Wednesday, Wednesday, December December 21, 21, 2011 2011
THE THE LAKE LAKE COWICHAN COWICHAN GAZETTE GAZETTE
Greetings from the Town of Lake Cowichan
www.lakecowichangazette.com www.lakecowichangazette.com
Ushering out an era: the 1988 removal of the CNR trestle
Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year from Mayor, Council and Staff
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The removal of part of the Canadian National Railway trestle that spanned South Shore Road in town center for decades, took place in September 1988. The nearby section that crossed the river near the Duck Pond was eventually modified and is now used as a footbridge. Today, the lovely Ohtaki Park and Forest Workers Memorial Park line both sides of South Shore Road where the old trestle once loomed above. Photo courtesy Kaatza Station Museum and Susan Tuck
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FOOTWEAR CENTRE 42 S. Shore Road 250-749-3721
Celebrate Christmas with us
Lake Cowichan United Church 10 King George Street North Christmas Eve, Saturday, Dec. 24 at 7pm Enjoy the Christmas Story in Scripture and in Song Regular Sunday Service on Sunday morning, December 25th at 10:30 am
Christmas Joy and Peace to you
MERRY CHRISTMAS
THE LAKE COWICHAN GAZETTE OFFICE WILL BE CLOSED Monday, December 26 and Tuesday, December 27 for Christmas Holidays With the local Post Ofce being closed Tuesday, December 27, the Gazette will be in the mailboxes Wednesday, December 28. Early deadlines Wednesday, December 21 for the December 28 paper. Wednesday, December 28 for the January 4 issue of the Gazette
HAVE A SAFE & HAPPY HOLIDAY SEASON
I
n 1988, decades after it was erected, the old Canadian National Railway trestle that spanned the Cowichan River and South Shore Road in the center of town, was removed. The nostalgic daily sights and sounds of trains and their whisBy Rolli Gunderson tles, as well as the impact they had on the area, was over. The reality was far different from the nostalgia that was generated that final day. Although the trestle was necessary in that it was part of the rail line from Victoria to Youbou, it was also crucial to the economy of the area. A big silver overpass, it loomed over the main street and many logging trucks passed under it on a daily basis for countless years. It was more or less taken for granted, and sometimes ignored. Sure, it wasn’t attractive, but it was a fixture in town. Problems arose early on, as far back as the 1940s, when loaded logging trucks piled high with lumber began to hit the top of the trestle. Rather than take the position that the loads were to high, the Chamber of Commerce of the day, representing the view of
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May your Christmas season be filled with Love, Joy, Family & Friends, now and thoughout the New Year.
Cowichan Lake COMMUNITY SERVICES
All the best for your Holidays and for a great New Year!
Tipton’s Outboards Lake Cowichan
250-749-3343
the townsfolk, complained that the trestle was too low. The Aug. 11, 1958 issue of the local newspaper, The Lake News, reported, “Fear had been expressed that logs may be knocked off logging trucks.” The problem wasn’t so much that the loads hit the trestle at 40 miles per hour, firing “wooden missiles,” but the immediate danger to pedestrians and motorists. That was what prompted the complaints — and rightly so. The Lake News also reported that “The CNR trestle over the main road in Lake Cowichan bares scars as a result of high loads on trucks passing underneath. Drivers expressed their opinion in notto-delicate words.” The editor offered his own solution to the problem by recommending that motorists take an alternate route, via King George Street, Cowichan Avenue or the Wellington Avenue. The advice was not well received. For many more years, pedestrians (including this author) and motorists dodged flying logs until 1988, when the last train from Youbou made its final run. It was with mixed emotions, as townsfolk said goodbye to the end of an era. The final act took place in September when the trestle was removed and trucked to it’s new home at the British Columbia Forest Discovery Centre near Duncan.
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Merry Christmas & Happy New Year It has been a pleasure to serve you and we thank you for your support.