Fonds - Peterson Brothers Ltd. Salmon Arm, B.C. fonds

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.