Saved from drowning

In the right place at the right time.
Way back in  May of 1961

The Pitt River did not get its victims, this time.

Charles Hilman Rennie (1894-1977) later became Captain of the New Westminster Fire Department. man(4), with his older son Billie they saved Gary Merriman.
Charles was married to Alix Fife Gray (1894-1990) both were born in New Westminster.

Gary Merriman, was the son of Robert Eugene Merriman (1920-1991),
 and Fern Stella Whitford (1927-1989)
they had at least one other son: William George Merriman (1951-1989).

1971:  Three Firemen riding on fire truck down 11th Street close to where Aukland and Queens intersect. Firemen from left to right are: Dave Nield, Earl Smith and Charlie Rennie. Photo is in honour of the new helmets the firemen are wearing. These were the first firefighter's helmets to be used in the city.     Photographer     Bob Dibble

Group of men at the Sapperton Oldtimers Reunion. - June 23, 1953.
 Sapperton Oldtimers reunion at the Moose Hall. L-R, top row Neil Campbell and Roy Coulson. L-R, bottom row Albert Brown, Charlie Rennie, Dr. Jack Chambers, and Bill Chambers.
Published in the British Columbian page 1, June 24, 1953.

Poem about Slumach

A True Story of a Lost Mine
(In Pitt Lake district)

Poem requested

Hidden from the populace of miners seeking gold, just outside endurance length away up in the cold.

Crossing dizzy mountain tops where is this place they seek, with millions lying on the ground and billions underneath?
An Indian man ran out of grub so came down to a store, he paid the man a lump of gold and said “I’ve got lots more.”

But the Indian killed a white man and for this awful crime he had to pay the penalty, and so he lost his mine.

The Indian’s nephew came to him and begged of him to know the way to reach the Indian’s mine In case that he should go.

But the dusky Indian answered as he drew a long drawn breath I’ve sworn to God I shall not tell before I’m put to death.

But the Indian was mistaken if lie thought he left no clue, for there’s something I am telling but it’s just twixt me and you.

His cooking things and pail and cup his whetstone, too, and bed, his pick and pan and cabin have been found since he was dead.

A man by chance came through that way twas on the eleventh year for seven days was lost in fog this mining engineer.

He found the things the Indian had so that was proof enough and after all his hardships He sure was feeling tough so down he stooped to get a drink

Of water icy cold and as he drank his eyes beheld some great big lumps of gold.
He filled his pockets and a sack and piled some up beside, so feeling ill be travelled home and very soon he died.

But ere he died he left a map and some instructions too, and hoped someone would find the mine and help the needy, too.
Twenty years have passed, and now That times have got so bad Prospectors are as numerous as flies upon a pad.

Now some start out in two’s and three’s, and some in four’s or five, But most all came back disgusted And think they’re lucky to be alive.

But two went out not long ago they swore they made some climb but they found the Indian outfit Add also found the mine.

Now the Indian’s nephew stated The Indian was five foot two, so they measured his bed in the cabin and found that this was true.

The Indian’s cup and whetstone they brought home in their pack Just to satisfy curiosity until they can go back.

Now when they go, or where they go, I’ll just leave that to them.

But the two that found this gold mine Are PORT COQUITLAM men.

Written by L. J. Osborne
Port Coquitlam, B.C


Short poem, in the 15 December 1932 edition of The Coquitlam Herald.

Wapato

3,800-year-old wetland potato garden found in Canada.
 Sagittaria latifolia, more commonly known here as Wapato

Forestry related maps

A few selected maps and one report, all relating in some way to the Pitt River Watershed.

Landscape units
Widgeon  (PDF);   Pitt (PDF);  Alouette (PDF);  Stave Lake area (PDF)

Legal Descriptions
Pitt to Harrison Lake (PDF); Harrison Lake to the Fraser River (PDF)


Historic Licensee operating areas ( Chilliwack Forestry District )  (PDF)
Lower Fraser Sustainable Resource Management Plan, SRMP  (54 pages) 2013  (PDF)
Radio Channels being used up to 26 November 2015 (PDF)
Old Growth Managment in the Chilliwack Forestry District   (PDF)

Squamish Foresty District
Squamish  Operating tenures  (PDF)
Old Growth Squamish Forestry District (PDF)
Squamish Forestry District Bridge Locations  (PDF)

And a few images in a not so common format, from the Lands Office. Both are of the Upper Pitt River, and show some of the premptions.  You will need to have one of the appropriate converters installed since they are both in MrSID format ( Download Screen )      PNWS02Tr07    and   PNWS27Tr01


NOTE:  If any of these links do not work, please email me, and I will host the documents elsewhere.
The links are all to the FTP sites of the Chilliwack and Squamish Forestry Districts

Sheridan Hill quarry proposal

I have a feeling that this latest proposal to turn Sheridan Hill, into just a Sheridan is probably closely related to the quarry proposal beside Minnekhada Park  that was withdrawn after much opposition a few years ago.
At that time I recognized that the claim owners also had claims at Sheridan Hill.  
And now it is time for Pitt Meadows residents to be heard, and hopefully all the neighbouring municipalities and cities can give some help.

The Province:  Pitt Meadows gov’t, residents, First Nation cast stones at quarry proposal
Global News:  Pitt Meadows residents plan protest of proposed quarry near Sheridan Hill

Pitt Meadows council, is even doing their bit by hosting a page on their site

Save Sheridan Hill on Facebook         Save Sheridan Hill on Twitter

And I see that there is now a Save Sheridan Hill website

Anyone wishing to provide their opinion on the project should write to write to the chief inspector of mines, c/o Mines and Mineral Resources Division Southwest Region, P.O. Box 9395, Stn. Prov. Govt., Victoria, B.C., V8W 9M9 or E-Mail southwestminesdivision@gov.bc.ca    An online petition is also available

And we should not forget that the Katzie peoples have lived here longer than anyone, and the hill is part of their rich cultural heritage of myths and legends; and they are very much in opposition to the proposal.

Arsonists plead guilty

Three 21-year-olds plead guilty to burning down cabin

This is a follow-up to the previous post

Still does not replace the iconic cabin :(

arsonists surrender

Three suspects in Pitt Lake cabin arson turn themselves in to Coquitlam RCMP after surveillance video images are publicized by media

Three arson suspects turn themselves in, says Coquitlam RCMP

UPDATE: Coquitlam arson suspects turn themselves in

This was the cabin that was on the top of the bank, almost a landmark on the way to the Widgeon beach campground.  This area was at one time a small community of homesteaders, loggers, and people wanting seclusion, very little left to remind people of the past in this area.

Screen grab of lower Pitt Lake,  from Google Earth showing the location of the destroyed cabin