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Issue #22

Fraser Valley Regional Crisis Line

    Earlier this year, the Crisis Line program was expanded to include Hope and Boston Bar to the existing region of Mission, Abbotsford, and Chilliwack. All residents of the Upper Fraser Valley can now call the Crisis Line 24-hours a day, 7-days a week, toll-free at 1-877-820-7444, for support, referrals, and resource information.  The Crisis Line is a volunteer-based program provided by Mission Community Services Society, and funded by the Eastern Fraser Health Authority.
    Adult volunteers who are trained in non-judgmental listening skills are available to support callers. Calls are treated confidentially, and callers may remain anonymous. Although the Crisis Line handles crisis calls relating to suicide and abuse, these calls account for about 20% of the calls received. For the most part, callers use the Crisis Line for emotional support during lonely periods, or when experiencing relationship problems. Other problems include mental health, grief, loss, substance abuse, housing, financial, health, parental, and financial concerns.
    Besides providing a listening ear, the Crisis Line offers appropriate referrals from an extensive list of resources.  Resources for youth, adults, and seniors are available. In addition, Emergency Mental Health services can be accessed via the Crisis Line.


Lillooet Resident Fined and Ordered to Restore Fish Habitat on Seton Lake

  A Lillooet resident has been fined a total of $5,000 under the Fisheries Act after pleading guilty to damaging fish habitat on Seton Lake. The B.C. Provincial Court in Kamloops ordered Earl John Speer to pay $500 to the court and $4,500 to Fisheries and Oceans Canada to restore fish habitat on Seton Lake. Fishery officers received a tip that an individual was clearing trees and vegetation from the foreshore of Seton Lake. Seton Lake supports sockeye, coho, chinook and pink salmon, rainbow trout, bull trout and kokanee. Seton Lake flows into Seton River, which flows into the Fraser River. An investigation determined that Mr. Speer was the owner of the property and was clearing the foreshore of the lake to build a cabin on the land. Trees, shrubs and other vegetation on the foreshore area of lakes provide critical habitat for juvenile salmon and trout species by providing cover, shade and a food supply. Fisheries and Oceans Canada would like to remind the public that damaging and polluting fish habitat are violations of the Fisheries Act. Persons wishing to develop land near water - including rivers, streams, marshes, lakes and the ocean - should contact the local Fisheries and Oceans office prior to commencing any works. The Department is concerned about the protection of fish and fish habitat and asks for assistance from the public in reporting fisheries-related violations. Please call the 24-hour, toll-free Observe, Record and Report line at 1-800-465-4336.

Report From North Bend School
By Janelle and Kristin

    We are having a busy month at North Bend.  On November 15th, we had a Jump Rope for Heart at North Bend Hall.  We will be having a Home and School meeting at North Bend at 2:45 on Tuesday November 19th.  There will be a Finding Our Gifts school art project on the morning of November 20th, plus we will be going to Hope arena to go skating at 8:30 am.  We are having a Mini-Awards, Open House and our 1st report cards and they are all on November 22nd, 2002.  On November 25th it will be a Community Interaction Day for parents teachers and kids.  On Tuesday November 26th, we are having a cultural event at 10:45 am.  On November 29th, we will do our Christmas crafts day.  We hope everyone will have a great time with all our activities!

The Fraser Canyon Express is pleased to publish articles by
our "Junior Reporters" at North Bend once each month.
    North Bend Recollections (1926-1938)

No. 8                                   Medical Care in North Bend                            W.(Bill) Young

    North Bend in the 1930's was an isolated community since this was well before the construction of the present-day North Bend-Boston Bar bridge and several years before the aerial ferry across the Fraser River came into being. Of course, there was no hospital in North Bend. Nor were there any type of Red Cross Outpost establishment, resident Doctor nor resident nurse.
    The family's first "line of defence" to any illness or injury was the family medical encyclopaedia which most North Bend mothers had at their finger tips for ready reference. I am certain that my mother's medical reference had but one solution for almost every childhood illness -Milk of Magnesia. I seem to recall taking a dose of Milk of Magnesia for every illness that might befall a child. Needless to say, it was not my favourite tasting liquid.  
    For an injury or an illness that was beyond the "Home Medical Gospel", families had access to the local CPR First Aid attendant. I don't recall the man's name but I do recall that he lived in the third or fourth house on the road facing the tracks to the north of Stevenson's lunch counter. During the years that I lived in North Bend, I had to pay two visits to the First Aid attendant. The first was for treatment for a dislocated shoulder caused by falling off a horse while the second was for a dog bite (my fault).
The closest C.P.R. doctor was Dr. Peter McCaffrey whose practice was based in Agassiz. (He had a brother who was also a doctor who had a practice in Chilliwack). Dr. McCaffrey made scheduled periodic visits to North Bend where prior appointments would have been made by families.
    The only other option open to North Benders was to take the train to a town or city that had a hospital such as Vancouver or Kamloops. This was usually the case when "mothers-to-be" were expecting the birth of a child. While some babies may have been born in North Bend itself with the assistance of unofficial mid-wives, I don't recall hearing of any.
    When my mother was "expecting" her three children (including me), she left for Vancouver to stay with my dad's brother and his wife. Thus, I was born in Vancouver at St. Paul's Hospital. While my mother stayed in Vancouver awaiting the birth of my sister in 1931, her mother came out from Scotland to North Bend to look after me. At that time, my mother had been away from her family in Scotland for some seven years so it must have been an exciting time for her  when my grandmother arrived in North Bend. I was not yet five years old at the time but I still recall going down to the North Bend station to meet her. I remember standing with my mother on the platform as the west-bound train arrived............continued next page
(pregnant and all) to embrace her mother. Many decades later, while on a Then, she began shouting: "There she is. There she is" as she ran down the platform (pregnant and all) to embrace her mother. Many decades later, while on a holiday to Scotland, my aunt told me how my grandmother could never get used to the hot summer temperatures of North Bend. Being there in mid-summer with a wood stove for heating water and cooking, I can well imagine how uncomfortable it must have been for someone directly out from cool, misty and rainy Scotland.
(I'd like to hear from any readers who may have lived in North Bend in the 1930's
(E-mail:"billem@islandnet.com")
Next Recollection- "The Mount View Hotel"

