The British Columbia Ministry of Justice has proclaimed March 31 to April 6 “Make a Will Week” in the province, encouraging everyone to make a will or update wills already prepared. “People who don’t make a will lose the opportunity to choose their beneficiaries,” said Vernon lawyer Rob Culos,...
Allan Mills arrived in Sunnywold in 1909, joining his brother, William, who had been farming there since 1894. Allan and his wife added to their original Sunnywold pre-emption by purchasing their neighbours’ land, as it became available, from the Siddons, Whites and McLounies. The Mills’ 1340-acre...
We are so fortunate to have a new Guest Blogger for this site: Pam Laing, local birder and photographer, has agreed to share with us A Year of Okanagan Birds. For those of you who attended Pam’s lecture at Creekside Theatre in February, you’ll know you’re in for a real treat....
The banner photograph on the Lake Country Museum and Archives website shows the starting line-up of fifteen cyclists about to begin a grueling thirty-five mile race from Vernon to Kelowna. Three young Lake Country men participated: Lawrence (Larry) Evans and Harold Thomson of Oyama and Hugh Bernau...
The Era when Okanagan Centre sent passengers, mail and fruit by the Lake Back at the beginning of the 20th century, the farmers and ranchers in the Winfield-Ellison area faced a dilemma – south of Wood Lake the only way to move hay and fruit was by wagon road. When Price Ellison, the Vernon MP,...
Next week is Heritage Week. Take the following quiz to test your local historical knowledge. 1. What year did the Oyama canal open? 2. What was the name of the first post office in Winfield? 3. Which brothers developed the town site of Okanagan Centre? 4. Who ran “The Store” in Okanagan Centre...
The second Monday of February is Family Day in British Columbia. It is a time to celebrate family members and remind ourselves of those who preceded us. Museums and archives are wonderful repositories for family histories. Here one can find photographs and histories that document family life in...
On Saturday morning Mrs. Nellie McClung1 arrived at Oyama, and was the guest of Dr Irvine and the Misses Irvine. We are indebted to the Misses Irving for their kindness in giving an “at home” and allowing all who wished to, to meet Mrs. McClung, our celebrated Canadian writer and...
Recently Canada Post announced extensive changes to the Canadian mail system, specifically by introducing more community mail boxes. For we older folk, those community mailboxes hearken back to historic mail services. Winfield’s first official post office was named Alvaston by the first...
Before the navigation canal was built in 1908, a creek drained Wood Lake into Long (Kalamalka) Lake. Wood Lake was initially four feet higher than Kalamalka, perhaps five or six feet higher during the spring freshet. In some years the water gushed down the creek making passage across the isthmus...
In an era before ski hills and organized sport, Lake Country residents enjoyed the great outdoors with sledding on local hills and skating on local ponds. May all of you also enjoy a happy winter season! Left to Right: Mary (Carter) Jeglum, Yoshiko Kobayashi (Mende), Beryl (Harrop) Smith, Doris...
If you’re still looking for a great Christmas gift, especially if it’s for a history buff, a senior, or a new resident interested in learning more about the Okanagan Valley, look no further than the Okanagan Historical Society’s latest annual report Okanagan History. There are a...