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authority records
Rossland Light Opera Players
A2015.004 · Corporate body · 1951-present

The Rossland Light Opera Players (RLOP) was founded on November 1, 1951, by Rossland teachers Bill and Kathleen Baldry, Gordon Griffin, and Margery Littley. The organisation’s purpose was to encourage music, drama, and associated arts in the area. Initial funds for starting the group were supplied by a Victory Bond from the defunct Rossland Amateur Operatic Society.

For their inaugural performance - Gilbert and Sullivan's Pirates of Penzance - the RLOP chose Gordon Griffin as the music director and Bill Baldry as the stage director. The cast, reportedly chosen without seeing any of the actors perform on stage, consisted of Jean Ellison as Mabel, Larry Gasen as Frederick, Stan Fisher as the Pirate King, Eric Bourchier as the Sergeant of Police, Bill Baldry as Major-General Stanley, and Kathleen Baldry and Margery Littely as supporting characters. Stan Fischer, the industrial education teacher at the Rossland high school, recruited his students to help in designing the production, which included lighting, staging, flats, and music stands.

The production of Pirates of Penzance opened in the Rossland high school auditorium in March 1952, performing two shows to enthusiastic audiences. The group then travelled for a show in the Trail Junior High auditorium (now called the Charles Bailey Theatre) and the Capitol Theatre in Nelson. All four shows were a success, generating a great deal of excitement about the RLOP and creating a lineup of talented individuals eager to be involved in future productions.

For their first eight seasons, the RLOP performed Gilbert & Sullivan productions, but in 1959, they branched out to other playwrights and eventually started writing their own productions. Performances have been held in various local venues, such as Rossland’s Miners’ Union Hall and Trail’s Charles Bailey Theatre.

In 1966, the RLOP negotiated a $1/year lease with the United Steelworkers Local 480 to rent Rossland's Miners' Union Hall (1899 Columbia Avenue). In 1976, the RLOP was forced to leave the Miners' Union Hall and ended up renting the two rooms in the Bank of Montreal to house their costumes. Their sets were stored in a shed behind the Rossland Credit Union, while their piano and lighting system were stored in the Junior High School in Trail. They were also forced to rent temporary locations in order to build sets and rehearse for upcoming productions. In 1983, the RLOP purchased the historic Bodega Hotel (2054 Washington Street) from the Fraternal Order of Eagles.

The RLOP has performed almost every year since their inception. The 2021 season was cancelled due to the global pandemic.

Some notable members include: Babs and George Bourchier, Jack Fisher, and Charles Bailey.

A2015.004.001 · Corporate body · 1937-1941

The Rossland Amateur Operatic Society began in 1937 as the Orpheus Male Choir (Trail). In 1939, the Orpheus Male Choir relocated to Rossland, changing their name to the Rossland Amateur Operatic Society. The Society performed a variety of productions, notably Trial by Jury and Dominoes in Rossland’s Capitol Theatre in May 1940. The group disbanded after a final performance of H.M.S. Pinafore in April 1941 due to failing membership during WWII. The group’s remaining assets were used to buy a $50.00 Victory Bond (approximately $950.00 in 2022). The Victory Bond would later be acquired by the Rossland Light Opera Players.

K-ette Club of Salmon Arm
MS 143 · Corporate body · 1984-2005

The Kinsmen Club of Salmon Arm was founded in 1944 with twenty-seven charter members. It was a service club dedicated to meeting the community’s greatest needs. It hosted Halloween parties for children, spearheaded the building of the pool and the playground at Fletcher Park. The club was responsible for the construction of the roof and installation of a public address system at the Memorial Arena, the lawn bowling greens, and the Kinsmen Little League Park. The club donated a water softener and oxygen tent to the Shuswap Lake General Hospital and installed the first fountain at McGuire Lake.

About 1968 the Kinsmen Club purchased a building from the South Canoe Women’s Institute on Auto Rd SE, made renovations and a playground, and later donated it to the First Salmon Arm Scouts.

In 1971, after being approached by the Family Court Committee, the Kinsmen Club of Salmon Arm built a Receiving and Remand Home in Salmon Arm, providing short-term accommodation for children who were wards of the court. The house opened in 1974 and closed in 2001.

The Receiving and Remand house was sold in 2001 and over $100,000 disbursed into the community: Little Mountain Sports Complex, the Salmon Arm Museum and Heritage Association, the Shuswap Community Foundation, South Shuswap First Responders Association, the Shuswap Health-Care Foundation, Salmon Arm Ambulance and the Canadian Cancer Society and the Shuswap Arena Society.

