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Shuswap Narrows Lodge was operated by Frank and Kaye Oben from 1945-1952. Frank Edwin Oben was born on February 25th, 1913 in Vancouver to Mary McConicky and Edwin Alfred Oben.

On May 11th, 1937, at twenty-four years old, Frank Oben married a divorced bookkeeper two years his senior named Kathleen Law in Vancouver B.C.

Frank Oben learned the craftsmanship of baking from his father, and owned a bakery on Homer Street, Vancouver. During the Great War, Mr. Oben inherited the bakery and subsequently provided food provisions to armed workforce stationed in the Vancouver area.

In the summer of 1945, Frank and Kathleen Oben moved from Vancouver to the B.C. Interior where they owned and ran Shuswap Narrows Fishing Lodge in Eagle Bay. It was an extremely successful business endeavor due to his pragmatic personality and business savvy intellect, a favorite place amongst nature aficionados throughout the Pacific Northwest.

On June 11th 1952, Mr. and Mrs. Frank Oben sold their property, the Shuswap Narrows Fishing Lodge, to a Vancouver couple: Mr. and Mrs. Perrault.

In its aftermath, Kathleen and Frank Oben ended their marriage. Hereinafter, he remarried Joan Mary Dunn and had an efficacious career in Real Estate and property investing as a salesman in Salmon Arm.

Since 1945, Frank Oben was a resident of Salmon Arm, and has been a paramount participant in community life. Furthermore, he was the former president of the curling club, President of the Okanagan Real Estate Board, a Rotary club director, a member with the Shuswap Power Squadron, and a fervent golfer.

Tragically, on June 15th 1987 at the age of 75 Frank Oben committed suicide. The immediate cause of death was a gunshot to his head, and the antecedent cause was a fractured skull and lacerated brain.

The people who played a significant role in his life are; his former wife Kathleen Law, his second wife and widow Joan Mary Dunn, daughter Nicole Marshall, brother Edwin Albert Oben Jr., nephew Grant, and niece Joanne.

On April 27, 1915 a group of people met to form the Granite Trading Co-operative Association.

The association had its beginnings two years before in 1913 when a group met to form the Tappen Farmers’ Exchange. The Exchange was created to handle and sell farm produce. Henry Calhoun, J.A. Carlin, William Sanderson, J. Fleming, Gust Annala, J. Mikkelson, and C.W. Mobley erected a small building on the C.P.R. right-of-way and had C.P.R. operator Barney Kellogg paint a sign on the building. C.W. Mobley was appointed the manager, secretary-treasurer, and one-person staff.

The group affiliated with the Salmon Arm Farmers’ Exchange and Okanagan United Growers. Settlers in the area started asking the Exchange to bring in consumer goods. Flour and feed arrived by the carload and unloaded in the Calhoun warehouse located on the C.P.R. right-of-way. Settlers could order groceries or farm equipment, combine their bulk orders and receive wholesale shipping rates.

The co-operative impacted local store owner and businessman H.C. Banks. His store had been serving customers in the area since 1907. Banks contacted the C.P.R. requesting to have the co-operative restrained from doing business on the C.P.R. right-of-way. Settlers were unhappy with Banks and the members of the cooperative reacted by deciding to get into the retail trade. The first item of business was to incorporate under the Co-operative Association Act. In a spirit of fairness to Mr. Banks, the group offered to buy him out, offering him $900 for his building and well, to buy his stock at costs plus shipping, and to pay him $75 for his share in the co-operative telephone system that operated out of the store.

The sale was structured $400 cash down for the building and $300 for the stock. The balance of payments bore 8% interest.

The name Granite Trading Association was adopted, taken the name of Granite Mountain. The founding directors were C.W. Mobley, Henry Calhoun, Wm Sanderson, Gust Annala, and J.A. Carling. Mr. Calhoun was elected president and Mr. Mobley the secretary.

The Association is one of the oldest operating consumer co-operatives in the province and is famous for its outsized ice cream cones.

On April 27, 1915 a group of people met to form the Granite Trading Co-operative Association.

