Organized hockey was formed with seven man teams who played the entire game with 60 minutes of playing time and leagues had begun with rivalries from Wycliffe, Cranbrook and Lumberton.
Up on McDougall 2nd and 3rd avenues were cleared and homes were starting to be built.
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Blarchmont up until 1921 was a logged off area when construction for homes began.
It was told that the first person to grow up in Kimberley was Nel Tofett. The first power line was strung to McDougall Town site & wiring commenced. East Kootenay Power turned on November 5, 1922 with 18 customers.
In 1922 the 1st Catholic church was built at the corner of Wallinger and Howard street, the now site of the Kimberley hotel parking lot, it was destroyed by tire. This was succeeded by the Presbyterian church on the same site. The present Catholic church was built in 1927-28.
Chapman Camp was named when construction started in 1922 on the concentrator and began when Bill Lindsay sent ED Houle and his gang started to clear the site. Paul Louis was the blaster, A.A. Watkins and A. Spinks, Jack Dobson, George Frieake, Ira Foster Jack Kavanagh, Gus Soderholm, John Pighan and Wilfred Houle formed the group.. In 1922, F. Chapman was superintendent at the mine at the time. A cow trail was put in from the concentrator to Taylor's Mill. A cookhouse and dining room were run with Sid Johnston and Mark Beduz as cooks accompanied by 10 assistants. 450 men were then hired, 56 bunkhouses accommodating 5 men each, and a rampasture was built to make room for 100 more men. A hall was built, to house the McKay's Commanders orchestra with Albert Hild on the violin, Vic Hild on the banjo, Marg McKay on the piano, Doug Dunlop on the sax, Fred Webber on the trombone and Jack Evans on Percussion.
Tommy Ellison was the postmaster at the time.
The field at Chapman camp was built and the trestle at Taylor's Mill was constructed.
In 1923 six homes were built on 2nd avenue at townsite and the Kimberley Hospital was built. Lights and power became a reality in Kimberley & Blarchmont.
The government liquor store opened with a vendor by the name of Mr. Gougeon who passed away in 1928 and Grennie Musser took his place.
The Sullivan concentrator was completed in 1923 and this was the big break for Kimberley and the entire east Kootenay.
Baseball was at the village green and in 1924 football was introduced in Kimberley.
Shacks and tents sprung up all over. The company built six houses in 1923 on 2nd avenue. The camp was surveyed and built into avenues and streets. Mel O'Brien who was assistant superintendent built an outdoor rink at the right of the tracks going up the concentrator hill. The first shacks were occupied by Joe Harris (master pipetitter for the water works in camp), Mark Brooks, Dtmc Robertson, Nick McKenzie, Harold Andrews and Ross Doran.
Sis Young was the first girl born there and Dunc Robertson Jr . was the first boy. The first baby to live in camp was Mrs. Ross Doran. Early settlers in 1922-23 were Laughie McKay, Howard Douglas, LE Herchenier, Jack Hargreaves, Joe Thompson, Tom Crossley, Bill Angrove and George James.
At the time, Oughtred hall (1925-1952) had badminton, basketball, bowling, billiards meeting rooms and confectionery. There was a curling rink, ball diamond, football field skating rink, swimming pool and ski jump.
The school was built in Chapman camp and a new bridge over Mark creek at Wallinger, the Elks lodge began as well as the opening of the Kimberley Golf club with N.W. Burdett as president.
At the time a lot in Chapman camp was $1.00 each ( 95' x 75')
New homes were being built in Townsite with boule-vards and trees.
Rotary Drive was a long and desolate road, no lights or bushes on either side. The only piece of the old road is between the city works yard and the sully hotel, it crossed the tracks at the city works. The Lois Creek was flumed down and emptied into the Taylor's Mill pond.
Next.Salute to Kimberley - Index Page
Front Cover - Inside Front Cover
Page One 1896 - 1910, - Page Two 1900 - 1911, - Page Three 1912 - 1920, - Page Four 1921 - 1924, - Page Five 1925
Page Six 1926, - Page Seven 1927, - Page Eight 1928, - Page Nine 1929, - Page Ten 1930, -
Page Eleven 1930, - Page Twelve 1931/32, - Page Thirteen 1933 - 1936, - Page Fourteen 1937 - 1939, - Page Fifteen 1940, -
Page Sixteen 1941/42, - Page Seventeen 1943, - Page Eighteen 1944/45, - Page Nineteen 1945/46, - Page Twenty 1946/47, -
Page Twentyone 1948, - Page Twentytwo 1948, - Page Twentythree 1949, - Page Twentyfour 1950/51, - Page Twentyfive 1951, -
Page Twentysix 1952, - Page Twentyseven 1953, - Page Twentyeight 1954/55, - Page Twentynine 1955, - Page Thirty 1956/57, -
Page Thirtyone 1957/58, - Page Thirtytwo 1958/59, - Page Thirtythree 1959 - 1961, - Page Thirtyfour 1961/62, - Page Thirtyfive 1962/63, -
Page Thirtysix 1963/64, - Page Thirtyseven 1964 - 1966, - Page Thirtyeight 1967, - Page Thirtynine 1968 - 1970, - Page Forty 1970, -
Page Fortyone 1971, - Page Fortytwo 1972, - Page Fortythree 1973, - Page Fortyfour 1974/75, - Page Fortyfive 1975, -
Page Fortysix 1976, - Page Fortyseven 1976, - Page Fortyeight 1977/78, - Page Fortynine 1978, - Page Fifty 1979/80, -
Page Fiftyone 1981/82, - Page Fiftytwo 1982/83, - Page Fiftythree 1983/84, - Page Fiftyfour 1985, - Page Fiftyfive 1986/87, -
Page Fiftysix 1987/88, - Page Fiftyseven 1988/89, - Page Fiftyeight 1989 - 1991, - Page Fiftynine 1991/92, - Page Sixty 1993/94, -
Page Sixtyone 1995, - Page Sixtytwo 1996/97, - Page Sixtythree 1997/98, - Page Sixtyfour 1998/99, - Back CoverReturn to Keepers Index
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