The Kokanee Detective Agency and other curiosities

In 1962-63, Nelson was home to the Kokanee Detective Agency.

It probably sounded more interesting than it really was. It was operated by David Hall, formerly a field representative and adjuster for Imperial Investment Corp., who ran the business out of his home on Johnstone Road. I like to imagine him hot on the trail of a jewel-encrusted fish.

A classified ad for the business appeared in the Nelson Daily News from Oct. 12, 1962 to Jan. 15, 1963, and the display ad seen below was in the Salmo Sentinel of Oct. 11, 1962.

But on April 24, 1963, a new ad in the Daily News revealed Hall was not with the agency anymore.

Despite the Kelowna mailing address, Jim Crozier ran the agency out of his home at 418 Gore. Business was probably slow. The final ad appeared on Dec. 16, 1963. By 1965, Crozier was listed in the civic directory as an agent with Sovereign Life Insurance. Later he was a salesman at Shields Pontiac-Buick, and later still a postal clerk.

Hall, meanwhile, became a meterman with the City of Nelson, then got a job at Kootenay Forest Products, where he stayed until the plant closed in the early 1980s. He died in Nelson in 1987, age 52, survived by his wife Helen and three daughters. His brother, Dr. John Hall, was a longtime Castlegar physician and airport advocate.

David Hall’s obituary revealed he was a Royal Canadian Air Force veteran and said he had also worked for the police department for a short time before getting on at the mill. It didn’t mention the detective agency. Yet, his death registration, filled out by his sister Vivian, listed his occupation as “Investigator/Detective.”

I asked ChatGPT to generate an image combining an old-fashioned detective agency with a kokanee salmon. This is one of two versions it came up with.

Octogenarian wedding

On Jan. 23, 1979, Jim Hall and Annie Hiltz got married. What was unusual was that the two former Grahams Landing residents had known each other for 70 years. 

At the time of their wedding, Jim was 86 and Annie was 85. Jim had previously been married to Minnie Williams for 54 years before her death in 1974 at age 75. Annie (nee Gardner) had previously been married to Clarence Hiltz for 66 years before his death in 1976 at age 90.

Jim and Annie lived in Nakusp and had seven years together before Jim died in 1986, age 93. Annie died 11 months later, also at 93.

Long-haired letter carrier

In 1966, Trail city council was committed to taking decisive action on pressing issues of the day. Like insisting that a local mail carrier get a haircut.

Council voted unanimously to tell local postmaster John Pazurik to “do something” about Bob Evans’ hair, otherwise they would take it up with the postmaster general. Alderman William Barnsley accused the postmaster of showing “definite negligence” by letting Evans wear his hair “eight or 10 inches below his cap.”

“It’s a wonder the Royal Canadian Legion hasn’t complained about the Queen’s uniform being disgraced,” he fumed. Pazurik said he’d had no complaints about Evans’ hair and that Evans, who had been hired about a month earlier, did his job “very satisfactorily.”

“I don’t think his hair disgraces the Queen’s uniform — in any case he only wears the hat, not the full uniform,” Pazurik said.

Evans, 19, described his hairstyle as “Tom Jones style” and said he’d quit if ordered to cut his hair. He said he wore it long because he liked it and because he was in a band, the Chevelle Five. He noted the previous fall city council had sent the band a congratulatory telegram when the band played in Vancouver.

He added: “It’s the first I knew that I was a disgrace.”

Calgary Herald, March 21, 1966

The story appeared in newspapers across the country. One local resident, G.H. Turner, wrote to postmaster-general Jean-Pierre Cote, sticking up for Evans. Cote was persuaded, saying he had no objection to letter carriers with long hair, so long as they kept their locks neat and well-trimmed.

As if to emphasize that not all politicians of a certain generation were squares, Kootenay West MP Bert Herridge sent the City of Trail a picture of a 19-year-old Swedish soldier, whose commanding officer let him keep his hair long so he too could play in a band. (Sources: Nelson Daily News and The Vancouver Sun, both March 9, 1966; Calgary Herald, April 4, 1966)

What’s the matter with kids today?

“Complaint is made in certain quarters around town of individuals who have got into the habit of writing names and vulgar phrases on fences, the sides of buildings and along the railings of the A Avenue trestle. The latter place especially seems to be the favorite place for decoration.” (Source: The Kootenaian [Kaslo], May 18, 1911)