The association had its beginnings two years before in 1913 when a group met to form the Tappen Farmers’ Exchange. The Exchange was created to handle and sell farm produce. Henry Calhoun, J.A. Carlin, William Sanderson, J. Fleming, Gust Annala, J. Mikkelson, and C.W. Mobley erected a small building on the C.P.R. right-of-way and had C.P.R. operator Barney Kellogg paint a sign on the building. C.W. Mobley was appointed the manager, secretary-treasurer, and one-person staff.

The group affiliated with the Salmon Arm Farmers’ Exchange and Okanagan United Growers. Settlers in the area started asking the Exchange to bring in consumer goods. Flour and feed arrived by the carload and unloaded in the Calhoun warehouse located on the C.P.R. right-of-way. Settlers could order groceries or farm equipment, combine their bulk orders and receive wholesale shipping rates.

The co-operative impacted local store owner and businessman H.C. Banks. His store had been serving customers in the area since 1907. Banks contacted the C.P.R. requesting to have the co-operative restrained from doing business on the C.P.R. right-of-way. Settlers were unhappy with Banks and the members of the cooperative reacted by deciding to get into the retail trade. The first item of business was to incorporate under the Co-operative Association Act. In a spirit of fairness to Mr. Banks, the group offered to buy him out, offering him $900 for his building and well, to buy his stock at costs plus shipping, and to pay him $75 for his share in the co-operative telephone system that operated out of the store.

The sale was structured $400 cash down for the building and $300 for the stock. The balance of payments bore 8% interest.

The name Granite Trading Association was adopted, taken the name of Granite Mountain. The founding directors were C.W. Mobley, Henry Calhoun, Wm Sanderson, Gust Annala, and J.A. Carling. Mr. Calhoun was elected president and Mr. Mobley the secretary.

The Association is one of the oldest operating consumer co-operatives in the province and is famous for its outsized ice cream cones.

On April 27, 1915 a group of people met to form the Granite Trading Co-operative Association.

The association had its beginnings two years before in 1913 when a group met to form the Tappen Farmers’ Exchange. The Exchange was created to handle and sell farm produce. Henry Calhoun, J.A. Carlin, William Sanderson, J. Fleming, Gust Annala, J. Mikkelson, and C.W. Mobley erected a small building on the C.P.R. right-of-way and had C.P.R. operator Barney Kellogg paint a sign on the building. C.W. Mobley was appointed the manager, secretary-treasurer, and one-person staff.

The group affiliated with the Salmon Arm Farmers’ Exchange and Okanagan United Growers. Settlers in the area started asking the Exchange to bring in consumer goods. Flour and feed arrived by the carload and unloaded in the Calhoun warehouse located on the C.P.R. right-of-way. Settlers could order groceries or farm equipment, combine their bulk orders and receive wholesale shipping rates.

The co-operative impacted local store owner and businessman H.C. Banks. His store had been serving customers in the area since 1907. Banks contacted the C.P.R. requesting to have the co-operative restrained from doing business on the C.P.R. right-of-way. Settlers were unhappy with Banks and the members of the cooperative reacted by deciding to get into the retail trade. The first item of business was to incorporate under the Co-operative Association Act. In a spirit of fairness to Mr. Banks, the group offered to buy him out, offering him $900 for his building and well, to buy his stock at costs plus shipping, and to pay him $75 for his share in the co-operative telephone system that operated out of the store.

The sale was structured $400 cash down for the building and $300 for the stock. The balance of payments bore 8% interest.

The name Granite Trading Association was adopted, taken the name of Granite Mountain. The founding directors were C.W. Mobley, Henry Calhoun, Wm Sanderson, Gust Annala, and J.A. Carling. Mr. Calhoun was elected president and Mr. Mobley the secretary.

The Association is one of the oldest operating consumer co-operatives in the province and is famous for its outsized ice cream cones.

The Methodist Church of Salmon Arm was built in 1895 at Hedgman’s Corner in Salmon Arm on property donated by Ambrose Settle and kitty corner to Harbell Road. The budget for the building was $50 and the congregation relied on volunteer labour. The building was 24 x 36 feet with 16 foot walls covered in lathe and plaster. Lumber was supplied by Kualt Mill and, according to the Kamloops Sentinel, Mr. Bolton had the contract for building the church.

