Showing 153 results

authority records
90 · Corporate body · 1933 - 1983

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.

Shuswap Narrows Lodge
MA 150 · Corporate body · 1945-

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.

MS · Corporate body · 1984-2011

Sun Country Cablevision Ltd. was licensed by the CRTC in May 1984, starting with 2 employees, growing to 21 employees in 2008. Serving the communities of Salmon Arm, Enderby, Armstrong, Grindrod, Silver Creek and Ashton Creek. Core services provided; cable television, digital cable television, high speed cable internet, dial-up internet, website hosting and digital telephone.

Sun Country Cablevision Ltd. was acquired by ShawJjune 30, 2011.

Arthur Alexander Dennys
MS 82 (Salmon Arm Museum) · Family · 1894-1942

Arthur Alexander Dennys was born in India in 1894. He immigrated to Canada from England in 1912, travelling across the Atlantic in the wake of the Titanic. After arriving in Salmon Arm he went into partnership with Bryan Heaney, purchasing farmland from F.A. McLeod.

Dennys wrote diaries of his life as a farmer. He married Joyce Mary Wright of Canoe in 1914 and the couple had two sons, Ronald and Kenneth.

In 1926 Dennys gave up farming and moved his family to Vernon, BC. There he assisted Dr. E.R. Buckell, at the Dominion Department of Agriculture, doing experiments and studying fruit insects until his unexpected death September 9, 1942. Dennys’ death was thought to be complicated by arsenic poisoning attributed to exposure to arsenic during experiments at work.

Joyce Mary Dennys passed away January 8, 1995 at the age of 97. She was a long time member of All Saints Anglican Church and the North Okanagan Naturalist Club. Joyce trained as a school teacher and taught for several years. In Vernon she was employed as an accountant with William Arnott Jewellers.

Arthur Alexander Dennys
MS 82 (Salmon Arm Museum) · Family · 1894-1942

Arthur Alexander Dennys was born in India in 1894. He immigrated to Canada from England in 1912, travelling across the Atlantic in the wake of the Titanic. After arriving in Salmon Arm he went into partnership with Bryan Heaney, purchasing farmland from F.A. McLeod.

Dennys wrote diaries of his life as a farmer. He married Joyce Mary Wright of Canoe in 1914 and the couple had two sons, Ronald and Kenneth.

In 1926 Dennys gave up farming and moved his family to Vernon, BC. There he assisted Dr. E.R. Buckell, at the Dominion Department of Agriculture, doing experiments and studying fruit insects until his unexpected death September 9, 1942. Dennys’ death was thought to be complicated by arsenic poisoning attributed to exposure to arsenic during experiments at work.

Joyce Mary Dennys passed away January 8, 1995 at the age of 97. She was a long time member of All Saints Anglican Church and the North Okanagan Naturalist Club. Joyce trained as a school teacher and taught for several years. In Vernon she was employed as an accountant with William Arnott Jewellers.

Belli-Bivar (family)
MS 05 (Salmon Arm Museum) · Family · 1877-1966

Captain Roderick Belli-Bivar, M.B.E. (1890-1939) was a professional soldier and saw service in the Indian Army. In 1912, his grandfather sent him to British Columbia to purchase land. The first acreage he purchased was in "Little England" near where South Canoe is today.

Roderick met his wife, Ethel Stirling, at a ball in Salmon Arm. However, at the outset of WW I, he enlisted and returned to England. Ethel joined him in England in 1915 and they were married there.

The couple returned to Canada in 1919 and in 1920 purchased 40 acres of land from Captain Leonard, complete with a frame house, on Rotton Row. Two children were born to the couple - Valerie Patricia Elvira (b. 1924, m. 1945 to Lloyd Galbraith), and Roderic (note spelling) Gordon (b. 1920). The family relocated to Riverside, California for two years in 1931 and 1934 while Captain Belli-Bivar convalesced and the children continued their education by correspondence. The family returned to Salmon Arm and in 1935 they built a larger home on their orchard property.

Captain Belli-Bivar was much involved in fruit growing and marketing, was a Fruit Inspector and a member of the BC Tree Fruits Limited. He was also prominent in the tennis and badminton sports. Ethel (1892-1987) was a successful fruit farmer, a "lady" prospector and very active in the Salmon Arm community organizations.

MS 06 (Salmon Arm Museum) · Corporate body · 1925-1952

The history of the Boat Owners Association is sketchy. The club was formed to promote access to Shuswap Lake and used the wharf at Salmon Arm to moor its members' recreational boats. The lake provided access to isolated parts of the region, where roadways remained undeveloped.

The members built a shed that existed until 1921 and created walkways at two levels, allowing for dry routes regardless of water levels.

