Robert (Bob) Hayes, a member of the Board of Directors of the Lake Country Heritage and Cultural Society, is a long-time resident of the Okanagan Valley. Hayes is a descendant of the Whelan and the Clement families.
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... [Continue Reading]
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... [Continue Reading]
Author’s note: This article is dedicated to the victims of the 1918 Spanish influenza pandemic. It contains words and attitudes which, while formerly in common use, are now recognized as racist and demeaning. The November 14, 1918 (page one) issue... [Continue Reading]
Last week’s article provided some history of the 1918 Spanish flu pandemic which decimated the world’s population, claiming millions of lives, making it arguably the twentieth century’s most lethal pandemic. As the summer of 1918 rolled into fall, the Spanish... [Continue Reading]
Today’s article – the first of a three-part series – examines the worldwide implications of the Spanish influenza. Next week’s article focuses on how this 1918 pandemic affected Central Okanagan residents. This article is not intended to cause fear or... [Continue Reading]
It’s that time of year again when one is searching for meaningful gifts for the holiday season. Two gifts of special importance are a donation to the Okanagan Rail Trail and the purchase of the publication, Okanagan History by the... [Continue Reading]
One hundred years ago, in October and November 1917, the Canadian Expeditionary Force (C.E.F.) was engaged in a major battle in what was later known as World War I (1914 – 1918). There were many battles and campaigns in World... [Continue Reading]
“William Charles and Matilda Jane (nee Brown) Clement and daughter Mabel Matilda Clement arrived in Vernon in mid-October 1897, having travelled by train from their home near Treherne, Manitoba. Several days later, three of their four sons, William James, John... [Continue Reading]
The advent of the automobile age, in the early years of the twentieth century, heralded the dawn of a new era in transportation and signalled the slow but steady decline of horse-drawn business and pleasure vehicles. The arrival of automobiles... [Continue Reading]
It is a topic which evokes more than a little discussion. “Facts” are confidently tossed out for discussion, only to be called into question. Cited sources are rejected as incorrect. Photographic evidence is greeted with much skepticism. This is not... [Continue Reading]
