The Terrace Standard, Wednesday, September 7, 1994 - B1

‘TERRACE STANDARD .

A WEEKLY CALENDAR OF EVENTS

What's Up!

Wednesday, September 7
747 UNICORN AIR CADET SQUADRON in-
viles young people between 12 and 19 to join the
Squadron, The first night is Sept 7 starting at 6:30
p.m. and they meet at the Air Cadet Hall at the
airport. For more Info call 635-2158.

DIABETIC REFRESHER CLINIC takes place
at Mills Memoréal Hospital. Call Dana Hill, RN,
at 635-2211 Joca! 250 or 638-1956. A doctor’s
referral is required,

Thursday, September 8
NWCC STUDENTS Day of Welcome includes

line dancing on the lawn, barbeque, and softball
game, Bring your glove!

Saturday, September 10
CLUBS DAY takes place in the Skeena Mall.
Find out more about local non-profit groups, get
involved,

September 10-11
TERRACE LITTLE THEATRE holds audi-

tions at 2 p.m. Saturday and Sunday for their fall
production —- Design for Murder by George Bat-
son or Off With Alis Head by Frank Priore. Audi-
tions open to males and females from late teens to
50s, no experience necessary. For more info call
638-1215

; Monday, September 12
BREAST FEEDING SUPPORT GROUP

meeis at 8 p.m. at the Mills Memorial Hospital
education room.

Tuesday, September 13
PACIFIC NORTHWEST MUSIC FESTIVAL
holds their annual general mecting at 8 p.m. at the
home of Irene Kuhar, 3309 Thomas St. Monthly
meeting to follow AGM. New members welcome
and encouraged to attend. Call Irene at 635-3215
for more information.

Wednesday, September 14
KINETTE CLUB of Terrace holds its first gen-

“eral mecting at 6:30 p.m. at the Slumber Lodge.

For more information on the young women’s ser-
vice club, call 635-7913 or 638-1726.

Thursday, September 15
TERRACE REGIONAL HEALTH Care

Society hold its annual general mecting Thursday,
September 15 at 8:00 p.m. in the education room
at Mills Memorial Hospital.

CANADIAN CANCER SOCIETY meets at 7
p.m. at 4644 Soucie. Phone Pat Wafzig at 638-
1265 for more information.

Saturday, September 17
DIABETES SUPPORT GROUP “2 Sweet’’

meets in the Women’s Resource Centre at 2 p.m.
For info call Gen Roberts at 635-3094 or Kathy
Corbett at 638-8323.

Moniay, September 19
TERRACE 747 AIR CADET Socicty is holding

its annual AGM at the Air Cadet Hall starting at
7:00 p.m. All parents of cadets and any parents of
prospective cadets are asked to attend and lend
their support. For more info. call 635-2158,

Tuesday, September 20
AURORA SUMMER ARTS SCHOOL annual

- general mecting takes place at 7:30 p.m. at the

R.E.M, Lee Theatre.

TERRACE TOASTMASTERS mect at 7:30
p.m. at the Terrace Inn. Contact: Diana at 635-
5905 or Linda at 638-1856,

B.C, SCHIZOPIIRENIC SOCIETY holds a
meeting and support group al Stepping Stone
Clubhouse al 3302 Sparks at 7:30 p.m.

COUPONS, CONTESTS and refunding will be
the topics of a workshop with Jackic Rioux at
7:30 p.m. at the Terrace Women’s Resource
Centre. Call 638-0228 for more info.

Saturday, September 23
BENEFIT GARAGE SALE for the Canadian
Cancer Socicty. It happens 8 a.m. to noon at the
Carpenter’s Hall, Drop off good, clean items at
. the hall Friday night from 7 lo 9 p.m.

TALK ABOUT VIC — a workshop with Ter-
race Anti Poverty Group takes place at the Car-

' penter’s Hall from 1:30 to 3:30 pm. A CEC

Client Services officer will be in attendance. For
more {nfo call 635-4631,

The Terrace Standard offers the What's Up
community calendar as a public service to its
readers and community organizations.

This column is, intended for non-profit organiza-
tions and those events for which there is na ad-
mission charge.

ftems will ren two weeks before each event.

We ask that items be submitted by 5 p.m. on the
Thursday before the issue in which it is to appear.