The club became inactive for fifteen years until 1939 when a group reactivated the club under its original charter. Cyril Thomson was elected chairman and Rex Lingford as secretary. Other members included S.A. Miller, A.D. Meek, P.A. Gorse, C.R. Barlow, R. Buckle, F.H. Burne, Mark Bellamy, Vern Green, C.M. Kennedy, R. Jaimeson, H. Jacobi, C.J. Miller, A.D. Meek, P. McGregor, G. S. Robertson, Wm. McDiarmid, R.J. McGregor, P.A. Ruth, G.S. Robertson, E.C. Turner, Gus Tweeddale and J.E. Wood.

Bordessa (family)
MS 07 (Salmon Arm Museum) · Family · 1913-1936

Bernard Cuthbert Bordessa was born in Cheshire, England in 1887. He trained as a civil Engineer and immigrated to Canada, working on the engineering crew of the Great Trunk Railway in 1913. Early photographs reflect his time on the crew near Hazelton, BC.

In 1915 Bordessa signed up for duty at Vernon, BC and served in the Canadian Expeditionary Force. When he returned to Canada, he purchased land in Canoe, BC through the Soldier Settlement Board. The acreage was purchased from Will Kirk in 1921 and Bordessa appears as a fruit farmer from 1921 to 1924, and 1934-1936. He planted apple trees and put an addition on the original house.

From 1921 to 1937 Bordessa also served as a civil engineer in several locations in BC until he was permanently employed by Western Air Command and the B.C.E. (now known as BC Hydro).

In 1927 Bordessa married Edith Dorothy Denison [1893-1981], and the couple had two children, Bobby and Eileen. Bobby was born in 1930, missing a thymus gland and never grew properly. He was hospitalized in New Westminster at the age of five at a childrens hospital and lived until the age of 11. Unfortunately, BC Archives and Records Service has no death record for Bobby (or Robert) Bordessa. Some time prior to 1939 the Bordessa family sold their property and moved away to Vancouver.

Eileen was born in 1931 and speaks frankly about her brother's death. It was a painful event for her parents. She was never allowed to refer to him or ask questions about him for many years. At the age of nineteen she moved to Toronto to continue violin studies at the Faculty of Music, University of Toronto. She currently resides in Ontario.

The farm was eventually sold to the Abernathy family, who in turn sold the property to the Ackerman family. The house sits on property developed into a private golf course (Shuswap Golf Club, formerly Shannons) on Highway 1, east of Salmon Arm.

Branchflower (family)
MS 08 (Salmon Arm Museum) · Family · 1902-1961

Max Preston Branchflower (1893-1969) was born in Chilliwack, B.C. and moved to Silver Creek, near Salmon Arm, in 1907. Branchflower farmed at Silver Creek and has a road named for him there. His mother, Mary Eliza Branchflower (1869-1961) (nee Mathewson) was born in Barrie, Ontario. As a widow, Mrs. Branchflower moved to Silver Creek and resided with her son until her death.

According to local sources, Max Branchflower never married. His interests included dancing, farming, and automobiles.

MS 10 · Corporate body · 1889-current

The B.C. Fruit Growers' Association operated a local chapter in Salmon Arm.

The following history of the organization is courtesy of the Greater Vernon Museum and Archives:
In November 1888, Alex McD. Allan of the Fruit Growers' Association of Ontario urged the Vancouver Board of Trade and City Council to 'one and all, work, speak, and think for the interests of horticulture'. As a result, a meeting was called in February 1889 to discuss bringing the horticulturists of the province together to exchange ideas and knowledge, and to raise standards in growing and marketing.

The newly formed association's constitution was drawn up with the objective 'to encourage the cultivation of fruits, vegetables, and flowers, and pursuits pertaining to horticulture, the promotion of bee culture, holding of exhibitions and collecting information regarding the different varieties of fruit best adapted for cultivation in this Province'.

The first year of operation saw the association tackling the problems of marketing, packaging and education. The first exhibition was held in May 1889. The 1890's saw the expansion of markets into Japan and the Prairies, with increased emphasis on pest control and improvements in packing. In the early days of the fruit industry in B.C., the chief centres for growing were Vancouver Island, the Fraser Valley, and Lytton. By 1904, due to irrigation projects in the Okanagan Valley, this area became a leading fruit growing centre point. By 1910, increased competition from Farmers' Institutes resulted in declining membership in the BCFGA. During the 1920's, problems also arose as a result of non - cooperation between the numerous independent shippers in B.C.

