The Chilliwack Progress from Chilliwack, British Columbia, Canada • Page 1

In This Section Poll-By-Poll Election Results See page 1, second section Women's section Classified PTA Notes Weather Sport Schools, 4-H Club District news Obituaries pages 2, 3 page 4 page 5 page 5 pages 6, 7 page 8 pages 8, 9 page 12 mht (Ehtlltttrark xtm L1JU SEVENTY-FOURTH YEAR, NO. 34 THE CHILLIWACK PROGRESS, DEC. 16, 1964 10c PER COPY 20 PAGES Weather Jewels Shattered COLORFUL CHRISTMAS lights are augmented by nativity scenes in an impressive display at city hall this season. Chilliwack Senior Secondary School student Gordon Siemens assisted Chuck Earl in painting the various scenes. Native Of Chilliwock Ex -Mayor, Publisher Charles Barber Dies 1 srs jzss Below-zero Temperatures Close District Schools Schools throughout the district were closed this morning after Chilliwack had experienced its coldest temperature in more than 14 years of weather recording history.

i llhft IT y1 frozen water pipes to faulty furnaces. Schoolr in Chilliwack were closed today because, i many cases, it was impossible to heat them up to a eomfort-pb'r temoerature. D'rtrict superintendent Dr. J. I.

added that nrimarv chi'dren would have had to be kept home in anv care, because of the chilling outdoor temperatures. Chilliwack Senior Secondary School was among thore having heating problem? and night school classes tonight have also been cancelled. Several school buses were out on their routes when the word came that schools were to be closed. Any children picked up were transported home again. SKATING AREA For the benefit of skaters, parking area at the Agricultural Hall was flooded last night to make a safe ice surface.

CPC manager Fred Madden suggested that youngsters use the area for skating rather than take a chance on frozen-over ponds and sloughs. "We have a bigger ice surface than the Coliseum," said Mr. Madden, "and, of course, (Continued on page 5) Chilliwack's long-time newspaper publisher and former mayor, Charles Alexander Barber, died Saturday in Chilliwack General Hospital. He was 86 years of age. Mr.

Barber was a native of Chilliwack. He was born in 1878 on a farm on Banford Road, a quarter section of pre-empted by his father the previous year. His parents returned to Ontario in 1883, and established themselves at Wing-ham. When he was 18 he apprenticed to the printing trade at the Wingham Advance, one of three small newspapers then published in a town of 1,500 residents. Fallowing periods of employment with a commercial printing firm in London and the weekly Sentinel at Luck-now, Mr.

Barber came west in 1903. He worked for a time at the Winnipeg Free Press, then purchased the Pilot Mound Sentinel which he published for eight years. While at Pilot Mound he served as a town councillor and board of trade president. In 1908 he married Mary A. Endicott, daughter of Mr.

and Mrs. William Endicott of Pilot Mound. It was in 1903 in Winnipeg that Mr. Barber joined the International Typographical Union, and he retained his membership since that time. C.

A. BARBER c--: LLfiU In 1911 he sold the Pilot Mound Sentinel and returned to Chilliwack, where he purchased the second weekly newspaper published here at that time, the New Era. He equipped it with a new plant and a new name, the Chilliwack Free Press, a title Mr. Barber once observed "was taken too literally by many readers." He sold the Free Press plant to J. D.

Taylor, publisher of the daily British Columbian at New Westminster and also owner of The Progress. After a period as editor and manager of the Progress Mr. Barber set up his own commercial printing business in Chilliwack in 1919, and in 1923 purchased The Progress. Under his ownership it acquired its first modern typsetting equipment, and expanded premises. MAYOR THREE TIMES Mr.

Barber was mayor of Chilliwack three times, for a total period of nine years. He also served the city as alderman for two years, and two terms as township councillor. He was a past president and secretary of Chilliwack Board of Trade, past president of Chilliwack Rotary Club and a former chairman of Cultus Lake parks board. Other avenues of community service included terms on boards of Chilliwack General Hospital, Valley Haven, Chilliwack Agricultural Association, and the inter-municipal recreation commission. He was active in the Victory Loan drives of both wars.

