Dedicated to the Progress cf the North
Phone LOgan 4-2441
Vol. 3; No. 229
PRINCE GEORGE, BRITISH COLUMBIA, THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 26, 1959
MX OARKLKS
T
Five men, five days and 55 miles. Combine those figures with sub-zero temperatures and they all add up to a story Jack London or Robert Service would have relished.
This is by no means a unique story, but it will
help to show "outsiders" what day to day life can be
like to those engaged in pushing back Canada's north-land. These arc the characters:
C'aig Smith, 33-year-pld ton of
II. VV. Smith. 1622 Cedar, who
has spent most of his life in the
Fort si. James district where
J:e was born. Joe Meiers, 21, of Clucluz
Lake, close companion and as-
si9tant to Smith m his capacity
as superintendent of a govern-
nicni wharf [project at Takla
Landing, about 250 miles northwest o!' Prince George. Red-haired, six-foot-one Meiers has been
tagged "Little .Inc." .lulm Alexis, August Mete'se
ami Leno Pierre, all in the
neighborhood of :so, from Ta-
ohie Indian Village.
Scene: the Lakes country
north iH' Highway Hi, where
the weather is about as changeable as a logger's long woollen
sucks. Their story tells how and
w hy it took these five men 'five
days to travel 55 miles after
ternperafcures skidded co degrees to 30 below in ^1 hours.
Wilh (lie Sudden (hop in triiipcijitiiic ut Takla Landing, (lie men decided it was time tlic.v Knocked oil' (Ik* Job ;iii(l �<�( out of there if they were to ll'l'at Uir ice. They Ii;i�l two 25-foot boatH equipped with outboard motors, (.milling equipment ;uid plenty ill gin I). Heading south on Takla Lake,
they were stopped by ice at a
sjmt, whore the west arm joins
the main part of the lake.
Nothing left, but to beach the
boats, and leave them 'till
spring.
Cutting down a tree, 'the companions luiiji a crude toboggan,
piled their gear on it and set
out hit I ui>l. h'oiiihu 'few- inl'.es
they came ito the mouth of the
Middle Kiver which connects
Takla ;unl the next major lukc,
Tretiihleiir.
Finding a boa>l at a deserted
fisheries camp there, they once
again became waterborne, the
river being Dree of ice at that
point. l.ut it. only lasted two
miles.
I'Ml'teeii miles jlatei', alter slogging (hroiigh knee-deep snow iiml fording u creek wild Watei1 lo their waists, the live adventurers (they wouldn't call themselves that) arrived at a cabin owned l.y Craig Smith's father.
The sack. They hit it pretty fast.
, On again the nexi day with a fiew boat. Tins Mine they got six /miles before encountering ice, ni;i(le another toboggan, started hiking again to four miles north of Trombleur Lake.
Here "Little Joe" Meiers attempted to cross a small frozen lake on foot, hit a so-fl spot and landed in frigid water up to his neck.
The boys finally made it to the north side of Trcmbleur Lake and stayed I ho night in an abandoned Indian cabin. This is where the "Aurora,"
Two of tlii' live men involved in a story of a battle against the elements disclosed in today's fitr*.. n figured prominently in another adventure on Stuart Lake las. April.
Craig Smith and Joe Meiers narrowly escaped drowning April 4 when the ear they were driving across frozen Stuart Lake, no miles northwest of Prince George, slipped through the melting ice.
They and a third companion, Douglas Bnk'oinbej managed to climb out the car's front windows wli-'.i it he-gan i.i submerge, and swam (�>
BURNS LAKE X
THIS IS THE AREA described in the accompanying feature. Lakes are numbered: 1. Takla Lake, 2. Trera-bleur Lake, 3.'Stuart Lake, 4. Batoine Lake.
CRAIG SMITH
a 40-foot cruser owned hy resort-operator Smith Senior, was left li.v the group on their north-hound trip. It had been their goal and they expected lf Labor on political action, It will back supporting ?f the CCF party "until such time as a new political party has been formed," which at present is being discussed by a, committee composed of representatives >f the Canadian Congress of Labor. CCF, farmers' groups and other interested organizations.
Further representations to the provincial government will be made by the Council to press for establishment of a vocation-d school in Prince George.
President Hoist denied reports trade union members are being breed to contribute financially to the CCF. �
He told the meeting contributions were being solicited on a strictly voluntary basis. The !�.('. [��(�deration of Labor has suggested a voluntary contribution of one dollar by union members to "political action."
