Dear Editor:
Recently in Penticton, there has been some controversy with the proposed Garnett Family Park.
Summerland has its own Garnett controversy. Two of Summerland first pioneers were William Garnett (1828-1907) and Edgar Garnett (1839-1922). The brothers were first land owners when they preempted property in Garnett Valley on April 13, 1889.
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The Garnett brothers were listed on the 1891 provincial census. Provincial maps in 1906 used the name Garnett. Also in 1906, the Garnett Valley Land Company was created.
But in 1920, a provincial map misspelled the name Garnett. For the next 100 years, the Garnett name has been spelled incorrectly as Garnet.
The museum, the heritage commission and the Okanagan Historical Society have each attempted to correct the error, unsuccessfully. Naming a valley or a lake after a pioneer and then misspelling the name does not honour these pioneers.
David E. Gregory
Summerland
