YOU ASKED: I was kayaking near the south end of Roche Lake and I noticed a brass plaque on a rock. I couldn't get close enough to read it. Can you find out what it says? Thanks,

— Kathleen Bogas

OUR ANSWER: We tried to convince the big boss here that our Readers Reporter department needed to "thoroughly investigate" this inquiry by renting a kayak and spending at least two — maybe three — days on the lake searching for the plaque.

Alas, he saw through our attempted shenanigans.

So, we began a different kind of search: the hunt for a person who had at least seen the plaque up close.

A phone call to Roche Lake Resort was all it took. Owner Neil Wilson says the plaque is basically a notice to boaters reminding them that only electric or non-motorized vessels are allowed on that part of the lake.

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UPDATE ON RABBIT ISLAND

We're getting closer to finding out how Rabbit Island got its name.

A couple of weeks ago, we ran a question from a reader who asked about the history of that sandy land mass nestled between McArthur Island and Mission Flats.

We were only able to glean a little information — basically that Weyerhaeuser owns the island.

Then a reader called and said we should talk to Savona resident Orv Nicholson, who used to live on Mission Flats in the 1950s.

He proved to be a great source of information.

"I remember when it was a bump of sand and it had a couple of willows growing out of it," said Nicholson of the island.

"It just seemed to keep on growing and, of course, once the willows started that just helped the sand pile up more and more, and over the years it grew into what it is today. It's kind of unbelievable really to see what happened there."

Nicholson says Rabbit Island's name has long been a topic of conversation and conjecture.

"It may have been at a Rotary meeting some years ago but somebody suggested that a rabbit swam over there," he said.

"And I remember there was a bunch of us who started laughing because rabbits don't swim."

Nicholson heard a more plausible answer a few years later.

He heard Rabbit Island got its name because someone had taken a rabbit to the island to let it loose.

"Whether that's true or not I don't know," added Nicholson.

By the way, Nicholson used to fly his own small plane and says the view from the sky has changed considerably over the years. He says the sandbar portion of Rabbit Island is growing and moving south all the time.

"It's amazing that from the years I started flying to today how far that sand has moved downstream," added Nicholson.

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YOU ASKED: I have noticed there is some new construction happening on the north and east ends of Cityview Shopping Centre. Is there any word on what is planned for this mall expansion? Thanks for checking this out.

— Bev English

OUR ANSWER: All we've been able to dig up from the developer is that the expansion includes a dollar store and a restaurant.

We pressed spokesperson Alexa Lewis of the Vancouver-based ONNI Group for more details but all she would add is that the restaurant will have a "big patio."

Another source suggested the new restaurant will be an Original Joe's Restaurant & Bar. The chain already has locations in Kelowna, Vernon, Langford, Abbotsford and Nanaimo — and a new one opening this month in Prince George.