Aaron Shapiro, organizer of the citrus growers of California, spoke to the members of the BCFGA stressing the importance of organizing for the purpose of distribution. His message was heard and by 1923, 80 % of the growers in B.C. had signed up. As the largest shipping company in the province, the BCFGA carried the greatest share of the burden of distributing the crops. Expenses rose as cold storage facilities had to be provided. Increasing competition from independent producers resulted in the formation of marketing boards in the late 1920s.

By 1931 the Produce Marketing Act was struck down by the Supreme Court, and internal competition between shippers began again. By 1933, the BCFGA was bankrupt due to the withdrawal of provincial funding and the lack of support from growers. A small group of Vernon growers put the association together again, but low prices forced the organization's members to refuse to deliver fruit to shippers unless guaranteed a reasonable price. A grower's strike resulted. The BCFGA again led the way in obtaining both federal and provincial marketing acts to stabilize prices. By 1939, the BCFGA was still battling the issue of how to set up a successful central selling agency. By 1940, the federal government took complete control of marketing, a situation that lasted until 1947. Trade restrictions banning importation of fruit from the U.S. created excellent domestic markets for B.C. growers.

The severe winter 1949/1950 devastated many orchards in the Shuswap, and the BCFGA was forced to distribute a quarter of a million dollars of government funding for tree replacement. By 1955, the fruit industry was in trouble again. Despite a booming economy, the growers were going broke. They felt that the BCFGA was top-heavy and lacking in initiative. As a result of a BCFGA convention resolution, a royal commission was set up to investigate the industry. In their published McPhee Report of 1958, the commission gave a general approval to the system as it stood. With the improvement in B.C.'s highways in the 1950s and 1960s, it became easier for fruit to be shipped to market. Local sales jumped as tourism increased. Unfortunately, many orchards were being replaced by housing. The BCFGA began a campaign to emphasize the economic importance of farmers to their communities. A combination of high operating costs, low returns and lack of government assistance led to demands for reform of BCFGA policies. In 1973, the Land Commission Act was passed, and the BCFGA worked with the provincial government to rectify the inadequacies of agriculture. Between 1974 and 1989, the BCFGA and the tree fruit industry worked on distribution of their product and how to defuse rivalries between the various agricultural organizations and packing houses. Marketing boards fell into disfavour as consumers accused them of being responsible for the rising cost of food. In 1974, 20 out of 2800 growers left the BCFGA to become independent. During the 1970s and 1980s, the BCFGA struggled with changes in government policies, low crop returns, further erosion of farmland, and competition from cheap imports of fruit. In 1989, the BCFGA celebrated their 100th year of existence.

MS 10 · Corporate body · 1888-current

The B.C. Fruit Growers' Association operated a local chapter in Salmon Arm. The following history is courtesy of the Greater Vernon Museum and Archives:

In November 1888, Alex McD. Allan of the Fruit Growers' Association of Ontario urged the Vancouver Board of Trade and City Council to 'one and all, work, speak, and think for the interests of horticulture'. As a result, a meeting was called in February 1889 to discuss bringing the horticulturists of the province together to exchange ideas and knowledge, and to raise standards in growing and marketing.

The newly formed association's constitution was drawn up with the objective 'to encourage the cultivation of fruits, vegetables, and flowers, and pursuits pertaining to horticulture, the promotion of bee culture, holding of exhibitions and collecting information regarding the different varieties of fruit best adapted for cultivation in this Province'.
The first year of operation saw the association tackling the problems of marketing, packaging and education. The first exhibition was held in May 1889. The 1890's saw the expansion of markets into Japan and the Prairies, with increased emphasis on pest control and improvements in packing. In the early days of the fruit industry in B.C., the chief centres for growing were Vancouver Island, the Fraser Valley, and Lytton. By 1904, due to irrigation projects in the Okanagan Valley, this area became a leading fruit growing centrepoint. By 1910, increased competition from Farmers' Institutes resulted in declining membership in the BCFGA. During the 1920's, problems also arose as a result of non - cooperation between the numerous independent shippers in B.C.

Aaron Shapiro, organizer of the citrus growers of California, spoke to the members of the BCFGA stressing the importance of organizing for the purpose of distribution. His message was heard and by 1923, 80 % of the growers in B.C. had signed up. As the largest shipping company in the province, the BCFGA carried the greatest share of the burden of distributing the crops. Expenses rose as cold storage facilities had to be provided. Increasing competition from independent producers resulted in the formation of marketing boards in the late 1920s.

