From the archives of the Nelson Daily News…
July 2, 1968
Arguments surrounding the necessary repairs to the Lakeside Park swimming pool won’t hold water – and neither will the pool. Parks & Recreation officials of the City of Nelson said Monday that water was leaking out of the pool faster than it could be filled. “There is no Lakeside Park swimming pool,” one official said. “There is, however, one extremely large and expensive concrete sieve at Lakeside Park.” Officials noted that the pool has been shut down indefinitely “until necessary repairs are effected.” Swimming classes scheduled for Lakeside Pool, “will have to be cancelled if the pool can’t be opened as we can’t put everyone in the Gyro Park pool, and the lake is too cold.” Water was being pumped into the pool but about 11 a.m., this was shut off. Shortly after noon the pool was virtually empty. This means that in about an hour, almost 73,000 gallons of water drained out of the pool. The 49 by 75-foot pool opened in August 1957 and was built at a cost of about $24,000 as a gift from the Nelson Rotary Club to celebrate the Golden Anniversary of Rotary.
July 17, 1968
Nelson mail delivery will end at noon Thursday because of the mail strike. W.G. Hall, Nelson postmaster, said Tuesday mail received here until 9 p.m. today will be sorted, but only people with boxes at the post office or who have morning delivery will get this mail. Starting Thursday and until the end of the strike, mail posted will just sit at the office. Mr. Hall said no decision has been made yet about clearing street postal boxes during the strike. During the last postal strike in July 1965, Nelson service was not stopped, but was disrupted. First class mail for out-of-town delivery was embargoed at 5 p.m. Tuesday, while first class local mail deadline was midnight Tuesday. “All mail in today will be out of this office tomorrow,” said Mr. Hall, “Since these embargoes are national, however, there will be no mail coming into Nelson after they go into effect.
July 23, 1968
She’s almost half a century old, but she still looks like the fast mover she once was. Old age has cracked her paint and weathered her wood, but the sleek lines are still there. The Lady Bird, retired in 1966 as undefeated world champion in her class, has been donated to the Kootenay Museum in Nelson by her owner. Here she will rest, a monument to the past glory she brought to the Kootenays and Nelson. Her powerful engine will no longer roar across the waters of the West Arm, these sounds are only memories now. With a fresh coat of paint, she will look the way she was when she began her phenomenal racing career. During this career from 1922 until 1959, she reigned supreme, cutting a swath through all challengers. She was undefeated as world record holder when she was retired in 1959. She has been resting on dry dock at the city pier, but will soon have her final rest, sheltered from wind and rain, once again bringing a thrill to those who see her
July 26, 1968
There will be an ambulance service for Nelson and district, but the question now is when. Tenders are being sought after Thursday’s 81.87 per cent of voters in RDCK area’s E and F approved paying for an ambulance service. Area G had already approved the service in May and Areas I and H are not included in the new service. Until late spring this year, Thompson Funeral Home Limited ran an ambulance service, but stopped because they were losing money on the service and were unable to get a subsidy. At that time, only 43.2 per cent of the voters in areas E, F, G, H, and I approved paying for an ambulance service. In the interim, Nelson City Fire Department has been providing ambulance service within the City of Nelson. This has led to an exceptionally busy time for the department as it has been using its rescue vehicle to transport sick and injured people to the hospital. Only members of the permanent department are qualified to drive the recue vehicle, along with any volunteers who are qualified ambulance attendants. One of the worst problems they have is trying to determine the seriousness of the injury. Tenders will be opened August 7 and due to the variables in tendering, an ambulance service may not be able to start immediately unless Thompson’s enters a winning tender.