Our valley is home to two jays, members of the corvid family, (which includes crows,ravens, magpies and so on). These are the Canada Jay, formerly called the Gray Jay, and theSteller’s Jay. I wrote an article about Canada Jays in the fall of 2017 for this blog.* This timelet’s look at the other...
Written by Asha Chloe CraigExclusive for lakecountrymuseum.com In Central Okanagan Public Schools, there is a program where young students can learn from the land of the Okanagan Valley. Here, indigenous students have the opportunity to celebrate and learn about their cultural history, which...
By: Fred Larsen As I grew up in the Okanagan, in Woodsdale, during the 1950s, I was shaped largely by the examples of my 0.mother and father. My mother’s musical ability and sociability—as well as her love and respect for my dad and her willingness to work hard once we had purchased The Spot in...
Eyles was born in Bristol, England, in 1925 and joined the Home Guard, the 8th Battalion Somerset Light Infantry at age 17. In 1943 he joined the Royal Navy where he trained as a radar operator. He served on the ships Wessex, Highflyer, Drake, Valkyrie, Golden Hind, Penguin and Venerable. He was...
The life cycle of kokanee is a part of the Okanagan that is visible each year in the fall. When walking down a creek or stream from mid September to mid October, it is hard to miss the bright red fish migrating up. Okanagan Kokanee are unique because one may also see spawning kokanee from mid...
September 17, 2022 On a lovely September Day Virginia and Peter Palma kindly hosted a gathering of Kobayashi Descendents to dedicate their beautifully renovated home to the Kobayashi family. This kind gesture was appreciated by four generations of the family, who were represented at this lovely...
Flooding is common in the Okanagan. Our post ‘Flooding in Lake Country’ touches on this, as we noted how flooding occurred nearly every year in the early 1900s. In 1908, the Oyama canal was built, connecting Wood Lake and Kalamalka Lake. This lowered the lakes’ water levels, which one may think...
Kokanee, a form of landlocked salmon, are Indigenous to the Okanagan and at one time were abundant within Okanagan and Wood Lake. Kokanee adapted from sockeye salmon, who migrated from the Columbia River approximately 10,000 years ago after the last ice age. Once damming became prominent in the...
John Brixton, commonly known as the Colonel, was born in 1870 in England. He led a life full of adventure, leaving behind an incredible story. At approximately 16 years old he jumped on a merchant ship, the S.S. Sarmatian, headed for New York, where he would join the US army. He did not agree with...
Written by Deana Asham. Named after the shape of its leaves, arrowleaf balsamroot is an Indigenous species to the Okanagan Valley. Being part of the same family as the sunflower, Asteraceae, they share a similar appearance; however, they flower slightly earlier than other members of their subtribe...
In our spring posting we took a close look at the three species of Grebe that spend their entire year here, changing plumage into breeding ‘duds’ each spring. Today we’ll focus on the two species that migrate here to breed during our summer. These are the Western Grebe and the Eared Grebe. Western...
The Vernon to Kelowna Bike Race in the 1930’s was instigated by a local bike shop to promote their store. Biking at the time was growing as an important sport in the Okanagan Valley with the development of new roads and pathways, particularly the development of Highway 97 which the race was held...