By 1931 the Produce Marketing Act was struck down by the Supreme Court, and internal competition between shippers began again. By 1933, the BCFGA was bankrupt due to the withdrawal of provincial funding and the lack of support from growers. A small group of Vernon growers put the association together again, but low prices forced the organization's members to refuse to deliver fruit to shippers unless guaranteed a reasonable price. A grower's strike resulted. The BCFGA again led the way in obtaining both federal and provincial marketing acts to stabilize prices. By 1939, the BCFGA was still battling the issue of how to set up a successful central selling agency. By 1940, the federal government took complete control of marketing, a situation that lasted until 1947. Trade restrictions banning importation of fruit from the U.S. created excellent domestic markets for B.C. growers.

The severe winter 1949/1950 devastated many orchards in the Shuswap, and the BCFGA was forced to distribute a quarter of a million dollars of government funding for tree replacement. By 1955, the fruit industry was in trouble again. Despite a booming economy, the growers were going broke. They felt that the BCFGA was top-heavy and lacking in initiative. As a result of a BCFGA convention resolution, a royal commission was set up to investigate the industry. In their published McPhee Report of 1958, the commission gave a general approval to the system as it stood. With the improvement in B.C.'s highways in the 1950s and 1960s, it became easier for fruit to be shipped to market. Local sales jumped as tourism increased. Unfortunately, many orchards were being replaced by housing. The BCFGA began a campaign to emphasize the economic importance of farmers to their communities. A combination of high operating costs, low returns and lack of government assistance led to demands for reform of BCFGA policies. In 1973, the Land Commission Act was passed, and the BCFGA worked with the provincial government to rectify the inadequacies of agriculture. Between 1974 and 1989, the BCFGA and the tree fruit industry worked on distribution of their product and how to defuse rivalries between the various agricultural organizations and packing houses. Marketing boards fell into disfavour as consumers accused them of being responsible for the rising cost of food. In 1974, 20 out of 2800 growers left the BCFGA to become independent. During the 1970s and 1980s, the BCFGA struggled with changes in government policies, low crop returns, further erosion of farmland, and competition from cheap imports of fruit. In 1989, the BCFGA celebrated their 100th year of existence.

MS 100 (Salmon Arm Museum) · Corporate body · 1957-2003

A meeting was held at South Canoe School March 20/1957 to form a parents’ auxiliary, whose aim would be to help supply school ground and sports equipment for the new South Canoe School. Group first known as “Hits and Mrs” and sometimes “Hits and Misses”, later as “South Canoe School Aid” and finally as South Canoe Parent Advisory Committee.

The South Canoe Parent Advisory Committee appears to have adopted the mission “to create a caring place where members of our school community take satisfaction in realizing their maximum potential as contributing individuals in a changing world.”

The Shuswap School District No. 89’s policy manual outlines the parameters of the Parent Advisory Committee. The committee’s function is to form a link between the school and community. The PAC is prohibited from criticising individual school personnel, students or parents.

The South Canoe Parent Advisory Fonds is incomplete, contains some minutes and some organizational paper. It appears to have been active in several school programmes including: class swim lessons and street proofing its student population. It facilitated the purchase of student bike helmets, computers and playground equipment for the school, held hot dog sales and sold school t-shirts. This group participated actively in South Canoe School’s fifty year celebration and the centennial anniversary of schools in the South Canoe Creek district.

The South Canoe PAC was disbanded with the closure of South Canoe Elementary School in June 2003.

Tapson-Jones, John
MS 101 (Salmon Arm Museum) · Person · 1896-1977

John Tapson-Jones [1896-1977] was born in 1896 and completed his Senior Matriculation at the University of Cambridge at the age of 16. Tapson-Jones immigrated to Calgary, joining his brother in 1914. He applied to and joined the Royal North West Mounted Police, serving in Fort Macleod, Alberta.

Tapson-Jones served in southern Alberta and BC. He married Amy in 1916. In 1917 he enlisted in the Canadian Expeditionary Force and served in England and France. Upon returning to Canada, Tapson-Jones resumed police work, but served the Alberta Provincial Police.

He married Amy [1893-1951], the daughter of the Mayor of Coleman. The couple had two children, Herb and David.

Tapson-Jones was promoted to the position of Inspector in 1934 and as an instructor at the RCMP barracks in Regina in 1936. After 26 years of service he retired. The family moved to Lakeshore in Salmon Arm. Amy died of cancer in 1951.

While attending UBC, son David died in 1942 with an infection subsequent to an appendicitis attack. The elder son Herb died tragically in a plane crash while working for Trans-Canada Air in 1946. Following the deaths of his sons, coupled with failing health and poor orcharding conditions of the Big Freeze in 1950, the Tapson-Jones sold the orchard and moved to Canoe Point. Amy became ill and died in 1951.

Tapson-Jones married neighbor Mary-Lou Woods in 1952. The couple had a twenty-five year marriage. Mary-Lou Tapson-Jones is the author of the book, Perilous Charmers.

