On the agenda for this year had been the completion of a number of projects started last year plus a couple of new reclamation projects at the tailings ponds.
All plans were brought to an abrupt halt in April when test results of Mark Creek by the Ministry of Environment showed the water in the creek to be many times more toxic than the direct effluent from local pulp mills. The culprit was acid drainage, the source was traced back to the waste dumps at the Old Minesite.
The test results brought Cominco's reclamation schedule to a grinding halt. In a change of direction, they chose to focus on the dump, and are just now wrapping up work on the $3 minion project to isolate the creek from the dumps by constructing a new channel and installing a collection and drainage system. If effective the system should isolate the vast majority of the acid drainage from the creek.
About this same time, the world of junior hockey in Kimberley was looking pretty bleak. The Kimberley Knights had failed to ice a team for the 1990/91 season, and were on the verge of folding permanently. It looked as if junior hockey as about to fade from Kimberley, but in a strange twist of fate at a last minute late night meeting the Knights organization became the Junior Dynamiters organization, and Junior A hockey was born.
Although the spring rains were some of the heaviest on record, and there were warnings of possible flooding in the Kootenays, Kimberley remained safe and secure as the temperatures warmed for the summer tourist season, which because of the GST was predicted to take its toll on Kimberley's tourism industry.
The first contentious issue of the summer was the notification by Environment Minister Dave Mercier that there was to be a Limited Entry Hunt for bull moose in the Kootenays this fall. Of the 118 moose that would go out in the limited entry draw 113 were destined for resident hunters while five were allocated for guide-outfitters. There has since been dissatisfaction over information that the guide-outfitters were eventually allocated 10, but in any event none of the related committees have come any closer to developing an amiable relationship between the guides and resident hunters.
The most unusual occurrence of the summer was the temporary gas war in Kimberley in which gas retailers engaged in a cut-throat gas price war that saw prices plummet almost 30 cents per litre overnight. The credit to low man on the block went to Jim Bob's Mini Mart on Wallinger who on one evening last summer posted prices as low as 29.9 cents. Jim Bob's had been charging 57.9 the preceding day. Gas prices returned to normal the day after, and have not looked back since.
But perhaps the biggest story of the summer was the sudden and unexpected failure of a wall at a tailings pond at the Sullivan Concentrator Friday, August 23.
Because of the area where the spill occurred, the concentrator lost only a couple days production while Cominco made temporary repairs. A full report is expected next year.
Other hot news during the summer of 1991 was the funding suspension for the Purcell Valley Community Futures committee. Responsible for attracting $1 million worth of federal funding for the development of the Trickle Creek Golf Resort, and millions more through its offshoot the Business Development Centre in Marysville, the local committee had their funding suspended in early August.
But in these days of dismal financial statements even the normally freespending New Democrats stood hard on the line of fiscal responsibility. An early example was the hold-the-line budget in regards to hospitals, which saw the Kimberley & District Hospital's request for a funding increase turned down by the Ministry of Health.
And while the hospital struggled through tough times, they were not alone as Cominco was hit with one of its worst financial statements in years. In October, Cominco posted a $22-million third-quarter loss. The company's Mining and Integrated Metals division, of which the Kimberley operation contributes to, lost $8.4 million.
Citing abysmal metal prices as the major factor in the negative numbers, Cominco battened down the hatches. Although no lay-offs were announced, the company said they could not operate indefinitely at a loss.
Base metal prices have since recovered, but with the North American economic recovery apparently on hold, Cominco Kimberley could yet be in for some troubled times.
There was, however, some good news on the mining front as Kokanee Exploration of Cranbrook announced they were confident of a metals find approximately 10 kilometers south of the Sullivan Mine. Although the company has yet to hit pay-dirt, Kokanee with the financial assistance of other mining concerns are confident about the project and are currently involved in a multi-million dollar exploration project on the land.
Kimberley RCMP reported a relatively quiet year in 1991, with minor increases in some crimes, and minor decreases in others.
The quiet lifestyle of Kimberley was, however, jilted in late March when Kimberley RCMP charged Leon Robert Learn, 36 of Kimberley with the second degree murder of Kimberley resident 30-year-old Patrick Jay McCarthy.
Unconfirmed reports say that McCarthy died of multiple stab wounds to the upper chest area. Learn has been remanded in custody. The trial originally, scheduled for January has been postponed until later in the spring.
On the good news front Selkirk Secondary had a good year in the sporting world, and the long-awaited Centre 64 expansion finally got under way. The structure is expected to be up and operational next spring.
Good news for Kimberley's seniors is that the City of Kimberley and the Steelworkers Organization of Active Retirees have combined forces and are now pushing ahead with a project that should hopefully see a seniors rental housing complex constructed within the next year or so.
Also on the housing front, Kimberley's vacancy rates have plunged to the two per cent level. Although the city can not be considered to be in a real estate boom, home prices have generally escalated over the year, and after years of a construction drought, new houses are finally being built in Kimberley.
When combining the increased construction with the decreased vacancy rates it appears the population of Kimberley is actually growing.
So as the city turns into 1992, the City administration and the population in general are looking at mixed signals. The extension of the Canadian recession, the weak numbers in mining and forestry have to be considered bad news no matter how you add it up, but with the economic benefits of the Skookumchuck upgrade, and the possible ski hill sale just around the corner, the city should be economically out of the woods for the next couple years.
Perhaps the biggest adjustment will be the new role of Kimberley, and although no-one appears certain what that will be, a change is necessary and imminent if Kimberley wants to look forward to the next century.
1992 The year in review
As the doors close on one year and open on another, Kimberley residents wave farewell to a year filled with healthy debate and optimistic progress.
With the 1992 doors barely open, Kimberley made national television over the proposed sale of the Ski Hill to potential Japanese investor Toshio Kawabe and in the days and months the momentum continued to build.
City Council ran the gamut, with everything from civil law suits involving the then International Art School, banning dogs in the Platzl, deadlines and discussions over the water system, a lively debate over the mosquito control problem and a successful trial opening of the Trickle Creek Golf Course.
While the community held its breath through the trials and tribulations of the Ski Hill sale proposal, they saw the dust settle and a "no sale" sign go up when Kawabe was unable to produce the needed funds.
It was the year for community involvement with Kimberley being selected for such initiatives as the Healthy Kimberley and the Sustainable Communities project and thousands of volunteer hours were to go into helping the community towards a healthier, happier lifestyle.
Housing starts saw a dramatic increase from 4 or 5 new starts the year before to 19 in 1992.
As well, the Sullivan Mine celebrated its 100th anniversary.
He sees the Kimberley Oldtime International Accordion Championships making the top 100 events list of the American Bus Association as one of the more positive stories of the year and the mosquito debate, which resulted in the city adopting a mosquito control program, as one of the more controversial.
On the horizon
As he looks ahead, Ogilvie sees good things in store for Kimberley in 1993. "I think were going to see more new and exciting, very high class development objects in Kimberley, especially in the North Star area and in Marysville," he said.
As for the sale of the Ski Hill, Ogilvie said the city is scouting around for investors. "We want to get $30 to $100 million invested in the community as part of the deal or we won't move," he said.
The city's proposed new water system another issue that will see movement in 1993. Ogilvie said hopefully council will be able to convince the provincial government that the project must proceed in the manner council wants to move with it - which is a new dam on a new site, with new water lines.
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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