Who We Are

The Lake Country Museum and Archives is operated by the Lake Country Cultural and Heritage Society, a group of community volunteers who have nurtured the Museum since its inception in 1985. The Founding Members persuaded School District 23 to donate the Okanagan Centre School for community purposes. An evolving Board of Directors and an active group of volunteers work diligently to maintain museum displays and archives, offer school programs, present lectures and exhibitions and maintain the building and grounds. Financial support comes from the District of Lake Country and from individual donations and bequests. Dan Bruce became part-time Curator in 2006. Laura Neame is the current volunteer Archivist; she replaced Sonja MacCrimmon, who served as volunteer Archivist from 1996, in 2012. In 2010 the Museum hired Shannon Jorgenson as Manager, allowing the Museum to substantially increase its programming.

The Founding Members had the vision of a community museum: Helen Gatzke (Founding President), Flora Snowdon, David Lodge, George Kozub, Jack McCarthy, Yvonne Saunders, Win Sutton, Jane Arnold, James Baker, Penny Baughen, Rosemary Carter and Ron Carter.

Persons who have been especially active in supporting the Lake Country Museum have been recognized as Life Members: Anne Land, Peter Short, David Lodge, Ross McDonagh, Ruth Whitson (2005), Sonja MacCrimmon (2007), James Taylor (2010), and James Baker (2011).

The current Board of Directors is comprised of fourteen members representing all four wards of Lake Country: President Duane Thomson, Vice-President Eleanor Geen, Secretary Lynne Blake, Treasurer Tom Turner, Past-President Richard Gibbons, Webmaster Carol Thomson, Rosemary Carter, Bob Hayes, Anne Land, Faye Stowe, Addie Maehara, Andrew Miller, Laura Neame and Elaine Pybus.

The backbone of our organization is the dedicated group of Volunteers who give their time so freely to the preservation and presentation of Lake Country history. These volunteers are many, but today we honour Karen Gibbons as our featured Volunteer.

Karen is active in school programming and displays. She (along with husband Glen) continually creates attractive and educational displays for the LCM display case in the lobby of the District of Lake Country’s municipal building and has recently added a display case at George Elliot Secondary School. 

Volunteer Karen Gibbons

This is WHO WE ARE –

we are the community of Lake Country.