Salmon Arm’s Kinette Club was made up of participating wives of members of the Kinsmen Club. The women’s group was formed in 1947. The Kinette Club adopted the Kinsmen motto. Mrs. Tom Calvert was installed as the first president. The group worked on a campaign, Marching Mothers, to raise money to eradicate polio. They raised money to furnish the ten-bed pediatric unit and playroom at Shuswap Lake General Hospital.

Membership in the Kinsmen Club was restricted to men under the age of 40. As the club aged the “Kin Family” carried on. Older Kinsmen and Kinettes joined Kinsmen Club-affiliated groups: K-40, for men, and K-ettes, for women. The newly formed chapters were not active Kinsmen Club members because the club’s constitution and by-laws did not include them. K-40 and K-ettes did not pay dues to Kinsmen and the groups operated as social clubs rather than a service clubs. It was expected that the K-40 and K-ettes would lend support and expertise to their Kinsmen and Kinette Club counterparts.

A group met to establish a K-ette Club in January 1984. Betty Lou Wagner chaired the meeting and Mary Letham acted as secretary. The women ran an advertisement to encourage new members to join. An election was held at the second meeting. Eileen Bedford and Gladys Beech acted as scrutineers. Those who were elected were:
• President Mary Letham
• Vice President Gladys Beech
• Secretary Joyce Cummings
• Treasurer Dot Johnson
• Directors: Jackie Cannon and Jan Hunter

A K-ette Membership Certificate laid out the aims of the Club:
• To continue the fellowship experienced by the members while they were active in the family of Kin.
• To be an auxiliary of the sponsoring Kinsmen Club.
• To assist with the sponsoring Club’s projects; all with the view to the promotion and furtherance of the object of the Association.

The Kin Hall on Okanagan Ave SE was a popular venue for meetings. Geneva McLean, Jan Hunter and Shirley Meszaros were the phoning committee. The group met every other month and decided to pursue a charter.

A raffle was held to raise money and potluck meetings were the norm. Members visited Kin House to see if help was needed with activities there.

In 1991 the age for active membership in the Kinsmen and Kinette Clubs was raised to 45 and then eliminated altogether in 1999. This may have impacted the K-ette group which dissolved in in 2005.

Salmar Community Association
MS 144 · Corporate body · 1946-

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.

MS 145 · Corporate body · 1908 - 1948

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.

Tappen Cemetery
MS 149 · Corporate body · 1920 -

The Tappen Women’s Institute organized to undertake a project in 1917. The women wanted a cemetery and initially canvased the C.P.R. for land but were denied. They pursued property that had been occupied by the Granite Creek Fish Hatchery, but were denied again because the land was not the Department of Naval Service’s to grant. It had not been transferred to the Service by the Department of Indian Affairs. Eventually the group purchased land from Mr. Jacob Bolton and had the plot approved by the Department of Health.

The women raised funds by pre-selling lots to Mr. and Mrs. H. Calhoun, Mr. and Mrs. C. W. Mobley, Miss A. Percer (Mrs. Magee), Mrs. W. Rogers, Mrs. G. Sweeten, Mrs. J.R. Reilly, Mr. T. Dondaneau, J.A. Wright, and Mrs. M. Smith (9 @ $10 each).

A layout of the cemetery was obtained from Harvey Stewardson, City Engineer, at New Westminster. The land was surveyed by E.O Wood (1918) and J. Heathcott (1932)

The initial price of single lots was $3. There was a discount for the purchase of 4 lots ($10). Burials began in 1920 and included David Smith, Hugh Brooke, and Kenneth Brooke.

Salmon Arm 4-H Club
MS 71 · Corporate body · 1961-1991

According to the BC 4-H Club website, the Boys and Girls Club came into being in 1914. In the first year, over 200 young people between the ages of 10 and 18 were involved in competitions sponsored by the Department of Agriculture. The first clubs focused on potatoes, but later expanded to poultry in order to attract more young people and widen the influence of progressive farming practices on the BC farming community (see footnote below for source). When a local chapter of the Boys and Girls Club was formed in Salmon Arm is not known, but the Club was first mentioned in the Salmon Arm Observer in 1917.

The Boys and Girls Club was renamed 4-H in 1952. The name stood for the 4-Hs were: Head, Heart, Hands, and Health. The Four objectives of the 4-H are:

  1. To train the heads and hands of the boys and girls.
  2. To give them broad and big hearts.
  3. To improve their health by giving them an interest in outdoor life.
  4. To encourage, on the part of all Canadians, a strong and more intelligent interest in agriculture.
    The objectives are accomplished by competing and exhibiting at Fall Fairs.