He was a member of Chilliwack United Church, and the Masonic and IOOF orders. He was made an honorary member by Branch 4 of the Royal Canadian Legion. Mr. Barber was a past president of Canadian Weekly Newspapers Association and the British Columbia and Yukon Press Association, (Continued on page 12) ystem Committee Meets Richter Berry feeling Sets "Cordial At the Chilliwack weather recording station a Vedder Canal, the thermometer dropped last night three degrees below zero, with the ground temperatures being romewhat colder. At Cultus Lake, the temperature reached seven below, while at Vedder Crossing a low of minus five degrees was registered.

At the Dominion Experimental Farm in Agassiz. lowest temperature last night wac minus five degrees. This ir a record low for December. Although a exhaustive check had not been made this morning, it is believed to be the lowest temperature reached since January 189.3. The Agassiz station has 73 vears of weather recording history, and the lowest temperature ever recorded there is minus 13 degrees.

The mass of freezing Arctic air which sent thermometers plunging yesterdav came with an icy flurry of winds varying from 40 to 45 with gusts up to 55 m.p.h. Several TV antennas were toppled, and a few nore windows in Chilliwack were blown in. Householders faced a variety of troubles, from Rates Up 22 A rise in the number of ac cidents is the reason cited by agents for an average 22 per cent increase in public liability insurance rates for Fraser Valley motorists next year. Jt is one of the highest boosts in the province. In much of the lower mainland, rates are going up 20 per cent; in the Okanagan, 19 per cent, in Vancouver Island 28 per cent, 11 percent in southwestern B.C.

and 12 per cent in the balance of the province. The figures are averages only. As an example, a Chilliwack agent said that a driver paying $33 for public liability this year will find his insurance going up to $40 next year. However, for collision coverage, a $19 rate would go up only to $21. Drivers under 25 face the biggest hike.

As an example, a 21 -year-old unmarried man who paid $93 this year for liability coverage will have to pay $117 in 1965. eception to be scheduled for mid-January. Mr. Fekete also asked Mr. Richter to consider government assistance with the problem of transporting pickers.

Selected metropolitan Township To Extend Fire Protection Township council Monday night agreed to provide fire protection service in two outlying areas on a basis of annual payments from property owners concerned. First agreement is with owners in the Liumchen area, with a minimum payment of $300. Maximum cost would be apportioned on a mill rate basis as assessed value of the properties is related to municipal assessment values. Council also agreed to serve a number of view properties in unorganized territory in the Ryder Lake area, for a $50 fee per year. Both agreements are on a year-to-year basis, and may be terminated if notice is given by November 30.

Plan Council Recognition Possibility of joint city and township recognition of the latt Charles A. Barber, a former member of both councils, was suggested at Monday nlghfs township council meeting. Reeve W. G. R.

Simpson Indicated he will confer with Mayor T. T. McCammon on the subject. Municipality Turns Down "Disaster Area" Request Per Cent It was pointed out that while drivers under 25 comprise only 15 per cent of the driving population, they are involved in 30 per cent of all traffic fatalities. Some drivers, particularly those over 25 who do not drive to work, may find their insurance cost only fractionally higher.

In the Fraser Valley area from January 1 to the end of September, number of accidents reported rose 12.37 per cent from 1,010 to 1,135 compared with the same period last year. Injuries in the same periods went up from 570 to 698 (up 22.45 per cent) while property damage rose from $607,994 to $710,422, a rise of 16.84 per cent. Although these increases are less than in many other parts of the province, agents pointed out that, unlike many other areas, the Fraser Valley had no general increase in insurance rates this year. There were only minor adjustments which normally balanced themselves out. Fraser Valley Fruit and Vegetable Growers Association executive has proposed a government grading system for strawberry and raspberry production, and Agriculture Minister Hon.

Frank Rich-ter has given the plan "a cordial reception." This is the report of a three-man committee headed by President H. E. Minis, of Abbotsford, which met with Mr. Richter in Victoria Wednesday. Other members of the delegation were Mathew Fekete, of Abbotsford, and Stanley E.

Sorenson, president of Pacific Co-operative Union. In addition to the minister of agriculture the delegation proposal was reviewed by Alex Turner, deputy minister, A. C. Carter, chief horticulturist, and M. Gilchrist, markets commissioner.