Winterizing Your Car Could Save Your Life In a Snow Storm
Fall is the perfect time to begin winterizing and assembling a winter car kit. Winterizing the family car is simple. Before the thermometer drops, car owners need to check the antifreeze, oil and fluid levels, the heating system, and get snow tires or make sure the all-weather tires have plenty of tread. One of the most important things you can do is to keep you car's gas tank full. Listen to upcoming weather reports and fill the gas tank before the bad weather hits.  Assemble a Winter Car Kit.  A Winter Car Kit can literally save your life during a snow storm. Wise drivers store emergency supplies in their car trunks.  Items in your Winter Car Kit should include: a battery-powered radio with spare batteries (in case your car radio fails), a flashlight with extra batteries, a first aid kit with a manual, an extra blanket or two, and extra clothing. Booster cables are important for any time of the year but especially in winter to restart a dead battery.  A shovel, a box of sand or old house shingles are a must. The sand and/or the shingles will give tires needed traction to get out of a snow pile and back on the road. It might not be a bad idea to store salt for your driveway, too! The melting snow might be easier to shovel and cause less strain on your heart.  Anyone who travels with children knows the importance of having snacks and drinking water on long trips. If you store these items in the car trunk now, they will be handy if you get caught in a storm.  If you have car trouble on the road, a fluorescent orange cloth tied to the antenna and safety flares will alert other drivers that you need help.  Plan ahead. Mechanical failure or problems can be deadly in winter conditions, so don't take chances.  
   If you are going to be in extremely cold climate for a period of time, adding a de-icer to your fuel can keep moisture in the fuel system from freezing.
   Check the level, pH and concentration of the cooling system every time the vehicle is serviced. A mixture of 50% anti-freeze and 50% water will protect down to -40 degrees Fahrenheit; do not exceed 70% anti-freeze or overheating can occur.
   Check your owners manual for the different grades of oil that are recommended for winter. In most cases a 10w30 oil will work for normal as well as short periods of winter temperature driving.
   All filters and fluids should be inspected and replaced at the recommended intervals to assure proper operation under inclement conditions.
   If your battery is within one year of its warranty period have it tested before cold weather driving. Having clean and tight connections, no corrosion, and proper fluid levels are a necessity.
   Be careful of holes in the floorboards or trunk area that can also allow exhaust to be drawn into the vehicle.
   Check tires - thin or uneven tread wear does not provide good traction and can be very dangerous in winter weather. Cut or damaged sidewalls are also weak areas that can collapse under severe conditions.
   Inspect all lights to assure they are functional; lack of light for illumination or visibility can be deadly.
   Be sure your heater and defroster are in proper working order to assure passenger comfort and proper visibility.
   Be sure your windshield wipers function properly and wipe cleanly. Be sure your windshield washer fluid is appropriate for cold weather, is topped up and sprays properly.  ] Remember your winter car kit!

Letters to the Editor
Dear Editor,
    I've got a historical project going called "Vanishing BC", on the website below, and one of the more popular pages is the one on North Bend--you'll have no trouble finding it. I've linked to your paper for the people who are trying to make contact with long-lost friends, etc. If you want to write something about my project, I'd appreciate it.
                                                                --Michael Kluckner -- http://www.michaelkluckner.com

From the Editor,

    Michael Kluckner is a western Canadian-based artist and writer. The website referred to in the letter presents a stunning display of watercolours depicting heritage homes and historical buildings and sites around BC. The North Bend page has paintings of the Highline Houses, the Harry Lee House and  the CPR Hotel among others.  A couple of people have posted inquiries about North Bend and Boston Bar, they appear below.  To respond to these inquiries go the Vanishing BC website or contact this paper.   Michael Kluckner's books are widely available in bookstores. His watercolours and woodcuts are sold through Petley-Jones Gallery - www.petleyjones.com at 2235 Granville Street in Vancouver, tel. 604 732-5353. There are some books, cards and unframed woodcuts for sale on the website.

Inquiry#1 -I grew up in North Bend and left in 1948. As of late there have been a few inquiries of family members trying to re-capture roots. I have 3 older sisters but I seem to be able to remember more than they can. I have only started on this search-- I have a cousin who grew up in Boston Bar, Maybe the two of us will start putting some of our memories down while there may be still a few more with some history left to relate. Wish I had done this before. Maybe some one else has. Perhaps you know.
                                                                                                                 -- Dorothy Rowse

Inquiry#2-We are compiling our family history, and have a mysterious relative we are trying to learn about. The family story is that he worked on a farm or ranch at North Bend, called Stadacona Farm. There is a creek in the Yale district named "Gowen Creek". We think this was named after him. His name was Hammond Gowen, nicknamed 'Beau Gowen'. He was born in 1871 and eventually died in Seattle, Washington in 1965. If you have ever heard of Stadacona Farm, or Gowen Creek please get in  touch with me.  
                                                                                                                  --Yvonne Gowen