Showing 46 results

authority records
Doe, John Fitzgerald
Person · 1900-1930(?)

John Doe was born in Medicine Hat, Alberta to parents James and Jenny Doe.

Canoe Boat Club
MS 136 · Corporate body · 1946 -

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.

Granite Trading Association
MS 138 · Corporate body · 1915 -1920

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Granite Trading Association
MS 138 · Corporate body · 1915-

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

MS 138 · Corporate body · 1920-

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

McEwen, Margaret
MS 137 · Person · 1922-1981

Margaret Ivy McEwen was born July 11, 1922 to George and Daisy McEwen and raised on a small farm in Grindrod, B.C. Her parents had two more children, Donald and Duncan. When Margaret was six years old, her mother, Daisy, was pregnant with a fourth child and suddenly died. Margaret’s bother Donald McEwen wrote about the tragedy.

“Dad had a job rafting cedar poles from Enderby to Mara for the piling for the bridge. He wasn’t able to get home until late. Mom went to get the cows pasturing...... She had difficulty with them, and tripped in a gopher hole and fell. She was expecting another child, had complications and passed away.” (Oct. 21, 1928)

“In May of 1929 our Aunt Ivy came from [Hampstead, London] England to look after the family. They were married within six months.”

George and Ivy married on August 19, 1929 in Vernon, B.C. and by all accounts Ivy was a loving mother to the three children. Ivy passed away in 1948 and George passed away in 1972.

Margaret attended the school of nursing at Royal Jubilee Hospital in Victoria in 1942 and graduated in 1944. She found work at the Royal Alexandra Hospital in Edmonton, but took a six month leave to nurse her stepmother who was failing. At that time Margaret met Robert (Bob) Douglas Jackson from the Mt. Ida District, Salmon Arm, and the couple were married May 18, 1948. The Jacksons had five children: Barbara, Margaret Elizabeth (Betty), Douglas Ian, and twins Garth and Gordon. All the children were born at the Royal Inland Hospital in Kamloops. Gordon and Garth were premature and Gordon passed away at the age of one month.

While raising her family and working on the farm, Margaret continued to nurse, initially providing homecare to people who needed help. Soon she was asked to come in to work in the hospital when extra help was needed. This became a full time job that she enjoyed. Margaret Jackson died February 26, 2011. Robert (Bob) died December 18, 1990.

Frank and Laura Marshall
MS 19 · Family · 1939-1983

David Franklin (Frank) Marshall was born April 16, 1900 in Listowel, Ontario. While working as a reporter for the New Westminster Columbian he met Laura Bell Burroughs. The couple married June 14, 1928 and had one child, Denis Paul Marshall in 1933.

Laura was born in Kent County, Ontario February 27, 1899. Her family moved to Chaplin, Saskatchewan, where her father was a general merchant. The family’s next move was to New Westminster in 1921.

The Marshalls made their home at the coast for 16 years. Frank Marshall concluded his 23-year career as a reporter in 1944, purchased the Salmon Arm Observer, and settled into Shuswap life.

It did not take Frank Marshall long to become immersed in his new role. In 1946 Frank was the Charter President of the local Rotary Club, he joined the board of the BC Division of the Canadian Weekly Newspapers’ Association, and successfully ran for alderman - a position he held from 1947 to 1953.

In 1946 Frank was also elected to the Board of the Salmon Arm Community Co-operative Association (later named the Salmar Community Association). The Association’s goal was to buy the Rex Theatre and raise money for a living memorial to those who did not return from the recent World War. The group later built a new community theatre, paid off that debt, and, with proceeds from ticket sales, raised funds for the Salmon Arm Memorial Arena. The community asset was completed in 1958.

Frank Marshall was busy on several fronts. He built a new building for the Observer in 1947 and had a new home constructed on Harris Street in 1948 just a few blocks from the downtown core and Observer building.

When Frank died in 1964 after a lengthy illness, Laura Marshall continued in the family business. Their son, Denis Marshall, took over the position of Publisher. The two capably published the weekly paper until 1976 when it was sold to Lynne and Ian Wickett.