John Tapson-Jones was author many articles on Shuswap history published in the Salmon Arm Observer.

MS 103 (Salmon Arm Museum) · Corporate body · 1962-

The Salmon Arm Savings and Credit Union was formed after a meeting at the Salmon Arm Farmers’ Exchange. Those present were Bill Fell, Wilbur Minion, Jim Campbell, Ed Pike and A.A. Robinson. The purpose of the meeting was to create an alternative to local banking services.

Town legend has it that some farmers got together after they were denied a loan at the local bank. Someone contacted JW Burns, the Vancouver President of the British Columbia Credit Union league. He explained the benefits of a credit union and discussed the method of operation. The committee was familiar with the cooperative concept. They’d been involved with the Salmon Arm Farmers’ Exchange and the S.A.F.E. Ltd.

First board members elected in 1946 were H. Damgaard, President, M.R. McKay, Vice-President, and W.A. Minion, Secretary-Treasurer, and Directors W. Fell, J.C. Campbell, A.A. Robinson and P.E. Pike. Ed Pike had account number 1.

When Don Murchison replaced W.A. Minion as Secretary-Treasurer, Credit Union business was conducted from the former’s office in the hardware department of the Salmon Arm Farmers Exchange. In 1952 the office was moved to the Strudwick Block on Shuswap Ave. Eventually the Strudwick site became the School Board Office (220 Shuswap Ave. NE). A.A. Robinson took over the role of Secretary-Treasurer and held the position until 1959.

According to former employee Ellen Hammer, the Salmon Arm Savings and Credit Union built a small building on the Strudwick Block site in 1966, and moved into the space immediately. The organization demolished the adjacent buildings it owned on the block, added on to the 1966 structure and expanded into new space the following year. It stayed at that location until 1980. On August 23 the Salmon Arm Savings and Credit Union relocated to a new building at 370 Lakeshore Dr. NE (Front St). A drive through teller was installed.

Mergers made the institution stronger. Tappen and District Credit Union merged with the Salmon Arm in June 1969 and Eagle River Credit Union in Sicamous merged in June, 1975.

According to Arvid G. Olson, one of the managers, the motto of the Credit Union is “People helping people”. Directors are elected by the membership and the head office is in Salmon Arm.

MS 104 (Salmon Arm Museum) · Corporate body · 1979-1985

The Shuswap Nuclear Study Action Group, also known as the Shuswap Nuclear Action Group (SNAG), was created in 1979 to study the harmful effects of uranium mining in Fly Hills. Inspired by a talk by John Moelaert on the dangers of uranium mining and nuclear fission, the first few meetings of the group were informal. On September 19, 1979 a structure was adopted. Ron Anderson was elected Chair, Kim MacMillan Vice-Chair, Secretary Diane Urae, Treasurer Karen Berger, Research and Education Coordinator Jane Petch, Program Coordinator Vicky Berger, and Media Coordinator Marg Shand.

Memberships were $5 per year and a reduced rate of $3 for seniors and students.

The group was galvanized into action when, in the fall of 1979, it became public that Union Oil was working on 8,000 acres of uranium claims in the Jen-Jen claims of Fly Hills. Another 4,000 acres in the Syphon claim were staked next to the Jen-Jen claims, inside the municipal boundaries. SNAG took a brief to council asking it to safeguard water that flowed through the exploration areas. On January 14, 1980 council invoked the Public Health Act under Section 64 and declared uranium exploration within its watershed areas a nuisance and banning such activity.

The group was instrumental in creating the Peace Park in Salmon Arm, sponsored a Cruise Missile Walk, and lobbied the District of Salmon Arm to create a nuclear free community.

SNAG folded soon after Bill Bennett announced a moratorium on uranium exploration in British Columbia.

Peterson Family
MS 105 · Family · 1906-1998

Ed Peterson and his brother Ivor immigrated to the United States from Sweden in 1908, changing their surname from Persson to Peterson. Their search for work led them and friends Eric Wessman (previously Anderson) and Anton Swanburg, to the Shuswap area in 1911 where they cleared land and cut firewood. Ed Peterson had been a river driver back in Sweden, but he adapted well to the frontier life in his new home.

Eric Wessman's sister Vilhemina, 22 at the time, joined them in 1912 as their cook. More than her cooking seems to have impressed Ed, as they were married on July 4, 1914 at the Presbyterian Manse in Revelstoke. Ed and Mina raised eight children, Hubert, Elmer, Hjalmar, Floyd, Margaret, Violet, Alf, and Ingrid. The family was close, forming a business, then several businesses, some of which continue in an altered form to this day.

