The Oroville weekly gazette. [volume] (Oroville, Wash.) 1905-19??, 1919-08-08
WORK GOES MERRILY ON.

The big Canadian irrigation scheme,
Immediately across the border line
land at the very back door of Oroville,
is not held up by preliminary crimson
tape nor it's financing dependent upon
Throwing bonds on an open market
and taking chances on the market, all
|of which entils time. Over there
when there are things to do of such
public importance as the making Of
Ifirst-class roads or watering a large
section of productive land that is to
|estate of the dominion, they get in and
do them. The British Columbia author
tiles decided upon reclaiming the 22,-
1000 acres of valley land to be parcelled
out to returned soldiers, last spring.
The land was at once purchased from
the original owners and corps Lf
engineers put in the field to locate
water supply and run the line of the
bitches and fumes. Then without fur
ther procrastination a contract was
let for the first unit of the system and
the announcement made that a por-
ton of the land would be ready for
the settler in the spring. Moreover,
the letting of the contract for the
first unit will be followed by the lett
ing of contract for the balance Of
the system and by this time next year
that vast territory, one Of the richest
| in possibilities Of production in British
columbia, as evidenced by the condi-
tion of the fields under the West Okla
!nogan Valley Irrigation system on this
side of the line and Immediately abut-
ting on the dominion enterprise. The
last issue of the Penticton Herald
contains the following information
regarding the progress of work on the
inew project:
| Announcement was made here this
week by Col. A. E. Griffin that work
would start almost Immediately upon
| the eight miles Of irrigation ditch
which he has on contract south Of
Penticton. This stretch of irrigation
| line is the first unit in the soldier set
tlenlt mt scheme. Col. Griffin has estab-
hShed warehouse and office at South
Fenticton, and has made arrange
inents for the trucking of supplies
south from PentictOn.
| HE proposes to open two camps
one near the foot of Vasseaux lake and
the other not far from Farview flat. A
steam shovel will be used at the north
lcamp while work at the southern
camp will be carried on with teams
and scrapers. At the outset about so
men will be employed. Later in the
summer this force will likely be doub-
led as the work of cutting the first
leight miles of ditch is 10 be completed
lby the end of the year.
] "The activity shown by the depart
,ment in connection with the soldier
land development seems To Indicate
that no time will be lost in getting :he
project through to completion. 1t is
generally supposed that next spring
the ditch contract will be carried on
Through to the boundary line. Subse-
lquent work will include fumes down
from the various streams flowing
Through the property. Eventually
pumping stations for areas above the
ditch will be provided.
at can be taken for granted that
some of the soldier land will be cpen-
ed for settlement early next spring.
MANY returned men have shown an
Interest in the scheme, and are anx-
Iious to get work on the ditch SO that
they will be on the ground floor" IN
knowing the quality OF The land in
various sections"