. Submissions should be typed OF printed neatly,

INSIDE SECTION B
CITY JEFF NAGEL
SCENE B2 638-7283

a . “

» Kids day
SUNSHINE, ENTERTAIN-
MENT and food were the
order of the day Aug. 27 at
the Terrace Women's
Resource Centre’s  chil-
cren’s festival held. in
Lower Little Park, On the
left, Bert and Gert, charac-
ters prominent in. a_chil-
dren’s safety program
sponsored by the RCMP,
greet those who came.
That's former Terrace
Youth Ambassador Glenys
George, bottom left, help-
ing out at one of the craft
tables while directly balow,
city councillor Val George
does the cake cutting to of-
ficially open the event. With
George is Filomena
Swanson, one of the
avent’s key organizers.

SKEENA HIGHWAY

War spurred road building

By YYONNE MOEN

WAS A HOT

| Labour Day on
Sept, 4, 1944

when Terrace

was finally linked by road to the
east and west.

Now, 50 years since the Depart-
ment of National. Defence -built
the road, it has become recog-
nized as one of the most scenic
drives in the world, -

The idea of building a road
from Prince Rupert to Hazelion
was first discussed in the spring
of 1908 al the bar.in Black Jack
McDonale’s Hotel at Spokeshute
— the deserted ghost town also
known as Port Essington across
the Skeena from Tyhee,

Among those in on the talk
were George Frizell, Dutch Cline,
‘Barney’? Mulvaney, — and
"*Black Jack’? McDonald,

The topic came up again in June
of 1909 when Amos Godfrey and
a few companions heading up-
stream on the Port Simpson were
stranded ai the Big Canyon while
wailing for more. favourable
water levels to allow passage.

Godfrey wired his company to
explain the delay and. they
replied, iclling him to hire a team
and proceed to Hazelton.

In those days not a mark of a
trail existed above the cunyon —
let alone a road for a team of
horses.

The debale thal followed was'a
hat one.

Charlie Clifford, Frank - Whit-
low; Jake Patterson, Charlis. Dur=.

ham and /Walter Williscroft: all
camo to the same conclusion — — “if
cost loo met : ee

TONS OF ROCK were blasted out for the road right-of-way

peralleling the Skeena River and the CN Rail line.

The first real action taken in
trying to gain public interest was
in July of 1913.

That’s when Olof Hanson
brought the subject up at'a board
of trade. luncheon .in Prince
Rupert.

The lack of interes! again con-
vinced. Hanson that the public
was not inlerested.

Aflér ths luncheon; however,

Hanson comntissioned a survey .

of the river ronte and got a report
back. “of the. possibilities © and
estimated. cost of, construction BS

~ far as Terrace,

He presented the ‘project to the

provincial government and anoth-.

er interested group.

had ‘spent considerable time end:
. money. before re eventually, deciding

he could not secure sufficicnt
support to proceed with the ven-
ture.

To go to Prince Rupert in the
years that followed, a person had

to lake the train or. float the

Skeena in a boat.

The motivating force to build
the highway finally came with ihe
arrival of the Second World War
and fears of a Japanese invasion,

The wartime urgency dictated

the road be built as quickly as

’ possible. One direct hit on one of

‘the major railway bridges could
“ctle up any rail traffic for months

“to the military: bases at ‘Prince
- Rupert and Port Edward.

So it was decided | that. they

But time" went on “and. Hanson would immediately build ‘a high.

_ way from Prince Ruper! to ‘Ter. *
race, and then: link up existing

roads to the east to allow car and
truck traffic to get through to
Smithers and beyond.

Both American and Canadian
governments put construction
machinery to work.

It was the greatest concentration
of construction machinery ever
assembled on dne job up to that
time,

Construction workers said It
was a ‘“‘tight squeeze”? to bulld
the road from Tyee to Terrace,
along a narrow shelf of land also
occupied by the CN rail line. —

Rocks were poured into holes:
along the Skeena to a depth of 40°
feet.

Forty-five bridges were needed
altogether. They were pte-
fabricated in Vancouver. Ten of
them arc major spans of the

‘wooden Iruss type.

It was estimated 78 trucks were
used in the construction, along
with 25 bulldozers, 21 power
shovels, 32 dump trucks, nine
graders and 28 dumpsters. -

There were many difficulties, .
including a stubborn stretch of
seven miles between Prudhomme
Lake and Tyee.

Muskeg was shovelled out to ~

~ bedrock in some places and was

then filled inwithrock. .
For three miles there was a 600- -
foot high corrugated rock summit...
with wrinkles filled with muskeg *
that in places was 25 feet deep. -

From Tyee the road paralleled © a

the fiver and rail fo Terrace — 7a ;
miles cast, j

From Terrace, an earller provin- oe
“dal. ‘government-built toad sie