by lakecountry | Oct 4, 2020 | Pam Laing
At this time of year, when so many of our colourful summer breeding birds are winging their way southwards for the colder months, it is a pleasure to turn our attention to birds that stay here year round. This time let’s focus on our three species of nuthatch,...
by lakecountry | Aug 31, 2020 | Guest Bloggers, History of Lake Country, Tiana Langedyk
Figure 1:Warf at Okanagan Centre in early Days. Packing house to right. For the first three decades of the twentieth century, Okanagan Centre was the commercial hub of the area. From the late 1800s to the 1930s, Okanagan Centre was one of the main...
by lakecountry | Aug 24, 2020 | Guest Bloggers, History of Lake Country, Tiana Langedyk
Before Lake Country, there was Okanagan Centre. For the first three decades of the twentieth century, Okanagan Centre was the commercial hub of the area. From the late 1800s to the 1930s, Okanagan Centre was one of the main points for the Central...
by lakecountry | Aug 24, 2020 | Bloggers, Guest Bloggers, Tiana Langedyk
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...
by lakecountry | Aug 10, 2020 | History of Lake Country, Thomson, Duane
Two Gibbons brothers, Harry from Ellison and Clare from Okanagan Centre went into partnership to establish OK Sawmills sometime shortly after 1940. The brothers operated their sawmill at a number of locations on the extensive forested slope south and east of Kelowna,...
by lakecountry | Aug 3, 2020 | Bloggers, Hayes, Bob, History of Lake Country
From the collection of Bob Hayes Note the “sunflowers’ – official name being “arrow-leaf root balsam” – in the foreground of this postcard and the classic Okanagan sky. Black Knight Mountain (now known as Black Mountain) is partially visible in the background. These...
by lakecountry | Jul 27, 2020 | Bloggers, Gibbons, Richard
Today the Central Okanagan enjoys a level of economic diversity unimaginable to earlier generations. In the first half of the twentieth century, our local economy was based primarily on the natural resources of the valley. A long growing season and access to water and...
by lakecountry | Jul 20, 2020 | Hayes, Bob, History of Lake Country
Lake Country is aptly named. Its four wards – Winfield, Okanagan Centre, Carr’s Landing and Oyama – have access to three major Lakes: Okanagan, Kalamalka, and Wood. The latter lake was named for pioneers Thomas (1841 – 1931) and Ellen Florence (nee Whelan) Wood (1861...
by lakecountry | Jul 3, 2020 | Pam Laing, Uncategorized
Last summer I introduced you to our largest flycatchers, the kingbirds, Eastern Kingbird and Western Kingbird. This year let’s look at other flycatchers that also come here in summer to breed and raise their young on abundant insect food during the warmer months. Some...
by lakecountry | Jun 22, 2020 | History of Lake Country, Thomson, Duane
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...
by lakecountry | Jun 16, 2020 | History of Lake Country, Thomson, Duane
Eliza Jane Swalwell’s bungalow was located near the entrance to Swalwell Park, toward Middle Vernon Creek. The Swalwell barn also faced Bottom Wood Lake Road a little further east. Jane’s nephew, Pete Simpson, who is now ninety-two years of age, remembers visiting his...
by lakecountry | Jun 10, 2020 | History of Lake Country, Thomson, Duane
Our blog on the Munson Simpson sawmill that operated in Winfield from 1927 to 1929 appeared earlier. Another blog, “Log chutes in Lake Country” discussed the log chute that over a decade earlier had transported logs from Fir Valley to the Oyama bench land and hence to...
