Recalling Memories of Depot Explosions
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Heroes hit the schools Central Canterbury P4 Easy sumac lamb P12 NEWSWednesday, April 20, 2016 Recalling memories of depot explosions MONIQUE STEELE ‘‘While shovelling Fiona Le Heux’s Glenroy heritage coal I heard some holds a special significance bangs, thinking it around Anzac Day. As a young girl during World was my twin War II, Le Heux remembers an brothers trying to army ammunition depot catching fire in Glentunnel on March 6, scare me.’’ 1945. Fiona Le Heux The contents of the military storage facility – live ammunition The ammunition depot is still and explosives – detonated, in use by the Defence Force, creating explosions seen all located seven kilometres from the across the region. Glentunnel township. Nobody was injured from the Le Heux said people were fire or explosions, which were evacuated to the Glentunnel town- believed to have started ship. accidentally from careless storage ‘‘They had to stay here and the of old, oily cleaning rags. soldiers blocked the road so Le Heux (nee Dennis) said that people wouldn’t go down,’’ she night at the army ammunition said. depot in the Wairiri Valley was ‘‘Shells were being discharged one not many people remember. all around the valley, with many The Dennis family lived at the exploding while others did not. top end of Downs Road in Glenroy People were allowed back to their which led to a winding road into homes when things got quiet the Wairiri Valley. again.’’ Eight-years-old at the time, Le Le Heux said the army spent Heux said she was collecting coal weeks searching for unexploded for her mother on the evening of shells to discharge them safely. the explosion. She said local farmers located ‘‘While shovelling coal I heard near the depot have since found some bangs, thinking it was my exploded shells. twin brothers trying to scare me,’’ ‘‘To the imaginative minds of she said. us children, this was the year that ‘‘I told my mother, and we chil- World War II was not just an over- dren thought that the Japanese seas happening that we heard army had arrived as their about on the BBC news or read invasion of New Zealand was a about in the paper, it was the time Coalgate woman Fiona Le Heux visits the Glenroy war memorial in light of Anzac Day next week. possibility at the time.’’ the war came to Glenroy.’’ PHOTO: MONIQUE STEELE/FAIRFAX NZ • Subdivision work • Drain and water race clearing • Site works and shingle supplies • Sheet Piling and Demolition • Land clearing/development work • Graders, trucks, rollers, compactors • Drainage & lazer work • Wheeled & Tracked excavators: • Hedge & stump removal 1.5 - 32 Tonne for hire • Bridges & cattle underpasses • Screen plant and cartage • Driveways & farm tracks • Chain trenching & mole ploughing DDaveave IIrvine’srvine’s - SStocktock UUnderpassnderpass HHeinzeinz WWattiesatties - MMegaega PPondond 7081124AA YOUR LOCAL EXCAVATING TEAM OFFERING 33 YEARS EXPERIENCE PHONE: PAUL (03) 324 3744 • FAX (03) 324 3778 • MOBILE 027 432 9590 • [email protected] 2 CENTRAL CANTERBURY NEWS, APRIL 20, 2016 stuff.co.nz YOUR PAPER, YOUR PLACE did you know... SWIMS will be SWIMS even FROM when turned upside down. THE EDITOR 1. NZ Red Cross Recovery Matters. love school holidays. I don’t Wednesday April 20, 1.30-2.30pm, I have to worry about getting Lincoln Community Care, 16 CONTENTS things organised for school Lyttleton St, Lincoln. News 3 lunches and I can start work on 1 Out and About.................................................. 4 my time, rather than the school 2. Conversations.................................................. 5 clock. Fundraising golf tournament. What’s On ....................................................... 8-9 I also get to see more of the Sunday April 24, 12pm, Weedons Community kitchen ....................................12 kids, of course. Golf Course. Raising funds for Your health ....................................................... 19 I’m lucky that my lot are old Weedons Domain Pavillion. Puzzles................................................................. 19 enough now to look after Sport .............................................................. 22-23 themselves, so holidays are all 3. about sleeping in, catching up on Ellesmere Toy Library Fun Day. homework and creative projects, to do list Wednesday April 27, 10am-4pm, ‘The This newspaper is and hanging out with friends. I’ll 2 3 Station’, 3 Station Street, Leeston. subject to NZ Press get home to baking, stories and Council procedures. clean rooms. Well, that’s my hope, 4. A complaint must first anyway. Open Mic Nights. Every Wednesday be directed in writing, within one month of Holidays also mean fewer cars at The Famous Grouse Hotel, from publication, to the editor’s email address. on the road in the morning, so 7.30pm. If not satisfied with the response, the that dreaded commute should be complaint may be referred to the around half an hour quicker. 5. Press Council. PO Box 10-879, It also means more children The Original Gypsy Fair. Saturday The Terrace, Wellington 6143. about when you least expect April 30, 9:00am and Sunday May 1, Or use the online complaint form at www.presscouncil.org.nz Please them, so keep your eyes peeled 4 5 9:00am, Ashburton Domain, Walnut include copies of the article and all when you’re out and about. Ave, Ashburton. correspondence with the publication. And enjoy the extra time, and the extra cuddles. They don’t last nearly long enough. Contact us – Shannon EDITOR: Shannon Beynon, [email protected], @ShannonBFFX. SENIOR REPORTER: Kim Nutbrown, [email protected] NEWS DESK: Monique Steele, [email protected], 03 943 2685; 027 404 2614. DISPLAY ADVERTISING: 03 364 8285 [email protected]. CLASSIFIED ADVERTISING: 03 377 8778 [email protected]. The Central Canterbury News is delivered to more than 16,267 homes every Wednesday. 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The the community hall over a glass of restrictions were lifted as cooler bubbly. weather and shorter daylight Selwyn District Council (SDC) hours helped reduce the demand property and commercial man- for water. Council still encourages ager Douglas Marshall announced residents to consider watering the hall was able to be reopened after 9pm and before 6am – the last month, following a council time of lowest demand for water. reassessment for earthquake Groundwater levels across the proneness. district remain very low and in The Springston Hall Com- many locations levels are mittee had pushed for the continuing to decline. If reassessment since the main area groundwater recharge does not was closed in September 2014 as it occur this autumn and winter failed to reach the minimum New then water restrictions are likely Building Standard (NBS) rating of to be reimposed in the spring. 34 per cent. Marshall said the review NOMINATIONS OPEN reflected Ministry of Education Springston Hall Committee members Jenny Turner, Bruce Woods, Nita Phillips, chairman Neville Benny, Elizabeth Thomas, Nominations are now open for updates to the measurement of councillor Debra Hasson, James Woods, Christine Bezar and Bill Woods celebrate the reopening of the community hall. the Sensational Selwyn Awards, whether wooden buildings were PHOTO: MONIQUE STEELE/FAIRFAX NZ to celebrate Selwyn individuals/ earthquake-prone. groups’ outstanding ‘‘Using this guidance, the director and local Springston resi- Woods said post-earthquake, engineers and builders. achievements in categories: Arts revised assessment for Springston dent James Woods has been in old wooden structures such as ‘‘It was [the community’s] & Culture, Agri-Business, has concluded that the main hall construction for 23 years and said this hall were the most resilient pride and bloody joy and to Community Service, is no longer deemed to be earth- the hall should