At one time or another, the Petersons built roads, snow-plowed, excavated foundations, built dams and water lines, logged, did custom orchard-work, were John Deere dealers, mechanics, and fruit growers. All the Peterson children followed their parents example and worked very hard. Not only active in business, the Petersons also played major roles in community organizations, including the Okanagan Historical Society, the Salmon Arm Museum and Heritage Association, the Salmar Community Association, Mainline Co-operative, the Orchard Museum in Kelowna, the Shuswap Naturalists, the Salmon Arm Farmers' Exchange, Technocracy, the Joint Water Board, the Photography Club, Old Time Dance Club, and various BC Tree Fruit organizations.

MS 106 · Corporate body · 1904-1946

The first Silver Creek school was built in 1904, the second in 1911/12, and the present school in 1970. In the early days, schools operated under the general guidance of the Ministry of Education and the public School Act, each with their own governing board. Curriculum and texts were set by Victoria, education was left to the teacher, and inspectors from outside the district called in twice a year to observe the learning process and classroom managment. The boards made sure that teachers were paid, supplies were available and the building maintained. When the province amalgamated school districts in 1946, Salmon Arm School District #20 came into being, taking in the surrounding rural areas of Falkland, Silver Creek, the North Shuswap, Tappen, and Eagle River.

MS 107 (Salmon Arm Museum) · Corporate body · 1951-2009

The Rebekah Lodge was the sister organization associated with the Independent Order Odd Fellows; an International benevolent society, their motto: Friendship Love Truth.

Charter members included Sister Edith Calam, M.I. Turner, Elizabeth Fell, Muriel Preston, Rose Lee, Johanna Laws, Veeda Redman and Brothers Gilbert Calam and Fred Lee. Initiates were Ann Elliott, Kay Beuchert, Martha Hanson, Yvonne Robertson, Marguerite McCurdy, Kay Magee, Olive Woodman, Jean Boutwell, Barbara Blanc, Etta Minion, Ina Blanc, Doris Solberg, Hazel Robertson, Janet Reynolds, Margaret McGruder, T. Minifie, Grace Akeroyd, Ivy Miller, and Brothers Herb Elliott, Gordon Robertson, Carvel Preston, Ed Blanc, George Blanc, George Reynolds, Wm. Fell and Don Turner. Associate members were Maude Edwards, Beatrice Dack, and Lena Gordon.

Note: The volumes containing the first and last registers and minutes were sent to the I.O.O.F. Provincial Secretary for their archives.

Salmon Arm Cricket Club
MS 108 (Salmon Arm Museum) · Corporate body · 1911-1939

The Salmon Arm Cricket Club was organized in 1911. The team members included R.H. Fortune, John Harragin, George Holmes, H. Verity, Eric Bivar, A.D. Meek, W. Meek, Hugh and Norman Bowden, a bank clerk, Ashton and Claude Barlow. Team members played at the Fall Fair in Armstrong, travelling by democrat buggies, switching horses in Enderby.

Mrs. A. McGuire donated four acres to the west ofa the wharf for a playing field. The club members cleared and levelled the grounds. The north end was developed into tennis courts. A pavilion was made out of a shed donated by Mrs. McGuire.

In 1914 the club was disbanded with news of the Great War. It reconvened in the 1920s with the help of the Doe family.

1936 members consist of: Guy Elphinston, Art Smith, Don Campbell, Vic Nancollas, J. Nancollas, R. Harvey, Alex Cragg, Constable Hodgkin, Max Ladner, N.H. Bowden, M. Pottie, T. Prescott, Jack Milling, Major F. Bivar, N.C. Dawson.

George Fleming Wilcox
MS 109 (Salmon Arm Museum) · Person · 1888-1978

George Fleming Wilcox (b. 1888 - d. 1978) was born March 21 in Virden, Manitoba. He moved to Salmon Arm with his family in 1907 and established the Wilcox Nurseries.

Wilcox homesteaded the E 1/2 of the NE Quarter of Section 25 T 20 R10 W6, and completed his letters patent September 19, 1908. He was listed in the UBC Special Collections Directories as a farmer in 1910.

He married Estelle Leafy Groat in 1914 with whom he adopted one daughter, Betty. Estelle died in 1933 and George remarried in 1947. He wed Edith Scott, who brought two sons into the marriage, Sydney and Cecil.

According to Mary Wetherill (nee Ritchie) George approached her parents for a loan in the 1930s as he was unable to pay his taxes. As such he was $100 short of keeping the farm. The Ritchie’s offered their savings for their winter supply of wood heat ($50) and asked that he make up the difference. Unfortunately, he failed to do so and lost the farm. The Peterson Brothers then acquired the property in a tax sale. After losing the farm, Wilcox moved to Oliver and established a nursery branch there.

