20 February 1960: Senior citizens discuss park closing The Senior Citizens held their regular meeting in the Eagles hall on Friday, February 19th. One minute silence was observed in the passing of one of our members, Mr. Andrew Kilgren. The main subject of this meeting was the fact that the park is to remain closed again this year to tourists. The Senior Citizens felt that the park should be open to tourists who visit the valley as tourists mean more revenue for Creston and more friends for the Senior Citizens of this valley. Photo: Park Pavilion, in what is now Centennial Park (my best guess as to which park this article is referring to), 1940s.

19 February 1928: Some party or parties with a thirst that had to be quenched, law or no law, effected an entrance through a rear window into Creston Drug and Bookstore at an early hour Sunday morning, and made off with the store’s entire stock of whiskey, some fifteen quart bottles. So far as is known, nothing else in the store was taken. The provincial police have the matter in hand. Photo: Interior Women's Institute Convention gathered outside the Beattie-Oatway drugstore, Creston. Date unknown, but probably a decade or so earlier than 1928, judging by the clothing.

18 February 1973: Tak Toyota dies after a brief illness. An entrepreneur at heart, Toyota married Betty Umakoshi in 1946 and shortly afterward they relocated to Creston, where he operated Creston Electric Ltd., a radio repair shop. It would eventually evolve into Taks Home Furnishers, with locations in Cranbrook, Fernie, Golden and Creston. He also developed a cabled video system for the town. Soon he took an active interest in community development. In 1958 he spearheaded the Kiwanis talent show, and he served as Creston Valley Blossom Festival chair for a number of years starting in 1960. After the old civic centre burned to the ground, Creston faced somewhat of a crisis. Insurance and donations, including land, allowed for the building structure to be completed on the present site, but two borrowing referendums to make the facility useable were defeated. Toyota headed a fundraising group that initiated Operation All-Out to raise $180,000 by asking families to donate at least $200. “$200 is a lot of money and will mean a tremendous sacrifice, but we are asking you to come through this time,” said a letter to residents. “Banks are co-operating as much as possible and arrangements can be made for loans as low as $10 a month for a $200 pledge.’ “Let’s get behind it, get it built, get it over with and enjoy it and be proud of it,” he wrote. In the 1960s, Toyota established Teen Town, which organized activities for students. He and Betty also led the way in establishing all-night grad parties and running them for several years. Battles of the bands drew teens from all over Creston Valley, where they danced to the music of competing groups. Members of bands recall him as an enthusiastic supporter of teen activities. One such band, the Ambassadors, reunited for a performance seven years ago in Millennium Park, with lead singer Pat (Whitford) Paterson at the microphone. In 1972 Toyota was honored as Creston’s citizen of the year, an award, not surprisingly, that he had initiated as a Kiwanis Club project in 1958. “The man who started the annual Kiwanis talent show here 14 years ago received his award as Creston’s citizen of the year at this year’s talent revue,” said a story in the Nelson Daily News. “Tak Toyota received a plaque from Kiwanis president Roy Pridham and a bouquet was given to Mrs. Toyota at the Prince Charles Secondary School. “Mr. Toyota, a businessman who has expanded his business to stores in Cranbrook, Golden and Fernie, has been an active community worker. “He served on town council for six years, was president of the board of trade and for many years was chairman of the annual Blossom Festival.”

17 February 1965: Landmark Falls in Face Of Progress The old Roman Catholic Church (now a Seventh Day Adventist Church) built in 1910, is under demolition. This was a fine building in its day, constructed of lumber donated by Mr. C.O. Rodgers of the C.O. Rodgers Lumber Co. The first priest of the parish was Father J. Wagner, to be followed by Father Beck, who was from Belgium and remained here for many years. Photo: Creston Review photo of the church being demolished. The stained glass windows were salvaged; one of them is now on display in the Creston Museum.

16 February 1949: “Announcing the Opening of our Modern Self-Serve Groceteria!!” That was the banner headline of a large ad by the Creston Mercantile, announcing an innovative new style of grocery-shopping. The ad continued, “We feel certain that our many customer-friends will appreciate the shopping convenience and smart appearance of our new Superior Self-Serve Grocery Department. “Many of us will be pleased to have the opportunity of taking either a shopping basket or cart and serving ourselves from the large and varied stock of merchandise on display. “For those who desire’Clerk Service,’ we shall be pleased to extend the same Cheerful, Courteous assistance that you have become so accustomed to receive in the past. “Whether you decide to serve yourself or presser us to look after your order…you may be assured of the closest attention and assistance of our entire staff in making your shopping at our store a Real Pleasure.” The Creston Mercantile burned to the ground two months later.

15 February 1955: Lister Man Is Representative BC 4-H Clubs Miss Echo Lidster, supervisor of 4-H Clubs for the BC Department of Agriculture, has appointed Alfred Wellspring of Lister, as Kootenay representative on the Provincial Advisory Council of 4-H Club leaders. Mr. Wellspring will be attending the annu7al meeting of this Advisory Council which will be held on February 15 and 16 at Victoria. Mr. Wellspring, although not actively leading any 4-H Club at present, should very capably fill this position. He is a past 4-H Club member of the Lister-Huscroft club, and since then, has assisted Mr, John Bird, who was the leader of the Lister club until the spring of 1954. He is a graduate of Creston Vocational Agriculture class and has attended the Youth Training Course of the Extension branch of the University of British Columbia. The Provincial Advisory Council of 4-H Club leaders is formed of leaders from each of seven districts within BC and it gives club leaders and opportunity to share in the preparation of 4-H Club policies for the province. Photo: newspaper photo of the members of the Lister 4-H Club, 1962. Can you identify any of these people? One, I believe, is Mona Hobden.

14 February 1973: Cost of removing the power pole at 16th Avenue North and Pine Street will be an estimated $500, town council has been informed. The pole stands in the middle of the intersection of the streets, because the pole was already in place when 16th Avenue was widened by the town. The town council has requested that West Kootenay Power and Light submit plans for the installation of power poles to the town council for approval in the future. Photo: Map of the Village of Creston, 1959, before 16th Avenue was widened, or Pine Street extended to create the problematic intersection.

13 February 1928: At the meeting of council on Monday night the 1928 tax rate was struck at 12 mills, with improvements taxed at 50 per cent of their assessed value. Photo: Village Hall and the fire hall on 11th Avenue North.

12 February 1955: On or about this date, Creston Sawmills organised a tour, via snowmobile, for ten men of the Creston Valley:

A vintage car ad for you today - from the Creston Review, 11 February 1960.

10 February 1965: Presenting a beautiful cattleya orchid to his wife is (right) Mr. Ray McL. Cooper of Creston. Looking at the purple blossom is (left to right) Mrs. Cooper and Mrs. David Sparrow of Kelowna, BC. Mr. and Mrs. Cooper are enjoying a spring holiday in the Hawaiian Islands and are among the 25 members in the “Ogopogo Invitational Tour to Hawaii” of which the Sparrows are tour directors. The Coopers have enjoyed sightseeing on the Island of Oahu and are presently staying at the Kaanapali Hotel on the Island of Maui, site of the recent Canada Cup tournaments. Mr. Cooper is a lawyer in Creston.

What are you doing this Monday? Since the theme of this years Family Day activities is the Olympics, we thought it would be fun to gather sports equipment from some of today's favourite sports so we can see just how much things have changed? Would YOU like to play in some of this equipment? Stop by and find out!