Laura retired to Victoria and died in 1988.

John and Elizabeth Jackson
MS 141 · Family · 1914-1960

Elizabeth Reid Miller [1887-1970] was born at Lanark County, Ontario and came to the Mt. Ida District of Salmon Arm with her parents in 1905. She married John Jackson in 1915 at her parent’s home. Rev. Reid, the Presbyterian minister, officiated. The couple operated a mixed farm in the Mt. Ida District. They had two children: Robert Douglas (Bob) born in 1918 and Marion born in 1924.

John Jackson [1877-1968] was the eldest son of Robert Jackson and Christina Paton and was born at Kippen Station, Sterlingshire, Scotland. John learned to farm by working with his father and grandfather, George Paton. He gained an appreciation of good draft horses, particularly Clydesdales. He taught himself to play the accordion and violin.

John emigrated to Canada in 1910 at the age of 33. He found work and lodged at Duncan Cameron’s farm. In 1911 John purchased a 40-acre parcel of land located in the Mt. Ida District calling it Cumberauld.

Herald, Dr. Dundas
MS 140 · Person · 1870-1951

Dr. Dundas Herald, son of Rev. James Herald, was born at Dundas, Ontario in 1870 and was awarded his medical degree at Queen’s University in 1891. Dundas and his brother Wilson registered with the BC College of Physicians within the year. Both brothers practiced in Vancouver before Wilson moved to Ashcroft, BC and Dundas moved to Quesnelle Forks in the Cariboo. After 1901 the brothers established a cattle ranch at Medicine Hat, Alberta.

In 1905 Dundas married Edith Phyllis Grant and their children Jessie Edith (1905 ) and James Barclay [Buster] (1907) were born in Medicine Hat. A third child, Arthur Dundas, was born in Salmon Arm in 1909.

Edith Phyllis Grant was born October 18, 1875 to Joseph and Anne Grant (nee Schroder) at Corona, Ontario. Her family moved to Walsh, Alberta in 1900 to ranch.

In 1906 the Heralds purchased “Bonny Bray” a 160-acre farm and home from John Reinecker near Sunnybrae and moved to the Shuswap. Dundas Herald never practiced medicine in the Shuswap.

The Heralds lived in isolation. Children Buster, Arthur, and Jessie were educated by their father at home and without the guidance of a school curriculum.

The family raised Jersey cows and took their milk across the lake every two or three days. They also made butter for sale – 70 to 80 pounds a week. Power for churning the cream into butter was provided by a water wheel. The Herald family picked and shipped cherries and raspberries for a few years, but gave that up and concentrated their efforts growing hay.

Dundas Herald died in 1951 and was survived by his wife and children. Their Sunnybrae property was sold to the provincial government and became a park in 1975.

MS 70 · Corporate body · 1979-2019

Gordon and Gladys Thompson started a square dance group in 1979 at Shuswap Lake Estates Hall under the name of Estate Squares. The couple were experienced and had called at the Y.M.C.A. in Vancouver. They offered lessons for a couple of seasons and operated the caller-run club until 1984. Interest grew and, as membership increased, the group moved to the Blind Bay Hall. The first class of dancers graduated on April 28, 1981 and the club adopted the name of Ta’Lana Twirlers of Blind Bay.

Graduation played a big part in the growth of the club. A square dance candlelight service ensured that new members were encouraged to join.

In 1984 the club started hosting an Easter Bunny Dance on Easter Monday at the Sorrento Hall with a special guest caller. The club had attempted to have an Easter Hat Parade, but dropped the idea for lack of interest. In 1985 Audrey Rinas designed the club badges and banner. The same year the club joined the Thompson Valley Square Dance Association.