The motto of the club is “Learn to do by doing.”

Oddly, the first mention of the 4-H Club in the Salmon Arm Observer was in 1951 as members of Armstrong, Kamloops, Salmon Arm and Lumby 4-H Clubs joined together to attend
the PNE in Vancouver.

Over the years there were multiple branches within the Club including Beef, Dairy, Horse, Goat, Honey Bee, and Clothing Clubs. A 4-H District Council served the area from Sicamous, Mara, Grindrod, Deep Creek, Salmon Arm and Sorrento.

Footnote: History of BC 4-H Club https://www.4hbc.ca/contact/history

University of British Columbia Archives · Corporate body · 1915-

The Department of Physics was one of the original departments within the Faculty of Arts and Science when UBC was established in 1915, and has been in continuous existence since then. It was included in the Faculty of Science when it split from Arts in 1964. The Department was housed with the other science departments at Fairview Campus, and in the Science (now Chemistry) Building at Point Grey, until the Hennings Building was completed in 1947. The Department went through a period of significant expansion during the Second World War related to the research activities carried out by its member for the government, and it remains today one of the University's largest academic departments. Laboratory work has been an integral part of the curriculum of the Department of Physics since its beginning, and the Department has issued manuals for use by students since the 1940's.

Trail Ski Club
Corporate body · 1934-1947

The Trail-Rossland Ski Club dropped “Rossland” from its name at the request of the Rossland Ski Club in 1934 and became the Trail Ski Club. They built a cabin in Squaw Basin (on the North side of Granite Mountain), which became a hub for downhill skiing in the surrounding hills. Their main club cabin was at the North end of the Rossland Reservoir, and they skied largely on the East side of Red Mountain. In 1947, the Trail Ski Club and the Rossland Ski Club amalgamated and became the Red Mountain Ski Club.

Corporate body · 1960-1962

The Rossland-Trail Olympic Promotion Committee was founded in 1961 with the goal of hosting the 1968 Winter Olympics. Whistler, Fernie, and Rossland-Trail all bid to be Canada’s entry for the games, but Calgary was selected. The committee wrote letters back and forth with Canada’s Olympics Committee, as well as compiled maps and research about the area and snow fall history. In the end, the 1968 Olympics were held in Grenoble, France.

Corporate body · 1994–

The Vancouver Holocaust Education Centre (VHEC) was opened in 1994 by the Vancouver Holocaust Centre Society (VHCS). The VHEC is devoted to Holocaust-based anti-racism education and commemoration. Its staff produce thematic exhibits, school programs and commemorative events, publish a newsletter entitled Zachor and administrate the Wosk Publishing Program. The VHEC holds Western Canada’s largest collection of Holocaust-related artefacts, Holocaust testimonies and archival records and manages a comprehensive library of books, films, educational resources, as well as rare books and special collections.

The Ladies Discussion Club
Corporate body · ca.1933-ca.1972

The ladies’ Discussion Club was formed in January of 1933, by the teachers and ex-teachers of the Maclean School staff. The club was originally given the name “Semper Discupulae” but soon became known by its present title of the “Ladies’ Discussion Club”. It was clearly stated at the very beginning that each person was expected to take an active part at every meeting. Although teachers and ex-teachers were charter members, other interested ladies were soon invited to join the club. The members helped start the library, with a “musical” being held in the Anglican church to help raise money to purchase books for a club library. Most of these books were donated to the Rossland Public Library when it was established. The club even had a public debate against the Mens’ Discussion Club in 1936 at the courthouse and won. The women were required to pay a fine if late to a meeting, and the money raised would be donated to organizations such as the Red Cross and the local Community Chest. Two charter members remained in the club from its inception, Dorothy Bisson Fraser and Erna Coombes. Starting in 1948, the club also had a school award for excellence.

Rossland City Band
Corporate body · 1898-[ca. 1960s]

Rossland's first city band formed in 1898 under the direction of B.M. Graham. Over the next 17 years, the band was reformed several times before being disbanded during WWI. While the Rossland City Band gave regular performances in the early years, it was not until 1930's that consistent practices, and executive meetings took place. The Rossland City Band gave regular performances throughout the year and won the Blaylock Cup at the Kootenay Music Festival in 1937 and 1938. Performances included parades, weekly concerts at the bandshell (Washington St and Columbia Ave) or the Father Pat Memorial (Queen St and Columbia Ave) as well as an annual concert. The Rossland City Band also notably travelled to Spokane, WA in February 1958 to play at the Warriors-Flyers hockey game. Some of the most notable conductors were B.M. Graham (1898-1900), Edward Gibney (1940-1942), Llyod Austin (1942, 1944), and Seath Martin (1943).

