I recently came across an unidentified photograph in my files, likely of an Oyama family. The only clue was five parts of names on the back left margin of the photo, indistinct and in pencil. The names appear to be Dorothy, ?alter, ?ura, ?lice, and ?on. I checked the 1921 Canada Census for an...
The Norman Davies’ niece, Rosemary Darville, fondly relates the story of her own family’s time in Oyama: For their honeymoon the Davies set off on a long journey by ship around the world, search-ing for a place to settle. When they reached Oyama after having visited many countries, Norman and Jean...
John Norman Davies owned the V Bar V ranch from 1932 to 1943. Norman, from a Welsh landed-gentry family, was the son of Joseph Davies, a solicitor in Aberystwyth, Cardiganshire, Wales and Mary Jane Jones. Norman was born in Aberystwyth on 4 August 1894 and grew up in that coastal town. He enlisted...
This blog continues a story of the Bovee families that settled in Oyama in 1894 and then moved to the Commonage in 1898. Manfred pre-empted a half section of land in the northern Commonage, a dry grassland environment about 10 miles south of the Oyama property.[1] Manfred’s farm was located...
At least five families contributed to the development of the V Bar V ranch in Oyama.[1] The first were the Bovee brothers and their families. The original pre-emptors of the V Bar V were the Bovee brothers, Manfred Leroy Sanford (b. 19 Sept 1858) and Orbie Orville (b. 23 Jan 1861) They...
In 2018 I was working as a volunteer at Mackie Lake House in Coldstream researching some of the artifacts. One of the artifacts that I was researching and trying to provenance was a beautiful, wall mounted artists jewel case designed by the famous Victorian period architect and designer William...
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...
Nancy Josland Dalsin In 2018 I was working as a volunteer at Mackie Lake House in Coldstream researching some of the artifacts. One of the artifacts that I was researching and trying to provenance was a beautiful, wall mounted artists jewel case designed by the famous Victorian period architect...
Joseph Hayton was the third owner of the V Bar V ranch in Oyama. Hayton Creek and Hayton Road are named after him. He was born near Ventnor, Isle of Wight to George Hayton, Rector of Niton, and his wife Ellen Louisa (Chadwick) Hayton. He immigrated to Canada from England at age 19 on 25 April 1895...
Settlers began planting fruit trees in the Okanagan in the 1860s. Thought at this time planting fruit was considered a risk because the fruit was perishable and the only means of transportation could take up to two weeks to get the fruit to a major center. Most farmers preferred the certainty of...
Following upon previous blogs on logging in the region in the 1920s, I have more recent and personal remembrances to relate. My father, Harold, and grandfather, Harry, operated a portable bush mill on the Commonage in the 1950s, supported by horse logging. The operation was located off Commonage...
This is the first of a series of blogs relating to on my family’s settlement in Oyama. On July 10, 1919 the Vernon News noted the following event. “Mr. H. B. Thomson of Indian Head, Saskatchewan, with his family, arrived at Oyama last Friday, having motored the entire way, coming through the...