The year 2025 marks significant anniversaries for two of Vernon’s heritage organizations. The Museum & Archives of Vernon celebrates 75 years of preserving local history, while the Okanagan Historical Society (OHS) marks its centennial—100 years since its founding in 1925.
The OHS was established in Vernon on September 4, 1925, during a meeting at City Hall. Under the leadership of Government Agent Leonard Norris, a group of citizens came together to create a society dedicated to documenting and preserving the history of the Okanagan Valley. Early on, the society began publishing a report to share research, photographs, and records. The first report appeared in 1926, with the publication becoming an annual tradition in 1948.
Twenty-five years after the OHS’s founding, in 1950, the City of Vernon established the Vernon Museum. The museum’s origins trace back to a unique collection of specimens donated by local taxidermist W.C. Pound. By 1956, the museum’s collection had expanded to include Indigenous artifacts, brass ornaments and weapons, and a growing selection of paintings by local artists. Temporary accommodations for the collection were found in Vernon’s junior high school (now W.L. Seaton Secondary), as noted in the OHS’s 20th Annual Report.
The interconnected nature of these two organizations is reflected in their shared history and overlapping leadership. Guy P. Bagnall, for example, served as both secretary-treasurer for the museum and treasurer for the OHS. His contributions helped shape the early years of both organizations and fostered collaboration in their efforts to preserve and share the history of Vernon and the Okanagan Valley.
Today, the Okanagan Historical Society includes seven regional branches, spanning from Salmon Arm in the north to Osoyoos in the south. This wide-reaching scope allows the society to capture the diverse histories of the entire Okanagan Valley, with its Annual Report remaining a vital resource for understanding both the region’s heritage and, perhaps more importantly, its people. The society also supports a variety of local history initiatives, including the preservation of several historic sites.
The Museum & Archives of Vernon, meanwhile, has broadened its scope beyond the collection and preservation of artifacts and archival records. In addition to its core work, the museum engages the public through school programs, exhibitions, and community events that connect Vernon residents with their shared history, while also acknowledging its location on unceded Syilx territory through repatriation efforts.
These anniversaries are a testament to the past efforts of countless individuals who have worked to safeguard the stories and objects that define Vernon and the Okanagan Valley’s heritage.
Archives Manager, Gwyneth Evans