Corporate body · 1896-2004

The Independent Order of Odd Fellows (IOOF) is a fraternal social organization based around charity. Different societal branches stem from IOOF, such as the Deborah Rebekah’s for women. The origins of Odd Fellowship are unclear, but there have been IOOF Lodges in England, Sweden, Germany, the USA, and Canada. The IOOF has an emblem of three links with the letters, “F, L, and T” on them, which stand for friendship, love, and truth. The chain bonds members together and reminds them that the society is only as strong as its weakest member. In the late 1800s, Rossland residents not only wanted to make a living but sought out community and social events. A Rossland resident, Horace James Raymer, was a builder from Winnipeg and a former Grand Master at the Manitoba Lodge #1 between 1888 and 1889. Raymer, John Kirkup, and five others organized a meeting regarding the formation of a Masonic Lodge in Rossland. By May 11th, 1896, the seven organizing men received applications from ten men who wanted to become Odd Fellows. The Rossland Lodge #36 was instituted by the Grand Lodge of BC on that same day, May 11th, 1896. Elected officers served a six-month term, and the Lodge would meet in the Masonic Hall once a week. the Lodge parented the Rebekah Lodge #13, which began in 1899 in Rossland. By 1899 the IOOF hall was built. Thomas Embleton became Grand Patriarch of B.C. in 1904 and Grand Master of B.C. in 1907 (the only GM to come from the Rossland Lodge). By the end of the year 1900, there were 135 members for the Rossland Lodge #36.

From about 1940 until 1965, the IOOF Lodge saw a dramatic downturn in membership, fueled by the mines closing in Rossland, the Depression, and WWII. The membership began to grow again in 1965, with the Lodge having reached 54 members. By 1988, the Rossland Lodge #36 was the only remaining Odd Fellows Lodge throughout the West Kootenays. The Lodge celebrated its 100th anniversary in 1996 and is still open today in 2023. The hall was used for many purposes and the Odd Fellows have supported and sponsored numerous causes over the years.

Corporate body · 1967-1988

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.

Corporate body · 1928-[196?]

The Rossland Swimming Pool Society was formed in 1932 to offset the lack of natural aquatic facilities in a mountain city. Donations of volunteer labour and supplies resulted in the opening of the pool by August of that year. The swimming pool is presently operated by the City of Rossland.

Corporate body · 1977-

The UBC Office of Research Services was established in 1977 as Research Administration. Prior to its establishment, the President’s Office oversaw the administration of research activities for the University. In 1983 Research Administration changed its name to Research Services. In 1986 it became Research Services and Industry Liaison. In 1992 it changed its name back to Research Services. Throughout this time Richard D. Spratley managed its activities. In 1983, when Research Administration changed its name, Spratley’s position as Research Administrator was re-named Director.
The Office administers grants and grant programs for the University. A number of separate committees are responsible for administering grant programs and overseeing different types of research. The Human Ethics Committee oversees ethical review procedures for research involving humans. The Animal Care Committee approves research involving animals, while ensuring that animal care guidelines were met. The Biosafety Committee reviews and approves research involving bio-hazardous materials, and also sets safety standards.

Sacred Heart Catholic Church
Corporate body · 1892-

As early as 1892, a traveling priest named Reverend Father Bedard visited the Rossland mining camp on his missionary circuit and conducted mass. Bedard was followed by Father Peylavin two years later in 1894. Father Lemay became the resident priest in 1895, and at this time mass was held wherever possible. The first Catholic Church in Rossland was built by a contractor named McCarthy in October 1895. A bell was installed in the tower in late 1900, after being shipped from England. In 1902, Father Welsh purchased land on the corner of Butte and Columbia to build a new church and turn the current church into a school. This plan was put on hold until 1915 when it was completed under the supervision and leadership of Father MacIntyre who replaced Father Welsh in 1912. Sacred Heart Catholic Church opened in 1915. The parish rectory was purchased in 1922. The Parish Hall was built across the street from the church in 1930. In the 1960s, the Father MacIntyre Centre (also called the Catechism Centre) was built beside the Parish Hall. In 1997, the priest position was reduced to part-time. Plans to renovate Sacred Heart Church and create a community multipurpose space were approved in 2012. The Parish Hall and Father MacIntyre Centre were sold in 2013 to pay for the renovations.

Corporate body · 1964-1983

The history of the University of British Columbia Resources Office can be traced to 1964 with the establishment of the Resources Committee Office. In the early 1970s, the organization became the University Resources Council based at Cecil Green Park. In 1980, the name was changed to the Resources Office and it appears to have operated until 1983.

