Christmas 1965, a half-century ago. By Christmas Eve that year, the good people of Greater Victoria had learned that once again, they would not be able to enjoy a white Christmas, as no snow was in the forecast.
鈥淭he only white Yuletide symbols in Victoria will be the little white trees that adorn the downtown area,鈥� the Daily 91原创 said in an editorial. 鈥淎nd they would seem more appropriate were they green with red bulbs.鈥�
The 91原创 editors allowed that most locals did not want a white Christmas, something 鈥渕ost suitable where sentiment reigns, in song, story and on greeting cards.鈥�
Every year on this date, we look back to see what editors past said about the Christmas season, and to find out about events in the city during the festive period. This time we chose 1965, which might not seem that long ago to some, but is as remote as 1865 to other, younger readers.
Many of the news stories published that week have a familiar ring to them. Both daily newspapers were raising funds for the underprivileged, and the police were warning drivers to be careful with their party plans.
A person found to be driving while impaired by alcohol faced fines of $300 to $400, and stiffer insurance premiums if involved in a collision while impaired.
鈥淎 lot of insurance companies are sticky about paying civil damages where liquor is involved,鈥� Insp. Ray Maitland told the Victoria Daily Times.
Maitland said impaired drivers might have to spend a night in jail or hire a lawyer if a justice of the peace could not be found.
The general rule of thumb was that blowing .15 on the breathalyzer would prove that someone was impaired.
That level of impairment seems outrageous today, and the penalties for impaired driving have changed, but the basic message remains: One should not drive while impaired, at any time of the year.
鈥楾he old stories glow with living warmth,鈥� the Times said in its editorial about Christmas. 鈥淭he old music, sacred and profane, swells in gracious harmony. The cynicism of an aging and troubled world falls away.
鈥淐hristmas shines in the eyes of a small child, caught in wonder as he gazes at the decorated tree. It is reflected in the peaceful repose of old faces than have been turned to many observances of the day and still find it in the essence of man鈥檚 ideals.
鈥淚t is the inspiration of the unselfishness whereby a gift rewards both him who gives and him who receives. It is the spirit which invites kindness, large and small, from one person to another at this season.
鈥淎nd it is the hope of prayers that rise now, as at no other time of the year, for the realization of peace among men, or the revelation of a path that leads to such peace.鈥�
The editorial stressed that Christmas serves as a reminder of the generosity, the largeness of heart, the wealth of sympathy and the fellowship of which we are all capable.
Lt.-Gov. George R. Pearkes had a Christmas message for the province, and got right to the point: The religious significance of the celebration.
鈥淐hristmas is essentially a family time. On the occasion of Christ鈥檚 birth there was a gathering of friends and relations at Bethlehem,鈥� he said. 鈥淪o, today, when Christmas comes around, we gather together as human families, not only to enjoy the companionship of those we love, but also to worship, as it were, at the cradle of our Lord.鈥�
Pearkes noted that there were people who suffer loneliness in the midst of our great cities, or who must remain at isolated posts.
A Daily 91原创 reporter, Bob Pethick, went to one of those isolated posts 鈥� Ogden Point 鈥� to find out what Christmas was like for the crew of a ship waiting to load grain for China.
鈥淭he only difference between having Christmas in port or at sea is that you don鈥檛 get rolled around in port. It鈥檚 more comfortable,鈥� Capt. Isaac Mills, a veteran of 30 years at sea, told Pethick.
The crew of the ship, the Baxtergate, enjoyed a feast on Christmas Day, with roast turkey, baked ham, Christmas pudding with rum sauce, Christmas cake, mincemeat and much more.
Christmas Day was also busy at the local office of the B.C. Telephone Co., where 130 operators were on hand to handle the demand for long-distance telephone calls. A total of 5,440 calls were made out of 16,530 attempts. The demand was much heavier than it had been a year earlier.
Christmas 1965 was, as forecast, a green one. But that changed before the holiday season was over.
In the evening after a quiet Boxing Day 鈥� which fell on a Sunday, so of course retailers were not open 鈥� a light rain covered the region. The temperatures dropped, and the rain turned to snow for about four hours. By the morning of Dec. 27, Greater Victoria was covered in about 22 centimetres of snow. It was the heaviest single snowfall in the area since 1923.
That meant shoppers stayed home, buses were cancelled and events such as the opening of The Wizard of Oz at the Bastion Theatre had to be cancelled. The E&N Dayliner made it as far as Parksville before giving up.
In the end, Christmas 1965 was much like Christmas 2015. We still think of family, no matter where they are. We still celebrate with great meals, and sometimes we over-indulge in the spirits of the season. We think of others, and the delights that come from giving.
Above all, we think of peace on Earth and goodwill to others. Some things just don鈥檛 change as the decades fly by.
Merry Christmas, everyone.