Presidents of the Association include:
• Gordon and Gladys Thompson (1979-1984)
• Joe Abear 1984-1986
• Ken Morrison 1986-1988
• Ed Strome 1988-1990
• Alf Ames 1990-1992
• Denis Benson 1992-1994
• Bob Stewart 1994-1997
• Ted Vlooswick 1997-2002
• Dennis Benson 2006-2008
• Darcey Venables 2009-2010
• Bud Schaffer 2010-2012
• Graham Bickle 2013-2014
• George Alison 2014-2019

Club callers include:
• Gordon and Gladys Thompson
• Ed and Darlene Wagstaff
• Gerry Lander
• Laurie and June New
• John Collier
• Art and Dot Poirier
• Peter and Carolyn Weel
• Rene and Joan Bourget
• Don Heichert
• Fred Adams (Cuing help Gerry Lander)
• Mariann Sanford

MS 142 · Corporate body · 1906-1935

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

Gordon Priestman
MS 146 · Person · 1936-2003

According to his obituary, long time Salmon Arm Observer editor Gordon (Gord) Priestman was born, August 4, 1936, and raised in Toronto and Muskoka, Ont.

After completing his education, Gordon travelled in industrial sales for several years, freelance writing as a sideline. In 1964 he moved to British Columbia and, after a brief stay in Vancouver, accepted a post as reporter/editor for the Merritt Herald. A year-and-a-half later he became editor of the Powell River News in addition to two smaller papers.

The family moved to Salmon Arm April 1, 1967 when Gordon became editor of the Salmon Arm Observer, a position he was to hold for most of the next 33 years. During that period his column, “Observations,” was a popular feature and both the paper and Gordon were recipients of a number of newspaper industry awards.

A lifelong Social Democrat, he took a leave of absence to run for the NDP Party in the 1986 provincial election. He then returned to the Observer, retiring for health reasons in December 1998.

Gordon was always interested in the arts—writing, music and painting. He loved the outdoors, including camping, canoeing and observing nature. Until middle years he was active in a number of sports. He was involved with numerous local organizations, was a member of the Salmar Community Association, was a life member of the Fall Fair Society and a director of the Shuswap Community Foundation.

Gordon died August 4, 2003. He was survived by Faye Fawcett, his wife and companion of 19 years, his three children and his beloved pets.

MS 147 · Corporate body · 1950-1969

The Tappen and District Credit Union [TDCU] was incorporated under the Credit Unions Act on the 31st of October, 1950.

The supervisory committee and treasurer were given instructions by T.A. Switzer, Inspector of Credit Unions. The responsibilities of the directors were also outlined.

According to the organization’s first President, John Allan (Jack) Wilson, the group first met as a study group to discuss the formation of a Credit Union. Once incorporated, the members were faced with the initial expense of $50 for bookkeeping supplies and feared that it might be some time before this expense was recovered. Unsure of how the community would respond to the venture, growth was expected to be slow.

Within three months the new TDCU had made three loans and within six months the bookkeeping expense was recovered. The TDCU joined the B.C. Credit Union League and the B.C. Central Credit Union. Bonding insurance was the next expense, including a Treasurers’ bond. By the end of the first year, the new Credit Union had earned enough to pay a 3% dividend on share capital.

Reporting on the first year of operation were Jack Wilson, President, Vic Collins, Treasurer, M.M. Wilson, President Supervisory Committee, E.J. Blanc, Chairman Credit Committee.

According to donor Allan Wilson, the Credit Union operated out of Ivy Ford’s home. The registered office was at the Co-op Granite Trading Association in Tappen. Deposits and withdrawals were made at the Co-operative Granite Trading Association (Tappen Co-op) and Meiko Kawase did the paper work on site at the Co-op in between pumping gas and cutting and selling bacon and bologna. Kawase was also the egg grader at the Tappen Co-op.

If a member wanted to borrow money from the Credit Union, they applied to the Credit Committee and met with the committee as a whole. Annual General Meetings were held at Victory Hall in Tappen. The Credit Union in Tappen operated from 1950 until it amalgamated with the Salmon Arm Savings and Credit Union in 1969.

Ruth Adair Peterson
MS 148 · Person · 1921-2008

When Ruth Adair Peterson (nee Brooke) died August 1, 2008 in Reno, Nevada, a succession of remarkable events repatriated to Salmon Arm a collection of significant paintings which celebrate a lovely story, a loving family, and its community.

