Here’s something that’s 50 years old this month, yet timely.
As the Cochrane of 2021 grapples with visiting snowmobilers during the pandemic lockdown, in January 1971, town council was dealing with noise complaints emanating from snowmobiles.
Albert Charron told council he could hardly hear his TV for the machines racing by his house in the Sixth Street-Tenth Avenue area. He wanted them banned after 10:00pm.
Public library archivist Ardis Proulx-Chedore reads from a front-page Northland Post article.
“’I think they should be banned from town altogether,’ remarked Councillor Marc David. Mayor Maurice Hotte said he had had numerous calls and letters complaining about the danger and noise of snowmobiles.”
The mayor promised a study to come back to the council table.
Also on the front page, the official opening of the Ontario Department of Highways district repair garage. Construction cost one million dollars.
And Proulx-Chedore reads about Bill Heavener having a car problem.
“The car’s condition became worse, so Mr. Heavener drove to a service station on the South Highway. As he stepped from his car, the transmission burst into flames.”
The Northland Post and thousands of other pieces of Cochrane history are housed in the archives at the Cochrane Public Library.
