1958 Life in the Cariboo-Chilcotin, parades, beauty pageant, a Royal Visit, Williams Lake, BC
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- Опубліковано 2 лют 2023
- 1958 Life in the Cariboo-Chilcotin, parades, beauty pageant, a Royal Visit and float plane, Williams Lake, BC
The cinematographer who’s names is lost to history captured several social events during the year starting with a parade on a rather dreary rainy day in spring. What the parade celebrated I’m not sure, however, there’s a rather interesting float calling for citizens to vote for a new hospital among others. In the background Al’s Variety Store on Oliver Street is clear to see, sadly, that building was demolished in recent years. There are other retailers and restaurants however it’s hard to identify them accurately as this 8mm camera’s lens was a bit soft. Despite the rain, people are making the best of it and dressed for the weather, however, I suspect the brave ladies in their one piece bathing suits in the motorboat are probably a bit chilly. This is another reel found by a colleague in a second hand shop in the Vancouver area.
A beauty contest is taking place likely somewhere on its nearby namesake lake possibly at Scout Island. The population of Williams Lake in 1958 was barely 2000 people and it appears many attended these social events.
We’re back on a roof top of a building on Oliver Street for the Williams Lake Stampede parade. The Williams Lake Stampede dates back to 1919, one of the oldest in BC. Parades are always interesting to view, they are a lens into what was important and popular at they very moment. Other small nearby towns contributed their floats like 150 Mile House, all in the spirit of tourism and growth. The fast paced military marching is a sure sign of a rifle regiment, in this case the band and a platoon of Queen own Rifles from either Vitoria or Calgary.
The cinematographer spent some time at the lake before heading to the newly built airport, only just two years old at this time with what appears to be a grass airstrip and a rather relaxed attitude towards visitors.
Another festive event in town, this time the brief visit of Princess Margaret celebrating BC’s centenary. Princess Margaret spent 31 days in Canada during this royal tour it was her first and only visit to Williams Lake. A rare visitor to town, the CNR passenger train on the Pacific Great Eastern tracks in the background was the Princess’s form of transportation for this part of the royal tour.
This reel ends with an early Pacific Western Airlines 1951 built DeHavilland Beaver floatplane arriving on the lake. Interestingly, this now 72 year old aircraft is still flying today with Lake Country Airways in Orillia, Ontario.
14 min 28 secs, 8mm 2k digital scan
Kodachrome
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Great shots of the business district of WL. The Famous Cafe, which for years served as the hangout for teens. Al's Variety store owned by Al Smallenberg who recently passed away. He and his father also owned the property the Famous Cafe was on and the parking lot beside it use by the Maple Leaf Hotel. The menswear store was Borkowski's Menswear. I watched that 1958 stampede Parade and many others. Thanks for the memories.
Hello. I am almost certain at 8:45 that plane is landing at the airport which is now a residential area, 9th avenue. At 9:06-9:18. That is Fox Mountain in the back ground. I would also say it's fairly certain the roof the parade is being filmed from is that of the heritage Ranch Hotel which burned after 1987 after I moved away. You can see the camera pointing west down Mckenzie Ave at 11:31and then it swings around and films "up" (East) Oliver Street at 11:41 which is still the main drag. Fox Mtn. in the background looking north again at 4:45. 5:04. Looking west down Mckenzie Ave. At 6:09. I am 99% mostly certain that is the train station building (white colour) which still stands in 2023 and is named The Station House Gallery(art) It has a very slight different look today with no "mud room" on the left hand side so mostly positive it's the Station House Gallery. Hope this helps. Feel free to ask any questions, Ken
Way Way cool!
The small band in the first parade could be the kamloops rube band. It was established in 1949.
Al’s Variety was owned by my Stepfather, Al Smallenberg. The ladies’ wear was managed by my Mom, Colleen, who was known for her fancy giftwrapping. She wrapped many gifts purchased by customers for special occasions. Al also owned the Famous Cafe just up the street and the after school cherry or vanilla cokes were the rage in high school!
We kids would go down to the store and get toys. One of our favourites was pea shooters!
Hello. I received a Thumbnail from "B.C. History" this morning and wanted to provide a bit more info. on THIS video. In the "B.C. History" Princess Margaret 1958 video at 0:14 it shows Al's Variety Store (white building top left) and at the top right is the former Log Cabin Hotel renamed the Ranch Hotel before burning between 1988 and 1997 while I lived elsewhere. I believe this is the building where a good portion of this video was filmed from. If not it would have been filmed from the next building "up' from the Ranch Hotel. Ken
The Beauty Contest is not Scout Island it is the Old Beach on South Lakeside...Very 😎 video born and raised in da Puddle...
The Beach is the Old Public Beach on South Lakeside Drive, beside the PGE Railway.
Being a railfan I was trying to decipher which railroad would have had the yellow Alco switcher shown in the video, thanks.
This railway was the Pacific Eastern Railway, a Crown Corporation of British Columbia. The Switcher was probably bought or leased. A lot of their Railstock came from railways back East in the States. It was a real patchwork operation in those days. Many things have changed since.
👍
Quesnel Lake 12:38.
Hi. Could be Quesnel Lake as the mountains depict.
Cariboo
My mistake.
This is an awesome video. Thanks for working on it.
The beach is actually the old beach off of south lakeside and is across the lake from scout island. And the float plane at the end is definitely not landing on Williams Lake. Not sure where it is.
Again thanks for your hard work in this.
Thank you. I do however make mistakes, Cariboo/Caribou vexes me. As for the float plane, I presumed Williams Lake, it appears I was wrong, I wonder what lake it may be?
@@ReelLifeCanada Hello. I conform as the mountains are too high to be WL.
@@ReelLifeCanada the float plane looks like it is on Quesnel Lake.