Photos: MONICA MARCU
by MONICA MARCU
Last weekend, former residents of Lamming Mills gathered for a Show and Shine and reunion.
Roughly 100 former residents – some of whom now live in McBride and others who travelled a distance – came together for the reunion and to celebrate old times.
The reunion included a dinner, show and shine, memorabilia display, and a 2hr program of songs, stories and memories of Lamming Mills and its residents.
The town of Lamming Mills is one of the oldest settlements in the Robson Valley. In the 1950s, 250 people lived there.
The sawmill and community was established in 1943 by 7th Day Adventists and the mill employed about 70 people. The town had about 60 houses, a school (Grade 1-8, still functional today), a church and a post office. Many families moved there in 1943, some from AB, and left around 1969 when the post office finally closed its doors. The mill was sold in 1968. Until then the community, although self-sustained and small, was bustling and thriving. In the winter, the road to McBride was often closed.
According to organizers, the reunions usually happen every two years and the gathering is important to teach the young generation about their history and heritage.