The church formally opened Sunday, December 22nd of the same year with Rev. Turner of Clinton officiating. The manse was built on the river bank on F.B. Shaw’s property and the congregation secured their first resident minister, R.H. Peardon, an accountant from Eaton’s in Winnipeg. Peardon was recommended as a candidate for ministry in May 1899, though he had been living at the manse in 1898.

At some point prior to 1906 a Ladies Aid Society was formed. In December 1907 a new Methodist church was opened closer to the downtown core of Salmon Arm. The church and manse were sold. The Ladies Aid grew in numbers.

The collection contains one set of minutes from the Ladies Aid meeting at the Parsonage beginning in January 1906. They document a regular meeting and are likely a continuation of previous meetings. Five members were present and Mrs. E.A. Palmer was the recording secretary. [S.] Calvert was the President. Other names include Mrs. F.B. Shaw, Mrs. J.A. Wood, and Mrs. Jones.

The women met in the parsonage and the church. When the minister attended he was asked to close in prayer. At different times during the year the group organized Boston Tea, Ice Cream, Strawberry and Lawn socials and held concerts and bazaars to raise money for improvements to the Manse, such as repairs to the stove and oil cloth for the kitchen floor.

The Ladies Aid minutes end in 1923.

The United Church of Canada was formed by a union of the Presbyterian, Methodist, and Congregationalist churches in 1925. The Woman’s Association (WA) was formed to deepen the spiritual life of the women of the Church and to promote a programme of Christian fellowship and service, personal evangelism and stewardship. This was defined as assistance to the local minister, visitation, the promotion of Christian education in the home, Sunday School, and overseeing the furnishing of the manse.

A second set of minutes is in a hardcover book titled First United Church WA Book II 1930-1935 and documents the six years of WA activity at First United. At the first meeting Mrs. A. Bedford was the secretary, Mrs. Campbell and Mrs. Davies were the hostesses. There is no mention of the President’s name. The preceding record of meetings, First United Church WA Book I 1926-1929, are in the care of the Bob Stewart Archives, Vancouver School of Theology.

A third set of minutes is for the Woman’s Missionary Society (WMS). At the congregational level, the WMS group raised funds for missions, educated members about who benefited from mission work, and supported mission work.

The organization did mission work both in Canada and abroad. A large part of the work centered on schools and hospitals. The national WMS appointed missionaries (“WMS workers”) and supported immigrants, Indigenous communities, and people living in poverty in Canada.

This set of minutes begins with the statement, “First regular meeting of the WMS of the First United Church, Salmon Arm, BC. held at the church parlor on April 22nd, 1926.” The book concludes in 1935.

At the first meeting of the WMS Mrs. Williston was elected President, Mrs. Hooper Vice-President, Mrs. Sinclair Cor. Secretary, Mrs. J.R. Tweeddale Recording Secretary, Mrs. Hanna Treasurer, Mrs. Woodman Young People’s Secretary, Mrs. Cox Children’s Secretary, Mrs. Fraser, Associate Helpers Secretary, Mrs. J.C. Robinson, Supply Secretary, Mrs. Sinclair Missionary Month Secretary, Mrs. Shaw Christian Stewardship Secretary, and Mrs. Woodbridge Strangers’ Secretary. Mrs. Williston and Mrs. McDiarmid were chosen as delegates to the Presbyterial meeting at Vernon.

The Salmon Arm Community Co-operative Sports Center Association met October 1st, 1946. The first order of business was the consideration of the name change to Salmon Arm Community Cooperative Association.

Directors elected were S.C. Elliot, F. Marshall, P.E. Pike, N.S. Minion, A.A. Robinson, F. Ibbotson, C.C. Barker, J.E. Campbell, and Ken Hunter. The directors were authorized to purchase the Rex Theatre at the same meeting.

The group was formed to consider the creation of a memorial to those who had served in the Second World War. The decision was made to build a memorial arena that also met the community’s needs for skating and ice hockey facilities.