More than three hundred paintings by Ruth’s father, Arthur Adair Brooke, were found under her bed wrapped in a cotton pillow slip and tied with a green ribbon. They came “home”. The one-of-a-kind collection was archival in every sense of the word. It spanned an important period of time and documented rural life in the Mt. Ida District of Salmon Arm.

Ruth’s story begins in 1921. Life on the Brookes’ farm, Asterfield, was unexpectedly interrupted with her birth. She was a fourth child and the first daughter to middle aged parents Arthur Adair and Annie Florence Brooke. She was given her mother’s maiden name and raised like an only child, adored by her adult brothers. Family members tell us her parents were strict Baptists. Ruth left home to attend business school in Calgary. It was there she met the love of her life, a divorced American baseball player named Bill Peterson. Ruth followed Bill to the States and they were married in 1951. Ruth and her new husband lived in Oakland, California and Reno, Nevada. The couple had a long marriage until Bill’s death in 1985.

But the story really began with the artist. Born in Rome in 1874, Arthur Adair Brooke had a long journey to Salmon Arm, British Columbia. The eldest child of Arthur Swindells and Amelia Adair Brooke had little memory at the age of two of moving with his family to Switzerland. His father was a professional watercolour artist and supported the family of 9 surviving children by painting landscapes.

When A.A. Brooke finished secondary school he was sent to England before emigrating to Canada in 1890. The first stop in Canada was Manitoba where he learned to farm under the tutelage of Joseph Merry at the Barnsley Farm Home. Four years later, Brooke began working his own farm.

Brooke married Annie Florence Ruth in 1898. Their first son, Harold Arthur, was born at Barnsley two years later. The family moved to Didsbury, Alberta, and two more sons joined the family, Ralph Edward in 1902 and Ernest Cuthbert in 1903. A.A. Brooke worked a homestead and received his Western Land Grant in 1904.

Alberta was not to be the end of the journey. Brooke sold the homestead and its improvements, and moved the household west after purchasing 60 acres of the Goforth farm in the Mt. Ida District near Salmon Arm. They arrived by train in 1907 with two loads of settlers’ effects and set up residence, naming their new home Asterfield.

Still adjusting to retirement, the couple moved again, this time south to another farming community, Cloverdale in the Fraser Valley. Arthur Adair spent his remaining years painting.

Annie Florence passed away December 6th, 1957. After her death, Arthur ached with loneliness and moved to Siska Lodge at Lytton, B.C. to be with his son Harold. He kept busy painting watercolours to sell in the Lodge’s coffee shop.

Arthur Adair was a prolific artist and left a legacy of a significant body of work. The farmer artist sketched images all his life, using his drawings as inspiration for later watercolours. His landscapes depict Switzerland, Ireland, Manitoba, Alberta, Alaska, and British Columbia. Numerous watercolours and sketches are held in private collections, at the Glenbow Museum in Calgary, the Dufferin Historical Society Museum in Carman, Manitoba and the Salmon Arm Museum. But his best work is said to be Ruth’s baby books that document his daughter's early life.

Arthur died thirteen months after Annie on January 13, 1959.

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.

Corporate body · 1991-

While courses in women’s studies were first offered at the university in 1971, the degree-granting Women’s Studies Program in the Faculty of Arts began offering an undergraduate major in 1991. The program was an interdisciplinary field of study that drew upon the social sciences, humanities, research methods, theory, literature, and gender relations. Tannis MacBeth Williams was the program’s first chair.
Early faculty involved in the Women’s Studies Program were Dr. Dawn Currie, Dr. Valerie Raoul, Dr. Veronica Strong-Boag, Prof. Sneja Gunew, Dr. Sharalyn Orbaugh, Dr. Becki Ross, and Dr. Lenora Angeles. The Women’s Studies Program worked closely with the Centre for Research in Women’s Studies and Gender Relations (created in 1991 with a mandate to support research and develop links between local and international scholars, policy makers and activists). The Founding Director of CRWSGR was Veronica Strong-Boag. Graduate-level courses were first offered in the 1998-99 academic year, initially from within the Interdisciplinary Studies Programme in the Faculty of Graduate Studies. The CRWSGR began administering M.A. and PhD programs in Women’s Studies and Gender Relations in 2000-2001. It changed its name to the Centre for Women’s and Gender Studies (CWAGS) in 2006. In 2012, CWAGS and the Women’s and Gender Studies graduate and undergraduate programs merged to form the Institute for Gender, Race, Sexuality and Social Justice, directed by Dr. Mary K. Bryson.

