A collection of Voters' records containing names, addresses and occupations of eligible voters in the Salmon Arm and Shuswap Electoral Districts. Printed by the King's and Queens Printers.
A meeting was called September 22, 1946 to form a boat club in Canoe with the idea of having a Boat Basin dredged out at the mouth of Canoe Creek.
Jimmy Day was nominated Chair and H. Ripley nominated as recording secretary.
In May 1947 it was suggested the Club buy or lease land from John Lund. The club offered John Lund $100 for a lot 200 x 310 feet – just enough for a Boat Basin.
The club gave John Lund a $10 deposit to hold the property until they could canvas the membership for the rest of the funds. Members were assessed $5 to pay for the land and expenses. They also asked Federated Co-op for a donation.
Members who did not turn up for work parties were also assessed additional fees. Shortly after forming, the club was over scribed and had a wait list in 1947. Residents of Canoe were given priority for membership.
Club members were interested in becoming a Society and hired Don McTavish to do the legal work. The Canoe Boat Club was incorporated December 7, 1948.
The members in 1947 were: Mr. Johnson, T. Andrews, A. Schwandt, Mr. Hillsted, F. Downey, H. Miles, S. Sweinson, H. Timpson, J. Day, J. Carmichael, W. Metcalfe, C. Engle, T. Redmond, E. Wright, A. Baird, J. Lund, W. Haines, W. Dalzell, N. Georges, J. Haines, N.S. Richards, H. Chagun, Dr. Drummond, H. McDiarmid, Captain Jones, H. Ripley, G. Williams, P.A. Gorse, C.L. Hart, K. Simmons, D. Swift, Don Graham and R.V. Haney.
The club members worked on the basin and spent time trying to control the weeds. Members successfully canvassed MP Dave Fulton to have the Government dredge the basin and install pilings. The purchased weed killer and maintained the facility.
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 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.
In the late 1960s the Kinsmen Club purchased a building from the South Canoe Women’s Institute on Auto Rd SE, made renovations and park, 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 Home 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 Auto Rd 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.
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.
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.
Front Street Grocery was a store that operated on Front Street (now Lakeshore Dr. NW) in the Merchant’s Block in downtown Salmon Arm.
The Salmon Arm Observer’s advertisements for Front Street Grocery are first found in 1939. Ed Porte, former manager of Overwaitea, was the first known owner. According to his death records Porte developed senility and heart conditions after ownership was transferred to Frank Farmer. Farmer operated the store from 1943. Farmer expanded the store in 1948 to include property previously occupied by Preston’s Radio Sales. The store was still in operation in 1955 but its telephone listings ceased in 1956.
According to Okanagan Historical Society President and local resident Linda Painchaud (nee Harper) Frank Farmer had pool tables in the back and the store operated into the 1960s.
Frank Farmer married Florence Gertrude Pauling in 1936 and the couple had one son Richard (Dick) in 1939. When Florence and Frank divorced, Frank married Mayo Wilson (nee Keefer) sometime after World War II. The couple had no children.
The Kinsmen Club of Salmon Arm was founded in 1944 with twenty-seven charter members. It focussed on fellowship, service to others and the community.
The club was an active community player and sponsored many local projects. These projects included the adult oxygen tent for the hospital, landscaping at Rotary Village, the school Boy Patrol wading pool and playground equipment at Fletcher Park, lawn bowling greens, roofing and a public address system for the first arena, a Little League Pall Park, the McGuire Lake Fountain, a water softening system program, the Milk for Britain project, the Kinsmen Mothers March, Kin Bus, the Halloween bonfire, Kin Park, playground equipment in Canoe, Seniors Heritage Bingo and a commitment to the Community Centre.
About 1968 the Kinsmen Club purchased a building from the South Canoe Women's Institute on Auto Rd. S.E. Salmon Arm. They made renovtions, landscaped and installed playground equipment, and later donated the hall to First Salmon Arm Scouts.
In 1971, after being approached by the Family Court Committee, the Kinsmen Club of Salmon Arm accepted the responsibility to build a house which would establish a Receiving and Remand Home in Salmon Arm to provide short-term accommodation for children who were wards of the court. The home was opened in 1974 and operated until 2001.
When the Kinsmen Club of Salmon Arm disbanded in 2001, its assets were dispersed to other community projects.
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:
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
The Salmon Arm Grebe Festival functioned under the umbrella of the Salmon Arm Bay Nature Enhancement Society (SABNES) which was formed in 1988 to lead the effort to protect the local marshlands and enhance the nesting areas of Grebes and other species in the area.
In 1994, SABNES commissioned a study to determine the feasibility of staging a festival centred around Grebes to draw attention to the species and Salmon Arm’s unique location in providing habitat for the largest nesting colony of Grebes in Western Canada. In 1995, prominent festival organizer Dick Finkle was commissioned by the Chamber of Commerce to make recommendations about holding a Grebe festival. In 1996, SABNES organized a “Celebration of the Grebe” day and the success of the event resulted in consideration of a multi-day festival moving forward. In October 1996, the Salmon Arm Grebe Festival was officially announced and a committee was formed comprised of SABNES members, local business owners and citizens who were tasked with planning and coordinating a three-day festival in 1997. The first Salmon Arm Grebe Festival was held May 16 – 19, 1997.