Wilcox was widely known for his abilities as a horticulturalist, with a specialty in tulip varieties. He was also a successful teacher of the orchard technique of budding. Other organizations that he was involved in included the Broadview Ski Club and the Social and Dramatic Club (also known as the Dancer Club).

Broadview Social Club
MS 11 (Salmon Arm Museum) · Corporate body · 1948-1970

The Broadview Social Club, also known as the Broadview Community Club, was formed to raise money for the construction of a Community Hall in 1948.

MS 110 (Salmon Arm Museum) · Corporate body · 1948-1996

In May of 1948, Ed Peterson and his five sons (Hubert, Elmer, Hjalmar, Floyd and Alf) formalized their business activities, forming the Peterson Bros. Co-Operative Association. The family had undertaken a variety of ventures including land-clearing, bull-dozing, various types of fruit growing, heavy duty equipment repairs, and trucking. Once incorporated, they expanded their operations and added John Deere tractor sales to their operations in 1955.

In June of 1952, the Petersons decided to incorporate, as their business did not function like a co-operative. The new name was Peterson Bros. (Salmon Arm) Ltd. Some of their notable jobs include the Joint Waterworks Project, logging roads on Fly Hills and Hunters Range, the bulldozing associated with adding to or building many local schools, and the dam at South Canoe. Each member of the family business contributed individual talents to the communal effort.

During the Second World War, the Petersons worked particularly hard -often twenty-four hours a day-at these various pursuits, as the shortage of workers was acute.

The Petersons got out of the John Deere business in the seventies, as well as discontinuing their bulldozing and road building work. As this is written, in October of 2002, the Petersons still grow a large variety of apples and other fruit in their Broadview-area orchards. In this capacity, they continue to contribute to the community as growers, employers, and community historians.

MS 112 (Salmon Arm Museum) · Corporate body · 1915-1981

A group met December 29, 1914 at the home of Mrs. J. Kernaghan to create a Women’s Institute for the Mt Ida District. The women drafted a Declaration of Organization. Mrs. Elgood of Silver Creek was elected President, Mrs. Raby was elected Vice- President, and Mrs. Rich was elected Secretary Treasurer. Directors were Mrs. Wall, Mrs. Kernaghan and Miss Rich. The name of the Institute was the Mt. Ida R.R. 1 Salmon Arm, BC.

The official date of incorporation was February 18, 1915. Charter members were Mrs. R. Arthurs, Mrs. W. Garbutt, and Mrs. John Jackson.

The Women’s Institute was originally formed in Ontario in 1897 by Mrs. Adelaide Hoodless, with its objective being to form an organization similar to the Farmer’s Institute, where members could learn the best and most scientific methods of running a home. Its objectives have changed to include community assistance, sponsoring projects (flower shows, small fairs, school fairs, handicrafts exhibits, and health exhibits). The motto of the British Columbia Women’s Institute was “For Home and Country”

The work of the Mt. Ida group was charitable and educational in nature. The group helped new people to the district and those who had lost their homes to fire. The “homeless” were given clothing. The men overseas were knitted socks, gloves, and caps, and sent magazines and papers. The group donated money to the Y.W.C.A., prisoners of war, British Empire Relief of the Allies’ Fund, Halifax Relief Fund, the Army and Navy, sent layettes to India and Korea, sent sewing machines to India, shipped old clothing to mills in Eastern Canada in exchange for blankets, socks, sheeting, dress goods, etc, and the Salmon Arm General Hospital. The group also helped with the March of Dimes and the Salvation Army.

A second focus of the group was education of women and children. The group held cooking demonstrations and lectures for the membership. In turn the members helped the boys and girls of the district with flower and vegetable gardens and helped with eggs for hatching and raising chickens.

A third function was to raise funds. The organization held a plowing match, fancy dress dance, bazaars, and bake sales to make money.

According to the hand written history enclosed in the minute book, the [Mt. Ida] “Hall was moved to another piece of land, new kitchen built on and paid for, bought chairs, stoves, and dishes. Piano bought in 1939.” The move of the Hall is not documented elsewhere. The kitchen was renovated in 1954.

The group put cooking and needlework in the Fall Fair at Salmon Arm and sent Delegates to conventions. It catered to 366 people for the Old Timers’ Centennial Dinner in 1958, the Salute to the Sockeye, and the Mountie Bank Dinner.

MS 113 (Salmon Arm Museum) · Corporate body · 1913-1937

The fonds are the church records for Mt. Methodist Church, commonly known as the Valley Church constructed in 1911 at the corner of Foothill and Donnelly Road. The church was moved to Haney Heritage Village in 1988.

