Alberni Valley Times - THIS WAS THEN - March 17, 2011

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MARCH 17, 2011

Pennyworth • 15

This Was Then... With Old Ike

March 31, 1992 – Firefighters lose ambulances to BCAS As history has recorded, the community put up a good battle to keep the local Fire Department running the ambulance service but the decision to switch to the British Columbia Ambulance Service (BCAS) was made by then Health Minister Elizabeth Cull, and the changeover took place at 6:00 p.m. on Tuesday, March 31, 1992. “There are some hard feelings and I fully understand that,” Mike Dwyer, the ambulance unit chief, told Times reporter Diane Morrison at the time. “Given time we will develop a really good working relationship. We all work for the public.” Dwyer and Fred Bates, BCAS superintendent for the North Island, said they recognize that, for a while, the ambulance service will be closely scrutinized by the community. “And rightly so,” Mr. Dwyer said, “because it was such an emotional issue.”

In a symbolic gesture just for the newspaper, Port Alberni Fire Chief Rusty Phillips (front left) handed over the keys for one of the ambulance vehicles to Mike Dwyer, the new unit chief for the B.C. Ambulance Service in town. The exchange took place at the ambulance quarters on Roger Street.

Found in the files A few items caught my eye recently as I scanned some 51-year old issues of the West Coast Advocate. First of all, this item on the editorial page on August 4, 1960:

In the August 11, 1960 issue this announcement:

From the August 18, 1960 issue of the West Coast Advocate, this small article:

Albernis In Top Ten Among Salary Earners

“Jeanette Denise Quesnel of Port Alberni, B.C., graduated recently as a Trans-Canada Air Lines stewardess following an intensive five-week course at Montreal. She worked as a B.C. Telephone Co. operator and desk clerk at Port Alberni before joining TCA in May, 1960. She is now stationed at Montreal with the airline.”

“Probably the youngest stockholder of the giant MacMillan, Bloedel and Powell River Ltd., is six month old Joseph Kjernistad, 915 Sixth Ave. North, Port Alberni. Joey took the easy road to riches by capitalizing on his personality and charm; he won the first prize in the Alberni Super-Valu baby photo contest which was judged during the past week – his prize was one share in MBPR Ltd.”

“Don’t blow a fuse if you’re not in the class of the top ten when it comes to annual salary. At least the average worker in this Valley is supposed to receive $4300 per annum, based on figures released by the taxation department at Ottawa. In the actual standing as set by the rates Port Alberni stands seventh, one

slot ahead of metropolitan Toronto, while Victoria is in twenty-third place. This should raise our ego at least. It is gratifying to know that you are living in one of Canada’s best districts for high paid workers and professional men, and the revenue department at Ottawa, who publish the book on taxation statistics

should know correctly the various ratings. Unfortunately the review of the green book did not cite what the various workers were being paid, but you can rest assured the figures were for wages before taxes were taken away, which would show the take-home pay considerably less, than the round figures for any type of work.”

Can anyone update us on Jeanette? How long did she fly with TCA? Lets chat at: ikepatterson@ telus.net

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Did Joseph hang on to that MBPR share? If anyone knows, please contact me at: ikepatterson@telus.net or leave a message at the AV Times office during regular business hours

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