THIS DAY IN HISTORY – 60 years “Don Arnold and Wayne Pretty went east to St. Catharines to the Olympic Trials in July 1956. Don stroked a crew of four, to break the world record by 30 seconds, and the Eight[s] broke the record and qualified them both to enter the Olympic Games. In November,...
This song “Canada” was written by Jack Kenny. The song, an ode to Canada, was sung by Oyama Elementary School children in 1990.1 Happy Birthday Canada! 1 #2014.86.1. One Cassette and two compact disks; also available in WAV format. Lake Country Museum and...
Which birds might I see today? Bluebirds I was asked a question recently regarding some small birds seen last summer. The questioner said, in some surprise, “They were blue!” I replied, “They were probably bluebirds”. Indeed. To the non-birder, the sight of the first bluebird is memorable. They...
The vision of a recreational corridor depends on residents digging deep. Fundraising for the Okanagan Rail Trail between Coldstream and Kelowna began Tuesday, May 17, 2016 with the launch of a $7.86 million campaign. “This is a lot of money. However, if we each give what we can and encourage...
Promoting the Okanagan Valley is not new. Various local governments, Chambers of Commerce, and Tourists Boards eagerly expound the virtues of living in this wonderful part of British Columbia. However, it is important to acknowledge that this promotion is not a recent phenomenon. Indeed, a glowing...
“Everyone should believe in something; I believe I’ll go fishing.” (H.D. Thoreau) Our particular part of the Okanagan Valley affords myriad opportunities for recreation. One of the most pleasant, enjoyable and affordable, enjoyed by residents and visitors alike, is fishing. We live in Lake...
Washrooms higher priority than paving for respondents to city survey on Vernon-Kelowna trail amenities1 By Ron Seymour, The Daily Courier Paving the Vernon-Kelowna railway path is both the most popular and the least popular idea among respondents to a City of Kelowna survey. One-quarter of those...
A while back when I was “staffing” the Lake Country Museum & Archives one Saturday afternoon, a very pleasant couple entered the Museum. Upon greeting them I discovered that the lady had once taught school in this building when it was the Okanagan Centre Elementary School. The then...
Birds of a Feather Which birds might I see today? Shorebirds, also known as Waders You might think that a valley with a large lake like ours would host a horde of breeding shorebirds. In fact most shorebirds breed further north than the Okanagan, and touch down here only briefly during spring or...
The hills and valleys are covered with gold, A sight to see on the winding road. The Sunflower, gay and yellow, Seems to say “Cheer up, old fellow,” I send you a message of hope and cheer, By “Shooting Star” who dwells quite near. Then when I am gone, others are born, To carry you on through every...
One can see the progress — the Okanagan Rail Trail is happening! http://devsite.lakecountrymuseum.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/03/IMG_6040.m4v After removing the tracks1 in January 2016, the Canadian National Railway (CNR) has now picked up the other metal — the spikes and plates....
Here are two pictures taken in Okanagan Centre Hall, probably early spring of 1947 or 1948. According to Eleanor (Brixton) Geen, who supplied the photos, there was a tradition of spring shows at the hall, with local ladies acting as models. The items they are wearing were borrowed from Kelowna...