Every Friday we feature Valley history taken from our back issues.
Five years ago
this week in the Comox Valley Record:
The Vanier Towhees were the hosts with the most at their annual senior boys’ basketball tournament, reeling off four straight wins to take top honours.
The host side slew the Timberline Wolves, King George Dragons and Port Moody Blues en route to the final, where they defeated the Killarney Cougars 76-56. At the time, the Cougars were ranked 15th in B.C.
Despite a sprained ankle, Calvin Westbrook earned his third straight Nate da Silva Award as Most Valuable Towhee and was also tourney MVP.
Ten years ago
this week in the Comox Valley Record:
As of March 3, WestJet will fly out of Comox Airport with direct service to Calgary five days a week. The service will turn daily in June, founding partner Mark Hill said.
Although WestJet is just five years old, news that the no-frills airline was coming to town generated a ton of interest from the tourism sector.
“After this point, there’s no showing up five minutes before your flight, because you won’t get on it,” CV Airport Commission chair Dave Mellin joked while addressing a crowd at the airport’s new waiting room.
WestJet flies Boeing 737-200s, with a seating capacity of 120. Their presence means more people and higher security at the airport.
Fifteen years ago
this week in the Comox Valley Record:
Having come into the world Jan. 15, baby Ballantyne does not yet have a handle. But she does have a handle on something very important.
Born to proud parents Annette and Geoff Ballantyne, this little one “is a born non-smoker.”
The Ballantynes said they’re “absolutely thrilled with their little girl,” who joins brothers Tyler (7) and Kyle (4) and big sister Amber (2).
The eight-pound, eight-ounce bundle was the first baby born to a non-smoking mother at St. Joseph’s this week during National Non-Smoking Week.
Twenty years ago
this week in the Comox Valley Record:
Almost old enough to go to war, but pleading for peace, throngs of students swarmed into Courtenay’s core to call for more talk and less action.
With banners proclaiming No Blood for Oil mixing with peace signs, cheers and chants, the students marched from Vanier to the post office before proceeding to the courthouse for speeches.
“The march shows students do care about peace and want to play a role,” Vanier student Caleb Johnston said.
Provincial NDP candidate Margaret Lord congratulated the young people for speaking out about the “mess created by the so-called leaders of this country.”