Old Zoo Near Lost Lake?!

[Persephone]

No problem!

But I am trying to find it again. My friend and I searched on her computer a few hours ago, and I am having trouble locating them.

I'll update asap!

[tailtwister]

I found the NY Times one!

[tailtwister]

(this isn't from the NY Times - its just something else I just found on the Internet)

"An African lioness claws an 8-year-girl to death after escaping from a private zoo six miles north of Nanaimo, BC. The girl was identified as Maureen Vanstone, daughter of a Dr. Vanstone of the Pacific Biological Station at Departure Bay. Later, the animal was cornered and killed"

From http://www.mrpophistory.com/mrpopcul...01,%201958.pdf

[Persephone]

Thats a differnet one! I hadn't even saw that one!

[tailtwister]

NANAIMO, B.C., May 3 (UP) --- An escaped zoo lioness mauled an 8-year-old girl to death today and was tracked down and killed a few hours later by a civilian who joined the police in a mass search.

A posse of police and other officials went out immediately to track down the lioness, and all residents of the area were ordered to stay indoors until she had killed or captured.

Evan Wornvolt of the Nanaimo Fish and Game Associated killed the lioness.

The full-grown lioness escaped from the zoo at Nanaimo, which is seventy-one miles north of Victoria.

The victim was Maureen Vanstone, daughter of Dr. and Mrs. E. Vanstone of Departure Bay, a suburb of Nanaimo. Dr. Vanstone is employed at the Pacific Biological Service at Departure Bay.


---

[Persephone]

Yeah, I think that is the one.

And man, am I ever having difficulty finding it....

What search did you end up using?

I was sure mine was through newspaperarchives.com

[tailtwister]

lol I went to www.nytimes.com and searched there. :-)

I am really curious about the accounts of people who remember where it was. I am wondering if the animals pens have all been developed over or not.

[Persephone]

I am interested as well.

My mother-in-law gave me some information, but I am going to talk to my father-in-law when he comes home from Penticton.
His family was born/raised here, served on the town council..... He should have some information for me!

I gotta say, I am intriqued...

ETA* - I did find that Paul Hertel (owner of the zoo) passed away in Port Alberni in 1981 at the age of 71.
It is definitely irrelevent, but it was kind of a note of interest during all this "searching".

[Smokey©]

Well, it was tough to find out, but I finally did .... whew!

A few years ago, I was told the zoo was in another location, that I mentioned earlier in this discussion. I was wrong according to others so I set out to find out where this zoo really was.

In the last few days I have asked a lot of people how long have they lived in Nanaimo. It is amazing how many have been here less then 30 years and I mostly asked those over 65 years old. In one conversation a guy mentioned that his great uncle owned property near the zoo in the late 50's and told me where it was . . .. OHH OHH . . .. here we go again. Nope, I wanted more before I sprouted where the zoo was. . .

I then talked to a taxi driver who had lived here his entire life and is a bit over 60. After telling me he forgot what kind of toilet paper he used at home, so how was he supposed to remember where a zoo was 50 years ago! He thought it might be near the area down the hill from where McIntosh Farms was, so I only had to find out where that was . . .. good thing it was across a road from where the first fellow told me his great uncle's place was. .. . .

Today, there was a seminar in Nanaimo about Legal Matters and the Vancouver Island Real Estate Board. I was there to meet the Lawyer that was hosting the meeting from Vancouver and a long term Realtor walked by, so I called out to him and he came over. After asking him how long he had been in Nanaimo (just over 50 years), I asked if he knew where the zoo was. He said it was less then 4 blocks from where we were standing. When he first moved here, he was out there and got his picture taken similar to the one above, between two lions.

The zoo was located in the area where Brookwood Drive and Fairbrook Crescent and Woodwinds Crescent are, just off Uplands and Rutherford Roads to the south-east. The entrance was at the bottom of the hill near Oliver Road. So yes, it is down the hill from from Kimberly's Fashions and the Quilted Duck (formerly known as McIntosh Farms). . . . ...

[Persephone]

I was going to respond and say that exact thing!

We spoke to Ryan's dad this morning and this is the first chance that I have had to get online!

I have learned so much over the last few days about things in our neighbourhood, including the Drive-in that used to be right around our house!

So my next question would be about the enclosure railing? in the orginal post of this thread? That probably would not have been a part of the zoo? I think? I dunno... maybe it was .... cause lost lake rd is just up the hill!