The Association investigated sources of financing for this project and it was decided to purchase the existing Rex Theatre by the sale of debentures and non-interest bearing shares. It soon became apparent that the Rex Theatre building and equipment were outdated and it was decided that a new theatre should be built and officially opened for business.

In the meantime, a separate organization was formed to secure funds for the construction of the proposed arena. Construction was commenced in 1956 and the Salmon Arm Memorial Arena was ready for use on July 1, 1958. Surplus revenues from the operation of the Salmar were directed to the arena until responsibility for the operation of the arena was assumed by local government.

With the future of the arena assured, the objectives of the Association were expanded to include many other worthwhile community endeavors including sport and recreation, healthcare and the arts. Theatre revenues were also used to upgrade and enhance the Salmar. In the mid-1970s, the Salmar was renovated and new projection equipment purchased. In 1984, further renovations, including reconstruction of the lobby, enlargement of the stage and installation of special lighting to encourage live performances, were completed. In 1990 the Alexander Street façade of the Salmar, including signage, was upgraded. Technical improvements to projection and sound equipment continued to be made on an ongoing basis.

In 1978 the Association purchased the Starlite Drive-In Theatre and operated that facility in conjunction with the Salmar for many years. The Starlite was sold in September of 1990 to make way for the planned expansion of the junction of Trans-Canada Highway and Highway 97B.

In November of 1987, the name of the Association was changed to Salmar Community Association with the intent of making the community ownership of the Salmar more obvious to the many new residents of the Salmon Arm area.

By 1992 it became apparent that the operations of the Association needed to be expanded both to service the entertainment needs of a rapidly growing community and to ensure that the operations of the Association would remain commercially viable. After considerable discussion it was determined that the Association would build a new theatre complex.

Many issues, including the location and design of the new complex were considered and dealt with over the next several years. A suitable site was located on a portion of an undeveloped public parking lot on Hudson Avenue. It was then determined that a multiplex facility would be built, with four separate movie screens sharing a common projection room, lobby and other facilities. Financing was secured and construction commenced in October of 1996. The new complex was officially opened to the public as Salmar Grand Cinemas May 16, 1997.

The theatre capacity created by Salmar Grand Cinemas allows the Association to offer a wide variety of movies, often on the same date they are released in larger centres. The Association continues to operate the Salmar Theatre as a movie theatre and as a venue for live performances.

Salmar Community Association continues, in accordance with the vision of its founding members, to operate its community owned facilities for the benefit of the residents of Salmon Arm and Shuswap.

Tappen Valley School
When Charles Henry (Charlie) Brooke donated the land for Tappen Valley School he also ensured his children’s education. He had recently moved to Cardinal Ranch in Tappen October 31, 1914. His diaries document a list of activities. He started getting to know the community by personally circulating a petition for a school and, after a Mr. McArthur rescinded his offer of a site for the school, Brooke donated an acre of land himself. It was located on the Tappen Valley Road.

It is believed that, until the Tappen Valley School opened, Brooke took his children to the Tappen School on Bolton Road. On December 15, 1914 Brooke calculated an estimate for the cost of building a new school. A meeting was called and initially, one of the parents, a Mr. Fox, opted out of the project, wanting to send his children to Kault (Kualt) school.

An election of school trustees was held December 28, 1914. Three candidates are recorded in C.H. Brooke’s diaries. Fowler received 15 votes, Brooke 17 and Sweeten 12. It was agreed that all present were entitled to vote, including the women. When it was decided to include the votes of the women present, the meeting had to be quickly adjourned until Brooke could consult the Act. It appeared that women had the right to vote for School Trustees.

Local residents built the one–room school from hand–hewn logs and it was completed in 1915. Neighbours who helped build the school were listed in Charlie Brooke’s diaries: Moseley, Lee, T. Sweeten, G. Sweeten, Fowler, McDonald, S. Elliott, Blair, Gardiner, W. Rogers, C. Laingslow, Woolett, Eggleshaw, and Charlie Brooke.