The Labor Council will put )n a drive to affiliate those unions within the area who arc :ini already members. There are now 1(1 unions represented, comprising 2,100 members.
Three adidtional delegates were elected to represent the Labor Council on the Prince George Safety Council.
Attending the meeting were Douglas Gibson and Fred Flu-ger of Vancouver, business agents for the Retail Food and Clerks Union.
There has been a jump In attendance at Duchess Park Junior High School this year of 13S students over last year.
Principal 1 >. N. Weieker reported the increase to tlii^ week's meeting Of School District 57 trustees in his first principal's report of the '59-'6O term Comparative enrolment figures as at October for 1058 and 1959 showed 695 students in attendance this year, compared with .")."i7 at this time last year.
Largest increase was in Grade
Complete enrolment figures, with 195S figures in brackets, are: Grade 7, 2S5 !' the study � follows sonic 10 months preliminary wovk on v:su;i| surveys, map plotting, etc., from which Parker determined the three general areas of tlio city he feels contain some "blighted" (slum, or near slum) neighborhoods. Preliminary work was jus": recently completed.
Districts suspected of harboring some slum-like pockets are: 1. Van-Bow area (district on western outskirts, bounded by Victoria and 20th); '2. Section bounded by Second and 10th avenues and Carney and Gen-Krai streets; �'!. Area between 17th and 20th bounded by Con-naught School on the west anil Fort George Park on the east.
There are not 1,200 homes suspected of low living .-:a;:d-ards in the Parker's '"three distinct areas showing extensive blight." I Jut, the planner feels �that 'to accurately evaluate the situation in dwellings of "slum-my" appearance it is necessary to know conditions throughout the general areas eoniaining the blight. pooktM.H. WANT K.At !S
Interviewers will question householders on a variety of matters. Prime factors to be determined are health conditions, �financial means, services.
In the health Held trained personnel will try to determine details on overcrowding, light, ventilation, dampness, provi- j sion of sewers and water am other ^factors.
They will also tisk If the householder is I he owner or a tenant, whether lie lives in Id ghtcd .-lira li.v choice, if lie wants to move, how long lie lias lived in bad conditions and whether he lists enough money to afford better jiccoiii-nioilaiion, such as low-rental housing-.
Study will determine If provision of more city services would correct the conditions in each area.
Already determined, in part, are location and effect of near-osl parks, schools, shopping and other necessities of this nature. Interview cards used in the field survey will be run 'through HIM punch card a! CI'.C for
The SIU.SHIO urban renewal study is financed jointly by the c'ty and Central Mortgage and Housing Corporation. CMHC is" paying three-quarters of the cosf under a grant made to the city in 1958. E'urpose of the study is to
determine anil document cor-1 rectly what residential areas are blighted, according to stand irds : o!1 the American Societj of Pub-| Me Health, and to show why these conditions exist.
The study will give the city the knowledge net (led to p.e-ven't blight areas from develop: in;,' in future, to will provide a guide to correct city planning and tell ifoow devi iopmenl ol capital works affects residential areas.
According .io Parker ii is "a complete review of all planning and" capital works."
More Important; it will determine if areas are bad enough to warrant slum clearance and low-rental housing, would be advisable. WHAT TO HO
II' the study finds conditions are baHglit has no' progressed too far, ;i program of urban renewal can be undertaken, t'lidee such a |>lan, better sidewalks, lighting and other such services are provided t1 areas are expropriated, land Is I cleared and redevelopment undertaken In one of several ways. Land may be opened up to controlled private development or a plan of low-rental housing may be instituted.
Kids Fund
s^sm-a
Moans, groans and broken in.ne> will likely be the result of tonight's bruising grudge game 1 e-iv. i en the Press and Radio.
Proceeds go to the March of Din es and a good crowd Is e\, ected lo pass through the Coli aim box office at
this woi th v, hile fund, but
to ce I he s tribes and the
lai � �� ... uths settle their
BJg if Here
ose to l ,00.0 per-y evening Indl-enthuslasm that ional opera convince George will
A ci iwd of c
?l IIS Wed::. (l;i
cated in their the first profess pany to play Pi not be the last.
A tremendous ovation was given the Canadian Opera Company cast aft.er its presentation of Rossini's comic opera, The Barber of Seville, in the Duchess Park auditorium.