Rossland Club
Corporate body · [1898-1969]

The Rossland Club was established on November 12, 1896, on the second floor of Dr. Keller’s office on Columbia Avenue. James Sutherland Chisholm Fraser, manager of the Rossland branch of the Bank of Montreal was the first president of the club, accompanied by F.C. Loring as the vice-president and C.A. Cregan as the secretary-treasurer.

On December 1, 1897, the club moved to the former location of the Shaw Hotel on the west end of Columbia Avenue. The building consisted of three floors, all of which were utilized by the Rossland Club. By this time, the club had a membership of 125 and a developing reputation.

In 1899, membership had grown to such an extent that the Rossland Club found it necessary to build its own clubhouse. A new three-story clubhouse was built on the corner of Queen Street and Le Roi Avenue, costing $12,913.44 (approximately $500,000.00 in 2022).

Unfortunately, the building was destroyed on March 1, 1929, in “The Big Fire” which devastated much of Rossland’s business district. The Rossland Club received $14,500.00 (approximately $230,000.00 in 2022) as an insurance payout following the fire - most of which was used to pay off debts. Because of financial constraints and a declining membership, the Rossland Club decided not to rebuild after the fire. The land on which it stood was sold by the club to the West Kootenay Power & Light Company for $400.00 in 1929 (approximately $6,300.00 in 2022).

The club was inactive until July 1, 1931, when the remaining members decided to lease the second floor of the Cooper Block on 2059 Columbia Avenue. The club’s financial difficulties worsened after the fire and their once prestigious reputation began to fade. Despite a concerted effort to increase membership, by March 1950, only twenty-eight members remained in the club. One of the club’s efforts to increase membership was to begin hosting square dancing for members and their wives. Until then, women had not been allowed in the club. Wives, however, were only classed as ‘associate’ members and had no club privileges, no access to the club rooms at any time other than for square dancing, and were not allowed to consume alcohol on the premises. Unsurprisingly, the dances only attracted five new full members in 1952.

In December 1954, the club’s landlord informed the club that they would have to discontinue their square dancing events, meaning that women were no longer allowed in the club. For the entirety of the 1960s, the club was struggling to pay rent or attract new members, and by September 1969, they were asked to vacate their location in the Cooper Block. Following this, the club liquidated their assets and disbanded the organization.

Notable members included but not limited to: J.S.C. Fraser, John Kirkup, Walter H. Aldridge, Lorne A. Campbell, John Andrew Forin, Selwyn Blaylock, William K. Esling.

Corporate body · 1939-[ca. 1989]

The Rossland Public Library Association started in October 1939 in a small building on Washington Street (later Wise Hardware Store and currently The Rossland Light Opera Players). At the beginning, there were only 250 books. Volunteers from the Junior Section of the Board of Trade helped build bookshelves for the building. Patrons were charged 50¢ a month to borrow books from the library, which was ran by volunteers until 1948 when a part-time library was hired for 50¢/hr. The Library moved locations in 1949 when the rent was raised from $15.00 a month to $30.00. Moving to the basement of the courthouse, which once housed the city jail then government liquor store, this area was ideal because they were given free rent, heat, and light. The library stayed in this location for 32 years, during which they were able to hire more staff and increase their collection. In the 1980s they needed to move once more as a planning expansion of government officers required the space they were in. The library board purchased the old Chevron gas station on Columbia Avenue, and with renovations in 1984 the library opened its doors in its new building.

Kokanee Derby
Corporate body · [ca. 1973]-[ca. 1990]

The Kokanee Derby was a club in the area for fishing and hunting. There were competitions for weight and game. They had meetings at the Rossland Club and some competitions at Big Sheep Creek.

Corinthian Lodge No. 27
Corporate body · 1895-[ca. 2004]

The first meeting of the Corinthian Lodge in Rossland took place in September 0f 1895 between Brothers H.J. Raymer, Geo. N. Taylor, John Kirkup, G.C. Hodge, and Jesse A Bigelow. On 5 December that year steps were taken towards organizing a formal Masonic Lodge. By April 1897 the lodge was built and ready for occupation. In 1899 there was a fire on the south eastern end of the hall on Columbia Avenue. The lodge originally shared the building but raised funds to buy it out by 1911. The lodge held annual meetings. In 1979 a fire destroyed the lodge, and they used the hall of Sacred Heart Catholic church for meetings. In 2004, the Fidelity Lodge No. 32 and Friendship Lodge No. 144 of Trail consolidated into the Corinthian Lodge and meetings started to be held in Trail at the Masonic Hall.