Acting for the Trustees, Brooke negotiated with and hired Mrs. Eveleen Parker. In an exchange of telegraphs Mrs. Parker responded that she would come January 3rd.

The early teachers were:
• Mrs. Eveleen B. Parker from Revelstoke (~January to June 1915)
• Miss Stirling (August 1915 – December 1916)
• Miss Preston (January 1917 – December 1917). Miss Preston boarded with the Brooke family. Miss Preston may have taught at the Tappen Valley School until June 1918 but there is no surviving register for this year. She asked for a recommendation February 5, 1918.
• Miss E.A. Coles, September 1918 to 1921 (only a partial record has survived for 1921).

When, some years later, the Carlin School Parent Teachers’ Association compiled a cookbook as a fundraiser, Norma Surtees supplied information about the years she taught at the Tappen Valley School (1933–1935). She wrote that it was the teacher’s job to keep the school clean, light the fire, and carry water. The students under her charge were very co–operative and helpful. Older students would arrive at the school before her to get the fire going, and all the students did their share in keeping the school clean. Douglas Miller, a neighbour across the road, used to bring a bucket of water daily for the school children.

According to Allan Wilson, the school served the community of students until 1951, when Carlin Elementary School opened.

After the school was decommissioned the land it sat on was eventually purchased by the owners of a fuse plant in 1969. The old school log building was not required by the new owner, so arrangements were made for Keven Julian (Julian) Codd to move it across the road to his property, formerly Douglas Miller’s farm. The building was used for storage until it was accidently burned in a grass fire in 2010.

Carlin Siding School
The first location for Carlin Siding School was in a log building on land owned by (Thomas Alfred) Saintabin on Tappen–Notch Hill Road, east of the railway crossing where the trestle came across.

When the new school was opened in 1908, Josephine Bledsoe (nee Saintabin) was five. She was sent to school because there were not enough students to open the school. She remembers her first teacher was Miss Greenwood, followed by Carrie Peterson, May Johnson and then Miss Langlow (sic Langslow).

Miss Hilda Hutton was the next teacher, but resigned in December. The School Trustees hired a new teacher, Miss May Cecelia Rath and she and the students moved into a new building on Robert Gardiner’s farm. The old school remained on site and was used by Saintabin for storage.

The new school was also log and is well photographed. Moving the school operation closer to White Lake allowed the Finish children from that area to attend as well. It was only a four mile walk! By September 1913 attendance had jumped to 24 students from 17 in the previous year.

There are conflicting reports of when this move happened, but according to the Observer it was nearing completion in December 1912. In the 1913 register the teacher notes the attendance record on January 7th because the “School was not finished” the previous day. Three students transferred to Balmoral School – Dolf, Louise and Frank Oulette (Ouillette)– resulting in only a net increase of 6 new students. New students were Ernest and Minnie Maki, Vilju (Viljo) Mikkelson, Victor Robinson, Annie and Aile Harju.

The second location was below the present day Carlin Elementary Middle School, on the same side of the highway.

At some point the Gardiner property changed ownership and came into the hands of Joseph Rabie. When Rabie died in 1936, the property was divided amongst family members. Work on the highway further divided the Rabie property.

According to Allan Wilson, the log building served the community of students until 1951 when Carlin Elementary School was opened.
The Carlin Siding School was moved to Three Valley Gap, west of Revelstoke, in 1965.

Lee Creek School
Historically school children in Lee Creek had to leave the community for their education according to the North Shuswap Historical Society publication Shuswap Chronicles. They boarded nearby in Blind Bay and Sorrento for instruction but by 1918 there were enough school–aged children to form a school. Residents of Lee Creek lobbied the Department of Education and in May 1919 the School Inspector visited Lee Creek. He recommended that the catchment area for students be extended from the Adams River to Scotch Creek Indian Reserve to help the area qualify for a subsidy. $150 was granted to help with building expenses and Oliver Freeman, a bachelor, donated an acre of land by the lake for a site.

At a meeting of ratepayers on July 12, 1919 school trustees Mrs. Alex McKay, Bill Dempster, Ray Corning, and Bill McKay were elected.

