Owens (family)

Patrick Owens (1866-1955) was born in Cavan County, Ireland. He immigrated to Canada in 1883, living in Nova Scotia for a time before returning to Ireland. When he immigrated to Canada again, British Columbia became his permanent home. Owens fought in the second Riel Rebellion in 1885, receiving as payment one section of prairie land in Alberta, but sold the property later for ten dollars. He claimed to have been at Craigellachie during the driving of the last spike, which completed the CPR. He went on to mine in the Kootenays, Slocan area and Vancouver Island.

Owens arrived in Salmon Arm in 1891 and homesteaded his property on what would become Lakeshore Ave, planting orchards and supplying some of the apples that were first shipped from Salmon Arm. He sold his orchard and acquired property in the Salmon Valley, became a dairyman and established a milk delivery business on the site of what is now Canadian Tire. Later, during the First World War, he sold his dairy herd and engaged in mixed farming. After venturing into diversified crops, Owens specialized in growing asparagus.

Owens was an active member of the community, serving on municipal council for thirteen years, a member of the police commission and a member in the Farmers' Institute.

Information gathered on Patrick's wife, Mary, is sketchy. Ontario born, Mary Dolan Owens (1870-1944) was the child of Thomas Dolan and Catherine Stone. According to her obituary Mary came to Salmon Arm in 1900. She was a sister to Jack and Steve Dolan, the early settlers of Upper Salmon Arm (Dolan's Corner). The couple were married and two daughters, Kay (Watters) of Salmon Arm and Annie Owens of Vancouver, and one son Thomas of South Burnaby.

Salmon Arm, B.C.

• English