The Okanagan Historical Society’s 77th Annual Report is now available at the Summerland Museum.
This year’s report includes items with a Summerland connection.
There is an article on Duncan Woods, one of Summerland’s first pioneers and certainly the Okanagan Valley’s most colourful character.
“Dunc” owned the southern half of Trout Creek. He sat on the Mascot Mine claim at Hedley almost his whole life before he allowed it to be mined: more than seven tonnes of gold were recovered.
There is an article on Summerland’s two gardens; the Ornamental Gardens and the Blewett gardens. An article describes the recent highway expansion north of Summerland and an article about the origins of Summerland’s Experimental Farm
The farm, now the Pacific Agri-food Research Centre, celebrates its 100th anniversary next year.
Again this year, there is an expanded section on First Nations.
This section includes an oral history of the arrival of Father Pandosy, the battle between the Okanagan and Shuswap nations at McIntyre Bluff, and interviews with Penticton Elder George Lezard and Vernon Elder Dave Parker.
There is an article on the history of the Okanagan-Similkameen Parks Society and the South Okanagan Naturalists’ Club.
