Agricultural land, city parks and community structures in Canoe were all targeted in phase three of Salmon Arm’s community heritage register.
Thirteen properties will be added to the register following their approval by council Monday night. Fifteen were recommended by the city’s Community Heritage Commission to be part of phase three of the registry.
Among the recent additions are what’s referred to as the W.K. Smith House (built in 1938) at 681 Okanagan Ave. NE, the Richmond house (circa 1920) at 1150 15th Ave. SE, the Edwardes House (1903) at 5051 11th Street NE.
Coun. Alan Harrison, the commission’s chair, said this phase of the registry deliberately sought to include properties in Canoe, including Victory Hall at 7210 51st Street NE, and the Canoe United Church at 6881 50th Street NE.
Phase three also looks to municipal parks and agricultural properties of historic significance. Subsequently, McGuire Lake Park, the city wharf and Marine Park are to be added to the register, as will the Laitinen farm at 2131 and 2291 50th Street NW, the McLeod farm at 3421 30th Street SW, Hanna and Hanna Orchards at 3181 11th Ave. NE and the Peterson farm at 5540 35th Street NE.
Also to be added is the old section of the Mt. Ida Cemetery and what’s known as Kusisto Road along 50th Street NW.
As was the case with past phases of the registry, there were properties recommended against the owners’ wishes. In this round, there were two such properties, the Mt. Ida Hall at 5421 70th Street SW, and what’s known as the John and Dolly Lund house at 5560 Canoe Beach Drive NE.
Asked by council to explain why he didn’t wish for Mt. Ida Hall to be included, owner Rob Fensom said the building was either going to be burned or flattened, and he bought it in order to expand his agricultural operations.
“We needed a farm shop for our meats that we sell; that is the main reason why we bought the hall. Not to save the building…” said Fensom. “People who want it registered aren’t going to help me pay the mortgage. It’s none of their business.”
Titus Cooley, owner of the Lund house, said the property has been significantly renovated, and that he could find no trace of the log cabin in the structure as identified by the commission. He noted how when he and his family recently purchased the property, they were told by the bank that they wouldn’t finance it if it had a heritage designation. Harrison said this is true, but a heritage designation is not the same as being on a heritage registry. Regardless, all of council except Harrison voted to grant the two requested exemptions.