A five hundred square foot school was built with lumber donated by Freeman. Carpenter Alex McKay designed and supervised the project with help from Ray Corning, Bill McKay, and James Lockerby. Emil De Portier and James Freeman helped cut a road to improve access to the site.

The school was opened in September and Winnifred Smythe of Revelstoke was hired to teach 12 students. The school also served as a community hall for political meetings, dances, parties, and church services.

The school closed for lack of students in 1928 when Barbara Wood and others moved to Kamloops for high school education. It opened again in 1934 for three years and Mrs. Spears was hired to teach. It was closed again until 1950, when it opened until 1954. Eventually school buses were used to take students to Celista and beyond for school.

According to author Jim Cooperman, the building became a garage for a time and fell into disrepair. It was torn down in the 1990s.

The first Post Office in Rossland was house in David Stussi’s small store at the western end of Columbia Avenue in 1894. The following spring Stussi built the Stussi Block across the street where a small area of 40’ by 10’ was set aside for the post offices. In the fall of 1895, W. Wadds was appointed the Postmaster and he relocated the Post Office to a more commodious space in another commercial building/store – 3rd designated Post Office for Rossland. The third floor of the post office burnt down in the Great Fire in 1929 and was no rebuilt. In 1937, after the death of Postmaster William Wadds, assistant clerk Miss Lowes was appointed acting postmaster. Well-liked by the staff and community, there were no objections to her taking this post. In June of that years, a postal inspector came to Rossland and installed Mrs. K Lloyd as the Postmaster. After much uproar from the community, Mr. L.H. Delmas was appointed Postmaster. In 1962, the Post Office receive an internal “modernization” which included new floors, woodwork, counters, and aluminum lock boxes.

The office of Physical Plant, having responsibility for engineering, maintenance, and planning on the University campus, was established in 1967. Previously, since 1943 these had been the responsibility of a Superintendent of Buildings and Grounds, within the Bursar's Office and later the Dean of Administrative and Financial Services. Physical Plant was organized in four divisions, reflecting its responsibilities, in 1969: Operations and Maintenance, Design and Planning, New Construction, and Administrative Services. In 1986 it was re-organized, with two departments, Plant Operations and Plant (later Physical) Design and Construction, under the Director of Physical Plant. The two departments were completely separated in 1988. Physical Design and Construction merged with Facilities Planning – the combined operation was renamed Campus and Community Planning in 2001. Plant Operations was eventually absorbed into Land and Building Services.

The functions of Land and Building Services (primarily engineering, and grounds and building maintenance) were originally the responsibility of the Superintendent of Buildings and Grounds – first established in 1943 within the Bursar's Office, and later the Dean of Administrative and Financial Services. That position was subsumed into the Office of Physical Plant in 1967. In 1986 Physical Plant was re-organized into two departments, Plant Operations and Physical Design and Construction. In 1988 Physical Design and Construction merged with Facilities Planning to form Campus Planning and Development (later renamed Campus and Community Planning). Plant Operations continued as a separate department until 1998, when it was subsumed within Land and Building Services under the direction of Associate Vice-President Geoff Atkins. During the next ten years UBC’s sustainability and community planning initiatives, along with its traditional plant operations and utilities management, were directed from within the Land and Building Services framework. In 2009 these responsibilities were re-organized and dispersed. Atkins was placed in charge of the University’s sustainability initiatives within Campus and Community Planning. Plant operations and utilities management were placed within Building Operations, under Managing Director David Woodson, which in turn was placed within the portfolio of Vice-President Finance, Resources and Operations Pierre Ouillet.

The Bank of Montreal was opened in 1896 by A.H. Buchanan, who remained the manager until J.S.C. Fraser moved to the area. It was built by architect Francis Rattenbury, who also designed the Provincial Legislative Buildings. At its first conception in the area, BMO was in competition with four other banks in the area, Bank of British North America, Bank of Toronto, Marchant’s Bank of Halifax, and Bank of British Columbia. The building BMO was in had apartments above to house staff. The Rossland Branch was closed in 2000.