COURTESY OF KIMBERLEY HERITAGE MUSEUM ARCHIVES
KIMBERLEY NEWS October 21st , 1959
“The Water Supply Is Not Good – Chlorination Would Be Answer”
Kimberley city faces the prospect of having to install a chlorinating system in their water supply unless water sampling here improves.
A letter from the East Kootenay health unit revealed last night that water samplings taken here since the beginning of the year have not been satisfactory.
The director of public health engineering department will arrive in the city this week to investigate the problem.
Dr. Gibson, medical health officer in charge of East Kootenay unit told the Kimberley News this morning from Creston that there was no reason to become alarmed, it was strictly routine to have such tests and samplings carried out.
The tests carried out are called “coli-aerogene tests”. When the water supply is normal the reading should be 0/5 some tests, however, read 5/5 which according to the report is contaminated. Other tests ranged from 1/5 to 3/5.
City council members said they were not happy with the report and thought they should have been notified earlier.
Of the 67 samples taken in the district since January 1st, 32 were taken in the city.
Alderman Glennie said “of there is contamination at the dam, trace the source from there rather than from the city.”
Mayor C. Swan said he was very concerned about the situation and the sooner it was cleared up the better.
Dr. Gibson was asked by the News if the installation of a chlorinating system would alleviate the danger.
The doctor replied, “Absolutely, although there is no danger now, a chlorinating system is the ultimate answer.”
Dr. Gibson and N. Cox, the sanitary inspector for the area went to the dam about one month ago and took samples; the samples were not good at the time. This has prompted the unit to bring in the public health engineer from Victoria.
Dr. Gibson said the public will be made aware of any changes and the resukts if the engineers visit would also be made available, although he reiterated, “there is nothing whatsoever to become alarmed about at this time.”
“At Chamber of Commerce: Mayor Urges Home Buying”
“Too many dollars are going out to Kimberley and its businesses are not getting the benefit of money earned here,” was Mayor Cliff Swan’s accusation, as he spoke to Kimberley Chamber of Commerce Monday night.
To illustrate his point, he showed a graph drawn by a firm of consulting engineers and included in the report submitted to the city this year.
In comparing Kimberley with Cranbrook and Nelson, the graph showed the population here to be double the number of stores and sales. Whereas the graph for the other cities indicated the number of stores and population were almost equal.
This would indicate that while the city has a larger population than the shopping area, sales are only half what they should be, indicating that Kimberley people are shopping away from home.
Mayor Swan said that Kimberley lacked a secondary industry and skiing might very well be that industry. Representatives of the Kimberley Ski Club who were in attendance pressed for support of an advertising program to publicize the facilities of the North Star ski hill.
R.L. Spinks, president said that while the chamber was unable to finance an advertising program for the ski club, the members could feel free to solicit assistance from outside sources particularly from those who would directly benefit from the influx of skiers.
The secretary was instructed to write letters to the railways and bus lines to ascertain if they would build a year round lodge suitable for hunters in the fall, skiers in the winter and tourists in the summer.