Celebrating century of community

The Sorrento 100 Committee now has a home to display a wealth of local information in various forms.

Sorrento 100 volunteer Linda Gagnon discusses the Gates Open tour guide pamphlet with Louise Barber.

Sorrento 100 volunteer Linda Gagnon discusses the Gates Open tour guide pamphlet with Louise Barber.

The Sorrento 100 Committee now has a home to display a wealth of local information in various forms, with historical publications available.

The committee’s storefront headquarters are at the east end of the building located at the southwest corner of the Trans-Canada Highway and Notch Hill Road.

When I asked Sorrento 100 Committee member Louise Barber what would happen with the displays, she said, “There is a plan for a future home, the details are being worked out at the moment.”

With the amount of time represented in the framed maps and charts, there is much to see and appreciate, especially the dedicated volunteers.

With the sudden passing of Maureen Brass, someone with incomparable dedication to the community, the Sorrento 100 volunteer drive is more focused than ever.

She will be missed.

If you are able to help out with time to volunteer at various Sorrento 100 activities for the duration of the year, call Louise Barber at 250-253-5776.

Tour continues

A tour of 10 heritage properties is a special feature of  the Sorrento 100 celebrations.

Gates Open, a guided tour, will be held July 19 from noon to 4 p.m. Property owners will open the exterior grounds to visitors interested in architectural history over the past century.

This is a collaborative community initiative to celebrate the 100th anniversary of the naming of Sorrento and to increase the awareness of the community’s rich heritage.

Number seven on the Gates Open tour guide is  the Sorrento General Store and Post Office.

Built in 1910 as a general store and post office, it received its official postal cancelling stamp in 1912.

The flat-roofed building has two stories, wood siding, a wood plank porch with shed roof and original windows from the old store.

Available to purchase in the shop were stovepipes, hardware, candy, baking needs, and some meat. Patrons were able to  pay their bills when they were able.

Arts festival

The theme of this the 29th Shuswap Lake Festival of the Arts is “Celebrating Sorrento’s 100th Birthday.”

Shuswap Lake Festival of the Arts is a non-profit organization providing a venue for all artists who wish to participate.

The nine-day festival opens at 10 a.m. Saturday, July 14 at Sorrento Memorial Hall.

Festival Hours: July 14 to July 20 from 10 a.m to 6 p.m.,  July 21 from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. and July 22 from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.

Passes for the entire show are $5 for adults and $3 for students, and children under 10 are free when accompanied by an adult.

A highlight of this year’s festival is Children’s Day, Wednesday, July 18 from 10 a.m. to noon.

Children are invited to participate in free art activities during this time.

Visit the bistro and newly designed gift shop open throughout the festival. For more information, call 250-832-5809 or visit www.artsfestivalshuswap.ca.

Sorrento Centre Day Camp 2012

Day camp at Sorrento Centre, provides an opportunity for children and youth between the ages of 5 to 12 to participate in interesting program activities, including crafts, games, beach time, music, athletics and social activities.

There are two weeks to choose from: Monday, July 9 through Friday, July 13 and Monday, July 23 through Friday, July 27.

The day camp gets underway at 10 a.m. and the fun-filled activities continue until 4:30 p.m.

For more information, call Sorrento Centre at 250-675-2421/1-866-694-2409 (toll free).

Canada Day later

Sadly, a soggy Canada Day has come and gone without the usual and highly popular South Shuswap festivities.

The good news is the Canada Day Committee has announced that all Canada Day events at Centennial Field, except the Show and Shine which did take place as scheduled, have been reset for Sunday, Aug. 5, pending permit approval.

Salmon Arm Observer