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Volume 29 Monday May 20, 2013 kimberleychronicle@gmail.com Welcome everyone to the 29th issue of Kimberley Chronicle! Hopefully everyone had a wonderful long weekend despite any rainy moments. As the summer season is getting closer things are starting to pick up in Kimberley. There seems to be loads of events going on and some new businesses are popping up. Rumours are swirling of an upcoming curry war in Kimberley this summer; the staff at Kimberley Chronicle are anticipating the spoils of this battle to be delicious. With sushi coming back to town and rumours of a vegetarian restaurant opening up people may start coming to Kimberley for more than the schnitzel. Be sure to write us at kimberleychronicle@gmail.com and let us know of any more rumours swirling around town. In this issue we are pleased to announce that we have another great story from our best guest writer - Doug Johnson. Enjoy.

It was a mountain of junk. I know this is a story about the worlds greatest playgrounds and here I am talking about a mountain of junk! But, bear with me I am going somewhere with this. Going into the 1920s, it was apparent that the mighty Sullivan was just a mountain of junk. It was probably the most complicated metallurgy known to Miners. It was the richest sulphide ore body in the world but the Consolidated could not separate the lead, zinc, iron, and a host of other exotic metals from each other for smelting. Indeed, they tried smelting the basic ore at Marysville but gave up in 1908 which led to Kimberley being a Ghost Town for two years. Hand sorting and following rich lead Sullivan Concentrator with Chapman Camp in the lower left and the ski hill in the upper left, veins through stope and pillar min- 1958. Photo courtesy of Kimberley Heritage Museum, prints available at www.basininstitute.org ing provided the allies with lead and silver during WWI. But now, the situation was extremely difficult and the Consolidated was desperate to solve the complicated nature of the Sullivan ore body. Enter Selwyn Blaylock, the Consolidated Manager and probably the most brilliant and enterprising mining man the world had ever seen. continued on next page

The Worlds Greatest Playgrouds

He went all the way back to his University days at McGill where he had gone to school with an extremely clever metallurgist by the name of R.W. Diamond who was already tackling the science of differential (froth) floatation. Mr. Blaylock enticed Mr. Diamond away from the Anaconda Mining Company, brought him to Trail, and gave him carte blanche authority to form a huge team and develop an ore concentrating system that would work for the Sullivan Mine ore. Within two years Diamond and his team www.basininstitute.org were totally successful and construction began on an ore concentrator at what would become known as Chapman Camp, BC. And from out of came the greatest playgrounds in the world. There! I bet you never Kimberley Heritage Museum this thought Id get to these playgrounds. After the formation and building of the Camp for the construction of the 105 Spokane Street - above the library concentrator, the Mining Company subdivided the entire area and ChapMonday-Friday 1-4pm man Camp was born and almost immediately designated a Village with a Phone: 250-427-7510 City Council but still receiving lots of help and direction from the ConEmail: kdhs@shawbiz.ca solidated. The Village flourished. Incredibly so. In a few years an article Entry Fee - By Donation would appear in a Vancouver Newspaper about Chapman Camp being the prettiest village in Canada. And of course there were legions of small children looking for entertainKootenay Cleaning Services ment. Bert Banks (still living in Chapman Camp) was born in 1930 and A Breath of Fresh Air with a razor sharp memory can recall how the children were taken care of. Residential, Recreational & Berts Dad was the second Manager of the Sullivan Concentrator and Bert on many an occasion was given personalized guided tours of the Sullivan Commercial Cleaning Concentrator starting when he was barely walking. He remembers going 250-427-8644 up to that ore mill and jumping into the sheep pen located just outside the skip way and the floatation cells. Bert says it was just like todays petting zoo! Then Bert would hear a shout and hed look up and the Steam EngiHappy Hands Tattoo neer from the coal fired steam plant would be motioning for Bert to come down to the steam plant. Bert would go down and was privileged to blow the steam whistle. It was pretty exciting. This whistle was generated by 150 lbs. of steam and could be easily heard right down to Wycliffe. Other playgrounds were located right on the streets in front of your house. The closest village was Frenchtown located where Lower Blarchmont is now. It was unincorporated and was mostly comprised of small farms, the main 418 - 304th St 778-481-5000 one being owned by Charlie Deschamps. Charlie was also an experienced Teamster and had a very adept team of horses that could be hooked up to Kimberley Chronicle what was called a V-plow for snow removal and Charlie had the contract for ad rates or info email us: kimberleychronicle@gmail.com to plow the Chapman Camp streets. On a good day if there was no school and there was a two foot snowfall overnight Burt Banks and his friends call us: 427-5430

could come running out of their houses and hook up their sleds to the V-plow to Charlies delight (and the horses) and the Chapman camp kids could be pulled around all day. And Burt said they only stopped for lunch breaks and pit stops. They dont build playgrounds or petting zoos like this anymore! Of course, I havent even gotten into the beautiful swimming pool, skating rinks, and ski jumps, but I will next time. And wait til I tell you about the war games the kids used to play up at the Concentrator (with live ammunition). By Doug Johnson

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Awful Jokes
Doc, I cant stop singing The green, green grass of home. That sounds like Tom Jones syndrome. Is it common? Its not unusual. Two peanuts walk into a bar One was a salted. Two fish are in a tank One says to the other Ill man the guns, you drive A man walks into a bar with a slab of asphalt under his arm and says: A beer please, and one for the road. A dyslexic man walks into a bra.

June 1 - Kimberley, BC 4pm - Avalanche City Rollers vs. Killer Rollbots 6pm - Bavarian Barbarians vs. Mountain Town Maulers East Kootenay Rolle Derby League www.eastkootenayrollerderby.com

Malice in Wonderland

It would be wise to carry a rain jacket, but hope for the best; there will be some moments of sunshine mixed in there.
Puzzle answers: 1)Better safe than sorry. 2) Black eyed peas. 3) Hard times ahead. 4) Jumbo jet. 5) Minimize. 6) Wheel of fortune.

Weather

Saturday & Sunday May 25 & 26: Kootenay Gun and Antique Show. Marysville Arena, 9-5 on Saturday, 9-3 on Sunday. Admission is $5 at the door. Saturday & Sunday May 25 & 26: Vintage Affair at Resker hall, 10-5 on Saturday, 12-4 on Sunday. $2 at the door. Sunday May 26: Kimberley Nature Park - Calypso Orchid Count. Meet at the Higgins St. entrance at 10 am for a 2 - 3 hr moderate hike. Join leader Pam Chenery 250-427-5198 for a Natural History Event. Sunday May 26: The Meadowbrook Community Association invites you and your family to celebrate with us the prohibition of mining on 400 acres and the prospect of a 40 acre park at Cherry Creek Falls in Meadowbrook. We will be holding a barbeque from 1:00pm - 3:00 pm at the falls, rain or shine. Follow the signs beginning at Thomason Rd. Info: 427-8834 or 427-3277. Saturday June 1: Roller Derby at 6pm. Bavarian Barbarians vs. Mountain Town Maulers. www.eastkootenayrollerderby. com Saturday June 1: Kimberley Nature Park - Photography Hike. Meet at the Higgins St. entrance at 9 am for a 3 hr meander on nearby trails. Consider bringing a tripod and variety of lenses. Saturday June 1: Marysville Daze at Marysville Arena, pancake breakfast, show and shine, ball tournament and parade. Saturday June 1: Kootenays Best Singer Regional Finals at

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