Phrateres. Theta Chapter
Corporate body · 1935-

The first Canadian chapter of the Phrateres was established at UBC in 1935 through the initiative of Clare Brown Harris while president of the Women's Undergraduate Society. An international organization, Phrateres was first formed at the University of Southern California at Los Angeles by Dean Helen Matheson Laughlin in 1924. The Theta Chapter at UBC was the eighth to be established on the west coast. Phrateres, which comes from the Greek word for sisterhood, seek to fulfil the ideals of the modern University and to promote a spirit of friendliness among women of individual universities and of all universities. Membership in the organization, whose motto is "famous for friendliness", is open to both sorority and non-sorority women at a small cost. It seeks to enrich university life through a wide range of social and service activities, including dances, reunions, and fundraising. Theta Chapter is affiliated with the UBC Greek system (sororities and fraternities), and over the years has been subdivided into as many as twelve sub-chapters, named Alpha, Beta, Gamma, Delta, Epsilon, Eta, Zeta, Iota, Kappa, Lambda, Omicron and Sigma.
As of 2000, Theta Chapter at UBC was the sole remaining active collegiate chapter of Phrateres International.

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.

Wilson, Harriet A.
PMA 27 · Person · 1869 - 1958

Harriet Wilson (1869 - 1958) was the wife of Rev. Randle Hugh Wilson, the first resident minister of St. Anne’s Anglican Church from 1912 – 1914. She was born in 1869 and moved to Parksville with her husband in 1912. In 1914, Rev. Wilson died and to support her family Harriet Wilson established a nursing home for births on a property adjacent to the Church. She operated the nursing home from 1914 to 1929. A logbook records each of births. Harriet Wilson died in 1958.

Touzeau Family
PMA 17 · Family · 1905 - 1994

Pauline (1913 - 1995) and Ernest (1905 - 1994) Touzeau were longtime residences of Parksville. Ernest was a forestry engineer employed by the Northwest Bay Logging Company at the logging camp in Nanoose Bay. He served as a Commissioner on the Parksville Village Council from 1963 to 1965. For many years, Pauline was a trustee on the District 69 School Board. She was instrumental in the formation of the Society of Organized Services and served on its Executive and its President.

PMA 10.6 · Corporate body · 1976 -

he Parksville & District Historical Society was established in 1976 as the District 69 Historical Society. In 1991, the Society amalgamated with the Nanooa Historical and Museum Society which had been established in 1981 to collect and preserve archival material and museum artifacts pertaining to Nanoose Bay. In 2004, the Society changed its name to the Parksville & District Historical Society. In 1983, the Society opened Craig Heritage Park. The Knox United Church was the first heritage building moved to the Park. Today, there are seven heritage buildings, including the McMillan House which is a designated Heritage Trust building.

PMA 10.5 · Corporate body · 1976 -

The Parksville & District Historical Society was established in 1976 as the District 69 Historical Society. In 1991, the Society amalgamated with the Nanooa Historical and Museum Society which had been established in 1981 to collect and preserve archival material and museum artifacts pertaining to Nanoose Bay. In 2004, the Society changed its name to the Parksville & District Historical Society. In 1983, the Society opened Craig Heritage Park. The Knox United Church was the first heritage building moved to the Park. Today, there are seven heritage buildings, including the McMillan House which is a designated Heritage Trust building.