Irvine Road EstablishedHistorical Map Story Title

The Irvine family originated in Scotland and immigrated to the U.S.A. and Canada through Ireland.
Doctor William Irvine arrived in Oyama first, about 1901, left and returned in 1904. He bought land on the west side of Woods Lake/Long Lake from Frederick J. Gillard. John and wife Annie along with Henry, Emma, Barbara and Minnes came to live in Oyama about 1905. Ida and Jennie followed. Jennie became ill and wished to return to her old home. William took her back to Kingston, where she stayed until her death in 1918.
John built the house at the bottom of Irvine road for Henry and William about 1905 and then he and Annie went to live in Victoria for a year. They didn't like the weather so they moved back and built a house in Vernon. The John Irvine family moved to Oyama in 1910 and bought 22 acres from the rest of the family. John built or remodeled a house on the upper road. They sold it in 1918 to build a new house.
Elizabeth (Henzy) Irvine, wife of John Irvine Sr. was the person who submitted the name 'Oyama' to the Canadian Government for the name of the Post Office.
Barbara was the first school teacher at the old White School, built in 1911. Emma and Minnie acted as substitute teachers.
Henry was the first post master in Oyama in 1908.
William was the first orchardist of the family. He was supposed to have planted one of the first cherry trees in the area in 1904.He also helped establish Long Lake Irrigation Co.
In 1927, William Irvine, John Irvine and Edgar G. Sherwood created the Unity Fruit Ltd. They bought out the shares of the Co-Operative Farmers and moved such equipment as the grader to Vernon. The last Unity Fruit building was built in 1948. It was destroyed by fire in 1986. The packinghouse closed in 1960 due to fewer orchards in the north Okanagan.