Plan is to institute a three party grading system involving growers, packers and government. "This would be similar to the grading systems now in operation in California, Oregon and Washington," President Sorenson of PCU states. If all segments of the industry co-operate it may be possible to have quality grading system in operation in 1965. Grower association executive plans to seek support for its proposals from the general membership at a meeting Home Nursing Cure To Start January 4 Chilliwack's home nursing care program is to begin January 4, public health nursing supervisor Miss Joan Sutcliffe told the Union Board of Health on Friday. At that time, an additional nurse will join the public-health staff.

Boundaries of each nurse's area will be changed so that there will be nine nursing districts instead ol eight. This will lighten her duties enough so that she can administer the home nursing care service in her own area. Three relief nurses have also been found who will take care of the program on the weekends. The program was sought by Chilliwack Medical Society and has the blessing of both local councils, who are charged a small per capita levy. Home nursing duties will be undertaken at the request of the family physician.

In the Abbotsford area, where a similar program was launched October 15, 97 visits were made by nurses up to the end of November. Services included dressings, baths, insulin and other injections. areas can provide the greatest number of pickers, a National Employment Service survey reveals, and the Fekete proposal envisions mass haulage from cities to valley berry fields. in 1964. In response to a question, Reeve W.

G. R. Simpson said acreage outside the dykes receives consideration of "as high as $100 per acre" In the way of assessment reduction. Many farmers suffered severe hay losses due to weather, not seepage, Councillor Clarke suggested. It would be unfair to compensate for one misfortune and not the other.

If a farmer gets "burned out" in a dry year he just has to consider it an act of God, Councillor John Kirkness suggested. Water Vote Studied Steps may be taken next year by the Upper Fraser Valley Union Board of Health to encourage the two Chilliwack councils to hold a fluoridation referendum. Such a referendum would not be binding, since the water is supplied by a private company in much of Chilliwack. However, it was felt, the vote would give local citizens an opportunity to express their opinion and provide Elk Creek Waterworks with guidance as to the wishes of their ustomers. At Friday's meeting of the health board.

Dr. Norman Crabtree, representing School District 33. stated: "It seems to me that a referendum to get an expression of opinion from the public couldn't do anything but help." Chairman Aid. M. G.

Osborne declared action on the suggestion should be deferred until after the New Year. Township council turned thumbs down to a request that it term Chilliwack a disaster area, or indicate official recognition of Fraser Valley Disaster Relief Committee. Committee, which is headed by Reeve James Fraser of Kent, asked "recognition in writing." Survey conducted by committee members has revealed flood and seepage losses of more than $524,000 involving 210 farms and acres of land in the Fraser Valley. Chilliwack area losses were close to $100,000, the survey states. Councillors agreed that "where dykes broke" claims could be considered to arise from disaster conditions, but they were unanimous in the opinion this situation did not apply in the Chilliwack area Accused Of Murder Bid A 29-year-old Camp Chilliwack soldier, Peter Gordon Heudes, is to stand trial in Assize Court on a charge of attempting to murder Donald Fehr, of Main Street Texaco Serviie, A preliminary hearing was held in city magistrate's court Monday.

Heudes is represented by David Ellis, while -I K. Husband appeared for the Crown. Magistrate A. M. Guinet refused bail, and Heudes was remanded in custody.

The charge had been amended from "attempting to The court was told that the alleged offence took place on the evening of December 7. Canadian Average $8.21 City Per Capita Fire Loss Held To Less Than A Dollar Lj kg early December to early December) would have been very much lower but for a $7,500 house fire where there was a delayed call. The volunteer brigade, he pointed out, protects $29 million worth of property in Chilliwack, not including contents. He praised the 95 per cent attendance which firemen established at practices this year. (Continued on page 12) with a Canadian average of $K2I per person.

In the Royal Hotel's private dining room, brigade members were guests at the annual banquet presented on their behalf by city council. Hotel proprietor T. H. Berry once again provided the firemen with his record size steaks. Fire Chief George Strevens explained that the city's fire loss this vear (from There was a roomful of reasons Monday night why Chilliwack city has fire insurance rates as cheap as anywhere in B.C.

outside Vancouver and Victoria. The "reasons" were members of the city volunteer fire department, who helped keep the city's fire loss this year down to 99 cents per capita. Although this figure is higher than last year, it compares KIWANIS CLUB CHARITIES are being aided by sale of Christmas trees at Southgate shopping center, with club members taking turns as vendors. Here member Kurt Knoop displays tree for buyers Mr. and Mrs.

Cameron Forbes, 7677 Prest Road..