Gold River Buzz

It seems there’s another motherless little black bear in Gold River.  A sow and her cub were reported to be seen a few times around the top Heber River bridge area, and then subsequent reports advised of the cub on his/her own.

Conservation officers placed the bear trap in the wooded area behind Ucona Court the other day, and the little one took the bait late last night.

I went out with one of the RCMP members this morning and got a few pictures of the baby:

Conservation Officers arrived this afternoon, and this little one is now on his/her way to the North Island Wildlife Recovery Association.  I believe this will now be the fourth cub from the Gold River area this Fall/Winter.

Fingers crossed for a successful recovery and reintroduction to the wild!

Annie Ciesielski emailed the Buzz with a very interesting story she wanted to share.

In December 2010 she and her husband visited Jim and Anne Fiddick in Cedar.  Anne had a small plaque which is the payment for the land that became Peppercorn Park.  She asked them to give it back to The Village of Gold River at an upcoming council meeting, which Jack and Annie did at the council meeting on January 4th, 2011.

Annie and Jack were also given a letter from Anne Fiddick explaining how the plaque was found and a bit of the history of Gold River.  Following is the letter from Anne Fiddick in it’s entirety:

“Yesterday my plumber, Don Smith arrived at my door with a small package and said he and his fellow plumber, Paul Merkel were at the Nanaimo Regional Dump (Landfill) and found this small box and thought I might be interested.

What on earth could this be, I wondered that would make two plumbers think I would be interested and bring it to me?

The Nanaimo Regional Dump has very strict policies about anyone taking things out of the dump, the rules are that absolutely nobody can take anything away, only go in and dump, so this item had to be pilfered out under their jackets or while someone wasn’t looking so it can be restored to its rightful place in history.  I did not ask them how they got away with it, but thanked them profusely for their bravery and foresight and knowledge to get it to me so I could pass this bit of history along to Gold River for the archives.

Finally Don allows me to open the bag and I see a small wooden box that contains five peppercorns and a brass plaque with the following inscription:

These Five Peppercorns are Presented to

Tahsis Company Limited

Mr. J.V. Christensen, President

By Reeve F.H.B. Chisholm

And the Gold River Municipal Council

July 27 1966

as payment for fourteen acres of land to be

developed as

Peppercorn Park

Gold River’s Centennial Project

In 1966 Gold River was just a young community with new homes and a new Pulp Mill and many people from all over Canada coming to live and work.

The new Council was headed by a Reeve and it was looking for projects to enhance the lives of the residents.  There were plans for an arena and a swimming pool and a playing field.  It was decided that the land along the Gold River would make a fabulous park.   It was close to residences and within easy walking distance with lovely beaches for swimming and a deep area for diving.

Some years later the plaque at the entrance to the park was lost and later it was found over the bank and restored so Peppercorn Park has had its name plate taken and vandalized and restored.  This little plaque has always belonged to Jack Christensen who recently died.  Who knows how it got to the Nanaimo dump?  I am very happy to be the one to return this item and that we have it back to the place where it came from and the circle is complete.

Life is funny sometimes, isn’t it?”

Anne Fiddick, proud citizen of Gold River