The church records are a financial accounting of church collections beginning in 1913 and ending in 1937. Included in the financial book are five handwritten pages of minutes establishing a “League” that met in the Valley Church beginning June 2, 1915.

The first League officials were:
President: Mrs. Rich
Mr. Gunn, 1st Vice President
Miss Scales, Second Vice President, Missionary
Miss Rich 3rd Vice President, Social
Mr. McGregor, 4th Vice President, Citizenship
Laura Raby, Secretary and Corresponding
F.M. McGregor, Treasurer

A list of the members of the League included 23 members. The group appears to be social as they purchased a football, a tennis set, held gatherings, and had speakers on the “Christian Endeavour”, Missionary addresses, and the “Orientals in our midst.”

A second activity documented in the collection is the meeting to organize a Ladies Aid Society associated with the Valley Church. The meeting was held at Mrs. F. McGregor’s residence on January 16, 1919. Rev. J.D. Hobden presided. The motion to organize was moved by Mrs. Rich and seconded by Mrs. Raby.

The following officers were elected:
President Mrs. W.P. Rich
Vice President Mrs. J. Raby
Secretary-Treasurer Mrs. A. Smith

The Ladies Aid minutes span from 1919 to 1922, recording the meetings held in various members’ homes and the Valley Church. After devotionals and Bible readings, items discussed were bake sales, needlework sales, and teas, a garden party at the Raby home, selling subscriptions to the “Christian Guardian”, organizing a caretaker for the church, raising funds for church work: painting the Valley Church, landscaping and planting of trees on church property, purchasing hymn books, renovations to the church, building a wire fence around the church property, purchasing a mop for the church, and arranging for the grounds around the church to be plowed and disked. Special speakers, such as Mrs. R.K. Scales, presented on the W.M.S. Convention (Women’s Missionary Service).

MS 114 (Salmon Arm Museum) · Corporate body · 1907-1946

The Loyal Orange Lodge was a fraternal group connected to the Freemasons and named in memory of William of Orange. The Salmon Arm Lodge charter was granted April 10, 1894 with officers J. Irwin, Master, F.G McIntyre, Deputy Master, E. Hardwick, Chaplain, W. McIntyre, Rec. Sec., T. Atcheson, Fin. Sec., W. Miller, Treasurer, R. Davis, D.C, J. Savage, Lecturer. The lodge members were very energetic and built the Orange Hall in 1895. The hall measured 20 feet by 30 feet and was located on Front Street (currently called Lakeshore Ave.)

In 1895 the “Glorious Twelfth” celebrations were held in Salmon Arm with the Kamloops band in attendance. Celebrations were held at McGuire Grove, west of the wharf, where a baseball game between Kamloops and Salmon Arm was held. The final score was Kamloops 9, Salmon Arm 29. Consequently, a baseball craze swept the community and a meeting was held to organize a formal club. J. Irwin was chosen as the chair.

As reported in the Enderby newspaper the Edenograph, the group was meeting monthly in Salmon Arm in 1904. The association began paying taxes on the hall at the community’s incorporation in 1906. The Salmon Arm Observer reported that the building was purchased by Dr. Reinhard in 1910. It was later incorporated into the front of Salmon Arm Bakery.

The Salmon Arm Scrapbook reports that the L.O.L. bought another building built by John Johnston for auction rooms and remodelled the upstairs into a Lodge rooms and the downstairs into a hall. This building was on Palmer Street and the structure a landmark.
The Lodge mortgaged the Hall in order to build a kitchen and cloak room. The group rented out the hall for meetings, bridal showers, wedding receptions and small dances. The associated women’s group, the Ladies Orange Benevolent Association (L.O.B.A.), held whist drives followed by a dance.

A highlight of each year was the parade on the 12th of July when Lodges from the region gathered in one of the communities. In 1931 Salmon Arm hosted the event. Participating Lodges from Kamloops, Armstrong, Vernon, and Kelowna gathered at the Salmon Arm Lodge, lead by a high ranking officer on a white horse and paraded down Front Street and Alexander Avenue and back to the Orange Hall. Over 200 attended the event catered by the Women’s Institute.

Eventually Orange Hall was sold and meetings were held in individual member’s homes until the Salmon Arm Lodge disbanded.

By 1945 Mrs. A. Reid was the owner of the former Orange Hall and rented the facility to auctioneer C.J. Partridge. A transfer of ownership was not reported in the Salmon Arm Observer index. Under Mrs. Reid’s ownership a fire was reported in 1946 with $300 in damage to the Hall. The following year the property was purchased and an Auto Body Shop constructed by K.L. and G.E. Pryor from Vernon. According to Dave Harper, Senia Howard operated a flower shop on the site in the 1960s. The site was later occupied by the Dairy Queen.