The Basin Record Newsletter Vol.1 Issue 1.pub

“Celebrating Cranbrook’s Story” The current project the Columbia Basin Institute of Regional History has underway focuses on Cranbrook’s history, but the products are designed to work throughout the Columbia Basin region. We are intent on accom- plishing the following: • A Storytelling Workshop and Festival to encourage residents of the Basin to celebrate their his- tory and relationship with the region • A time capsule and presentation ceremony to honour Cranbrook’s 100 years of incorporation • Walking and driving self-guided tours of the downtown area • Small available publications featuring aspects of Cranbrook’s history • Development and installation of heritage interpretation signage • Production of newsletters and other materials which will share our human and natural history in a public manner. “Celebrating Cranbrook’s Story” is a project designed to develop models which will assist in linking Cranbrook’s history to that of the other communities in the Columbia Basin. The building of the C.P.R. through Golden for instance had profound impacts on the settlement of East Kootenay, on the Ktunaxa Nation, on the economic de- velopment of West Kootenay and on the flora and fauna we treasure today throughout the Basin. We at the Co- lumbia Basin Institute want to help develop the linkages and partnerships that will assist in knitting the various communities and interest groups into one entity that will document and share our unique Basin culture. To that end we look forward to a productive project and an active future. Notes from the President Our goal at the Columbia Basin Institute of Regional History is, simply, to make history public. In keeping with this goal we have a number of projects underway that are discussed in this newsletter. As well, our continuing research has produced a further wide range of possibilities. For example: Research shows that on October 31, 1905, Cranbrook’s Letters Patent were granted, incorporating this place as a “city” by Order-in-Council from Victoria. This order created the “Corporation of the City of Cranbrook” beginning November 1 st , 1905. The first election of mayor and aldermen was to be held November 15 th , 1905, with Thomas M. Roberts as returning officer (and later longstanding mayor himself). A year earlier, in 1904, the Cranbrook Herald noted that there were 235 students enrolled in Cranbrook schools, requiring a staff of 5 teachers. It was hoped that a Manual Training centre would soon be established. “The growth and progress of school enrolment is indicative of the progress of the town.” The stories are endless and the Columbia Basin Institute is dedicated to telling the human and natural history stories of the Columbia Basin. Please join us in this undertaking! Tom Beardsley, President In 1911 Cranbrook had a population of 4,000 people. During the four year period of World War 1, from Au- gust 1914 to November 1918, Cranbrook lost 115 men either killed-in-action or died while on duty. This was clearly not an insignificant number, but from the time the first case of Spanish Influenza was re- ported in Cranbrook on October 31 st 1918, until the last case was noted in the Cranbrook Herald on De- cember 12 th 1918, 77 people had died either directly from influenza or from pneumonia following a bout of influenza. Bird Flu Strikes Region!! I had a little bird And his name was enza I opened up the window And in – flu – enza…. (A children’s skipping rhyme from 1918)