August 8, 2026
During emergencies like the Okanagan fires, sometimes it is nice to have something a little lighter to read. Nearly a century ago, Vernon residents also took a break from their everyday routines for an afternoon of sunshine, swimming, and some rather unconventional races.
In August 1924, Vernon hosted what had by then become an annual picnic at Kalamalka (then called Long) Lake for City employees. The picnic was held at the beautiful property of Hugh Heggie and was, according to the Vernon News, very well attended.
The afternoon featured a full program of races and water sports. There were races for boys and girls, divided into age groups, as well as a race for the little ones, which was won by R. Heggie. A married women’s race and a young ladies’ race were also held, alongside a three-legged race, a jockey race, and a wheelbarrow race. The Vernon News carefully recorded the winners, ensuring that no athletic achievement went unrecognized.
One of the most entertaining events was the biscuit race. Participants quickly discovered that eating a dry biscuit and then trying to whistle was considerably more difficult than it sounded. The newspaper gave the event particular attention, perhaps because there is something inherently amusing about watching people discover this for themselves.
The water sports were just as lively. The men’s 50-yard open swimming race was closely contested, as was the women’s race, in which sisters Bay and Peggy Doull placed first and second.
Then came the canoe races. A “crab race” required participants to paddle their canoes in the wrong direction. So many people were eager to take part that the race had to be divided into heats.
And finally, there was the gunwale race. Participants stood on the stern gunwales—the upper edges of the canoe—and jumped at precise intervals to propel their boats forward using the resulting wave motion. It was, unsurprisingly, described as a source of considerable hilarity.
It is easy to imagine the scene: a warm August afternoon on Kalamalka Lake, canoes bobbing on the water, spectators cheering from the shore, and competitors discovering that dry biscuits and whistling make a poor combination.
Archives Manager, Gwyneth Evans