The Reminder is making its archives back to 2003 available on our website. Please note that, due to technical limitations, archive articles are presented without the usual formatting.
No doubt there are many stories of the memories conjured up and the countless friendships that were renewed during Snow LakeÕs 60th celebration in 2007. As is normally the case, there are always one or two that stand out. I ran across one such story several weeks back, and it involves five ladies from Snow Lake SchoolÕs Class of 1976. After spending close to 12 school years together in the Ô60s and Ô70s, Janet East (nee Wood), Donna Johnson, Cheryl Hyde (nee Mayner), Judy Frankie (nee Pernicelli), and Diane Braaten (nee Olsen) had become good friends. Although their friendship endured, family and other commitments had limited the opportunity for visiting and extended conversations. They were all back for the 60th and spent some time talking and getting to know one another again. While doing so, they made a pact to meet in Winnipeg the following year and pick up where they left off. And so they did. Johnson sent letters out, beginning the organization process at Christmas and in mid-August; the girls kept their agreement and met in Winnipeg. East says that the five of them couldnÕt get over the ease by which they all picked up where they had left off...all those years ago. ÒWe were as comfortable as we had been back in school, visiting one on one with each other or in a group,Ó she said. ÒAnd we all felt that way.Ó As part of the weekend getaway, the ladies took a limo from their hotel for an evening at Rumors Comedy Club. They all got manicures and pedicures, and took a half-hour boat cruise around the Forks. ÒI think it had something to do with growing up in Snow Lake, but we all felt an inner calm when we were on the water that day,Ó said East. The ladies had an exceptional time, and all left after the weekend, talking of doing it again Ð real soon! On to several other items of local concern; Snow Lake suffered through a power outage during the day on August 27. HydroÕs Jim Price was contacted about it and offered an explanation. ÒAfter contacting the district office in The Pas, I understand that Snow Lake and the surrounding area were subject to a summer storm, accompanied by extremely high winds on August 27,Ó said Price. ÒThis resulted in some trees and tree branches contacting power lines in the area, which created the disruption. In addition, some of the lines affected were what we call feeders, or transmission lines that are the principal source for the electricity supplying the town. ÒPower was off to about half of the town from 11:15 to 2:15 and another half of the town from 11:15 to 3:10. Hydro crews were kept busy all day long clearing trees and tree branches where required. ÒDuring the outage to Snow Lake there was also a disruption to Hudson Bay Mining and Smelting.Ó In another issue, it seems there are a number of people who were wondering why the Wekusko Falls Campground was closing after the Labour Day weekend. I talked to two people out of Conservation ManitobaÕs office in The Pas, and they advise that this is no different than any other year in the recent past. The park always closes after the September long weekend. See 'Budgets' on pg. Continued from pg. They noted that people might be a little more aware of it this year, because the long weekend is so early in September. The Pas office also noted that with school starting on September 2, most people will have left the park already. It appears that budgets have been set for the year, and there is no money to keep people on in order to do the maintenance required after closure. Finally, Snow Lake will have two local fellows playing on the Norman Northstars during the 2008-09 season. They are Calvin Cairns, who is actually in his second year with the club, and Jonathon Young, who is just back in Snow Lake after attending school and playing AA Midget hockey in Leduc, Alberta, last year. Both boys are d-men and are no doubt looking forward to contributing on a regular basis during the Northstars upcoming season. The Thompson based teamÕs regular schedule begins the first weekend in October with their home opener taking place on Halloween weekend. My Take on Snow Lake runs Fridays.