The concert was sponsored by the Prince Q.eorge Concert Association. A reception U>r members of the travellin ; c Hrrparty ��vas held in the Prince George Hotel later in the evening.
A n lember o f the cast, tenor
J ohn Arab. to Id CI Citizen re-
p orier Prince C le or.1 !: gave them
the warme's | r "'inn we've
Willi' assj st, Ul ICO from ihi!
c 'anad. a C>mii �il Un- opera com-
p any lours lo ns and cities
u �hidi have 1' before, or
r; ire!y, ex peri C( id i his form of
IT iiisic and 111 ,.; lire entertain-
There were lil very proud members of the Prince George school boy patrol guarding school cross walks today.
For they were presented with brand new uniforms consisting of bright yellow slicker, white hat and belt and "Stop" signs at a ceremony in Connaught Elementary School gymnasium Wednesday. >tar.v Club "
Charles Cranstoi president, made the presentations. His club donated the uniforms at u cost of more than S300.
"We hope your woVk wi\l give you sonic training and discipline as well as contributing to the safety of our school children," be told the boys. "We hope you get as much plea-lire from them us we have in giving; them to you."
The school boy patrol, first organized here eight years ago under sponsorship of the Rotary Club, has about 2,"> members at three elementary schools. Connaught. Central Fort George and. Sacred Heart The \m\^ take turns on patrol.
They guard school crosswalks and see to it their fellow students cross only when there are no oncoming ears.
One incident exemplified how the other children come to rely
upon their judgement. A little girl found herself starting home from school late one day and arrived at the corner to find the patrol boys had left. She was found there several minutes later, crying. She wouldn't cross without a patrol boy's assistance.
Overseeing tin- patrol boys with guidance and helpful advice is IJCMI* Const. Ken Duncan. Also present at the ceremonies was Henry Vogt, grade Kve teacher at Con-naught who supervises that school's patrol, Tom Wheeler, Connaught principal, and Lefty Ijoflcr, chairman of the I votary Club community services committees.
Patrol boys, ranging in age from 10 to 13. are on duty at school intersections from S:40 to 9:05 a.m.: 12 to 12:10 p.m.: 12:45 to 1:05 p.m.; and ,3 to 3:lo p.m.
Gai'vin Dezell, only man
i of opposing Mayor Dec. 17 civic elections, will in part,.on his past record as
Dezell. mayor for four years from 1950 to 1953; hasn't, made public' his platform but said yesterday that. past, achievements will probably form a major plank. "NOT CJO1XG IUGHT"
Saying he decid'ed to fun because he "doesn't think it is going right." irnder tin' present administration, the former.may-or pointed out .major changes brought into effect during his term of office.
One ehang' � he sought but never c.une about will definitely go into his new plai form, he said. He was a member of the executive of the Union of I'-.C. Municipalities which submitted the Hobbs Report asking the provincial government to bear n straight 80 percent of school costs. 11 got no results; cosl sharing with the municipalities is still on an assessed value basis. Xow Dezell will continue his fight for
so far to announce his Carrie .lane Gray at the Likely campaign, at least former mayor of the city.
l.ll'll.l-: WORK DONE
He charged Chat the city done littiL1 more than patch paving since he left office and Dezell, a building contract
bO-20 split of 1 Chid
ing because the h
one
said there hali'ibeen "no paving | 1O(), ,>irav>' a power demand
before or since" his administra tion, ew'cept that done by the provincJ on arterial routes through the city.
When he was mayor t-he en tire downtown area and the crescents wove paved, said the 51-year-old candidate.
Further accomplishments hj listed were: institution of the city's sewage system, renewal of water and power facilities and installation of most of the city's sidewalks.
De/.L-:i said tlta city doubled Its area under his regime and t)hat town planning was introduced to Prince George by one of his councils.
Prince George has not always been a mass of colored light at Christinas time.
ow
years ago tive ligfrit-Lh en -dilapidated power plant wouldn't take the textra load.
He said: "We knew if the power plant: broke because of p that
d never get it going again.'' So citizens were asked not lo use any more electricity than was absolutely necessary and colored lights never appeared.
lie said that under his administration tho plant was j brought up to par and finally I sold to the BCPC.
School Study
Ken Alexander, cm of school's foi trict o meetin
superintend-School Dis-will attend the Dec! 7 of the V a n c o u v e r
School Board to inquire into its system of management. His visit is intended to help the local district to streamline its management.