by lcmuseum@shaw.ca | Mar 13, 2021 | Thomson, Duane
A new two-room school was built in 1917 and in 1921 a third room was added for the new Oyama High School. The catchment area included Winfield and those students arrived by car or bus. The accompanying photograph was taken of the senior class in about 1926. They are...
by lcmuseum@shaw.ca | Jan 24, 2021 | Pam Laing
You might suppose that wintertime is not a good time for a bird that spends its life near running water, but in fact this species is able to survive in icy cold water, and manages to feed even under riverside ice. The rather nondescript appearance of the American...
by lcmuseum@shaw.ca | Jan 9, 2021 | Gibbons, Richard, Uncategorized
In the summer of 1986 a casual glance out to the beautiful waters off Okanagan Centre just might reveal the unmistakable profile of a submarine conning tower. No mere illusion brought on by sun and beer this was the Henry D. Redecopp, pride of the Okanagan Centre...
by lcmuseum@shaw.ca | Dec 4, 2020 | Thomson, Duane, Uncategorized
Thomas Wood, cattle rancher and Justice of the Peace from Lake Country, wrote three letters from Vernon to Frederick Hussey, Superintendent of Provincial Police in Victoria requesting his assistance with a rustling case 1 . Hussey replied to these. Some excerpts are...
by lcmuseum@shaw.ca | 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 lcmuseum@shaw.ca | 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 lcmuseum@shaw.ca | 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 lcmuseum@shaw.ca | 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 lcmuseum@shaw.ca | 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 lcmuseum@shaw.ca | 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 lcmuseum@shaw.ca | 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 lcmuseum@shaw.ca | 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...