner with the British Columbia Coroners Service. George will serve as Coroner for the communities and areas around Tatogga Lake, Iskut, Telegraph Creek, Dease Lake, Cassiar and Good Hope Lake. PEGGY WURTEK has been appointed Cross Cul- tural Co-ordinator by the United Native Nations Local 167, Good Hope Lake. Peggy will serve as liason between parents, teachers and Government Agencies in the Good Hope Lake Area. A memorial service was held at the Good Hope Lake Church for Samuel Lee Quock on Sunday, November 12th. Sam Quock was missing after a boating accident at Good Hope Lake this past summer. Doreen Porter also drowned in the same mishap. i Kk Kk KK kk Kk kkk KK “ALARMING” - isn’t the word for it!! By Some Concerned Taxpayers At last month’s Provincial Court docket in Cas- siar, almost two thirds of the cases heard involved persons from Good Hope Lake! This means that the R.C.M.P. three-man de- tachment stationed at Cassiar, a community of over fifteen hundred persons, have spent over half of their time on duty answering complaints in this tiny community of one hundred and eighteen persons. Good Hope Lake is made up of a Highways Maintenance Camp, Public School and local native community. The camp consists of a popul- ation of thirty-eight and the local native commun- ity a population of eighty. The camp consists of seven families, a singles bunkhouse and a teacherage. The native community consists of ten families of which half were represented on the last court docket. It makes one wonder what can be done in the system to have the message reach and be under- stood, by the local population and the course they are on. Not that it hasn’t been tried as sever- al private groups and individuals have tried and are still trying to assist. Government financial assistance, health, hous- ing and other programs seem to be here without any guidelines or follow-up to ensure these are the right programs and that they are not being abused or instituted without just cause. Welfare assistance payments here seem to make a hurried cycle from the Human Resource Office to the Bank, to the Liquor Store and then of course back to the Public Purse, with no visible sign of an effort to assist recipients on budgeting and planning for the next month’s essentials. Housing goes on unchecked at a rate that would floor the average taxpayer. In 1973 a cry went out for housing and a response came with temporary dwellings and the program continues with new log homes being constructed. The inter- iors are demolished by the occupants and then the houses are upgraded and repaired. Once again . the interiors are destroyed and-as usual assistance arrives to repair and upgrade them. Also, some oc- | cupants refuse to live in them for one reason or another. Once again the cry goes out for adequate housing. New homes are constructed. Some log and some frame. The abuse continues and STILL there is the cry for more homes. At the present, three new homes are under construction here and due for occupancy this month. What will be the fate of these new dwell- ings, which have a life expectancy of one year be- fore there is need to repair and upgrade the interiors. In the meantime three once beautiful homes sit vacant. Alarming isn’t the word for it! Where do you draw the line?? THIRTY SEVEN NORTH ‘What is that you say?” “He made it through again?”’ ““Great, maybe we can head out north to- day, maybe Whitehorse if the weather is good along the Alaska Highway. If not at least we can go out and make a day of it and see the bright lights of “Downtown, Downtown” Watson Lake. These and other comments were common place during the B.C. G.E.U. strike here. Who were they referring to?? Well it was not the Lone Ranger, although close. He didn’t ride a white stallion called Silver nor haye a partner call- ed Tonto. He drove his orange and white G.M.C. half ton on his lonely vigil of thirty seven north. Rob Tucker, Road Foreman on the most northern extent of British Columbia Highway number thirty seven made his early morning pat- rol out of a highways maintenance camp located at Good Hope Lake, a tiny speck of a community in Northwest British Columbia. Rob’s patrol includes checking road condi- tions, snow, ice, snow slides, washouts and many other hazards not to mention the odd stranded motorist. On completion of his patrol the local population can determine if it is safe to venture out of the area. Good Hope Lake being the first community south of the Yukon Territorial border, and having no services or stores, the residents must travel out to do their shopping on the only road in or out, highway number thirty seven. The mining com- munity of Cassiar, twenty-five miles south has one store and a service station. Seventy-five miles north in the Yukon Territory, Watson Lake offers several services and stores. The largest centre is Whitehorse, three hundred miles away. Therefore the vigil is kept on THIRTY SEVEN NORTH. Pea aL aS All the Best in the Sestive Season from the Dept. of Highwavs Crew PPR PTS PRPS Bie Vie Pie De oP Te Bee Ree PRO E ROE ROE REE E ER erry Christmas ott ® Nappy ho by George Holman Moccassin. Telegraph... this a sign of a long long winter? ey *** Jack flew south with the birds. How was the weather down there? | ***We hear through the grapevine that Graham won’t be making his regular run y to Cassiar. What will we do for the morning road report? ***McDame Valley’s newest prospector 8 Erik K. is working hard and waiting for spring to sink his teeth into those rocks out there. His father claims he is already worth his weight in gold, all nine pounds of him. ***Mark and Pam moved into the ‘Love Boat’ until they finished the roof on their house. Thank You Burgess, the “Love Boat’ mn is great. arial) ***Spooky - no not really, say members of the B.C.G.E.U. here, who took refuge during picket duty in the local morgue to ***The last of the hardy Placer Gold i Miners finally pulled up his stakes the last ~ day of October. Pretty cold eh, Camille? ew Year to everyone in Cassiar Country from the staff at CP AIR WATSON LAKE PRR ARYANS PTS Pe Pie wie e Ne Bile wre a ayaa ae Nee ***We see Big Ben is sprouting a béard. Is >