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authority records
MS 306 · Corporate body · 1951-present

The North Okanagan Naturalists’ Club was founded in 1951 out of want for a Natural History Society in Vernon. The constitution was drafted and a public organizational meeting was held in the elementary school library. The constitution was edited, and a committee of five officers were elected, with the first president being Dr. D.A. Ross, and the club was born. Its objects were “to provide an opportunity for persons interested in Natural History to meet and exchange information; to foster an interest in Nature among young people; and to encourage naturalists to record their observations in suitable journals.”
The club is ongoing and is a member of BC Nature, the Federation of British Columbia Naturalists. In Vernon, the NONC works to preserve and maintain natural environments, such as Kalamalka Lake Provincial Park and the Swan Lake Nature Reserve. In addition, the NONC identified seven ecological preserves were established in conjunction with the federal government. The club’s dedication towards environmental preservation has led to many petitions and reports sent to government bodies. These reports are drafted by club members who specialize in botany, ornithology, entomology and other environmental disciplines. Nearby ecological reserves are taken care of and monitored by NONC members, reporting directly to the Ministry of Environment.
The NONC also dedicates its time towards education. Members often speak to North Okanagan school groups and lend their expertise to any who wish to learn. Club membership is not limited to age, and many families and youth actively participate in club activities. Overnight field trips, nature walks, camping trips, and bird watching are all activities the club routinely partake in. Monthly meetings are held in Vernon, with guest speakers presenting to members on diverse topics. Members also take additional courses in environmental sciences. In addition, a monthly “newspacket” is distributed highlighting the club’s activities and achievements.
Bird watching is one of the club’s largest activities, and the members participate in an international bird census. The annual Christmas bird count in one of the NONC’s most important traditions. The province relies on the NONC to keep track of bird populations in the North Okanagan. In 2020-2021, the Swan Lake Observation Tower was erected with funding from the Regional District of North Okanagan and the NONC. It offers a 360 degree view of wetlands and grasslands for hikers and bird enthusiasts.

Corporate body · 1986-1987

In 1986 and 1987 there were numerous meetings held by the Jubilee Park and Playing Field committee concerning the proposed upgrade of the Jubilee Park for Rossland Secondary School (now Rossland Summit School). They proposed a slight leveling and raising of the field, a double soccer field, jogging track, tennis court, and basketball court. Cook Pickering & Doyle Ltd. surveyed and presented comments and recommendations on the geotechnical matters affecting improved drainage for the playing fields. Members of the advisory committee included Jean Cormack, Hugo Smecher, Lloyd McLellan, Harry Lefevre, Stan Fisher, Iain Martin, and Jack Richardson. Ultimately, the plans never went ahead, possibly due to lack of funding by the Ministry of Education.

B.C. Mining School
Corporate body · [ca.1971]-1982

The B.C. Mining School in Rossland was original an open pit program at the Molybdenum mine on Red Mountain which started in June 1971. It was a twelve-week course, and the students were chosen by Canadian manpower. The students were typically from the metropolitan Vancouver area with an average education level of grade eight. Due to its success, an underground program was suggested, with the site of the school moving to the base of Kootenay Columbia Mountain. The first sixteen-week course started in October 1943. The school was to later produce the first open pit, and underground female worker. On fifth August 1981 newly arrived students came to the school to find a padlock on the door. The school was abruptly closed with little warning. The last open pit and underground classes had their graduation take place on third July 1981 and nineteenth June 1981. Multiple letters and resolutions were sent to the Minister of Education (later Minister of Energy Mines, and Petroleum Resources), Brian Smith (1975-1983), and many other ministers and organizations to try and reopen the school. This included a considerable amount of action was taken by Harry Lefevre.

There are multiple different reasons that were given for the student closure of the school, two of which being that (1) according to Smith, that the Canadian Employment & Immigration Commission refused to sponsor any more students after September 1981, and that, (2) according to Gerald Bell of Western Industrial Relations, major mining companies no longer wanted to employ graduates from the school. This, apparently, had nothing to do with the standard of teaching but rather that Canada Manpower had not carried about sufficient screening of potential students, which resulted in an excess of poor-quality students. Harry Lefevre attributed the closure to a breakdown in the financial support agreement between the Ministry of Education and Canadian Manpower.

Salmon Arm Grebe Festival
Corporate body · 1996-1998

The Salmon Arm Grebe Festival functioned under the umbrella of the Salmon Arm Bay Nature Enhancement Society (SABNES) which was formed in 1988 to lead the effort to protect the local marshlands and enhance the nesting areas of Grebes and other species in the area.

In 1994, SABNES commissioned a study to determine the feasibility of staging a festival centred around Grebes to draw attention to the species and Salmon Arm’s unique location in providing habitat for the largest nesting colony of Grebes in Western Canada. In 1995, prominent festival organizer Dick Finkle was commissioned by the Chamber of Commerce to make recommendations about holding a Grebe festival. In 1996, SABNES organized a “Celebration of the Grebe” day and the success of the event resulted in consideration of a multi-day festival moving forward. In October 1996, the Salmon Arm Grebe Festival was officially announced and a committee was formed comprised of SABNES members, local business owners and citizens who were tasked with planning and coordinating a three-day festival in 1997. The first Salmon Arm Grebe Festival was held May 16 – 19, 1997.