Vernon Winter Carnival Memories Project

Posted on 3 August 202217 August 2022 by Vernon Museum

Do you have memories of winter carnivals past?

Vernon Winter Carnival will be creating a series of videos – engaging local residents to tell their stories of past Vernon Winter Carnivals – allowing us to share knowledge and past experiences to future generations, thereby engaging seniors in the community through the mentoring of others. The videos will be edited and shared with the community through social media and possibly featured in schools and at an event during Vernon Winter Carnival 2023. This project is funded through the Government of Canada – New Horizons Seniors Program.

The video interviews will be conducted in mid-late August with a focus on three main questions:

Tell us your memories of Vernon Winter Carnival…
How has VWC impacted our community
What would you like to share to our future generations about the importance of community events like Vernon Winter Carnival?

Residents wishing to be interviewed should meet the following requirements:

Over the age of 60
Lived in Vernon for at least 10 years
Must sign a media release allowing VWC to use their interview and image for promotional purposes
Must be available in August to be interviewed
Must have a strong, positive, connection to Vernon Winter Carnival and the Vernon Community

If you or someone you know might be interested in participating contact the Winter Carnival Society today by emailing INFO@VERNONWINTERCARNIVAL.COM or calling 250-545-2236.

In the meantime, take a trip back in past to the 1964 Vernon Winter Carnival.

First Stop: Winter Carnival Parade

We’re not sure what those Vikings from the Revelstoke float are doing would go over very well today, that spider float is a bit horrifying, and at least one small child is not impressed! Nonetheless, it’s a charming and entertaining journey back to a parade of the past.

Next Stop: Silver Star Mountain

This appears to be a slalom competition. We’re fairly certain those were the alpine downhill skis of the day, but it looks like people are competing downhill on Nordic cross-country skis — and admirably so!

Victoria Day

Posted on 20 May 202217 August 2022 by Vernon Museum

Crowds of people walking a long a board walk, some with parasols in a park. Some structures are visible in the background, and a few horses and buggies along the right side. A hillside with trees is visible in the background. — Crowds enjoying the Queen Victoria Diamond Jubilee celebrations in Vernon in June of 1897.

MAY LONG

Although many of us now think of the May Long Weekend as the beginning of camping season in B.C., the history of Victoria Day is a bit more complicated.

In 1845, the Legislative Assembly of the Province of Canada decided to officially recognize the birthday of Queen Victoria on May 24 with public celebrations. But it wasn’t until 1901, following the Queen’s death, that May 24 became officially known as “Victoria Day” in her memory.

celebrations fit for a queen

At the turn of the 20^th century, the settler population in Vernon eagerly celebrated Queen Victoria’s birthday, as well as her reign in general.

On June 22, 1897, Vernon celebrated the Diamond Jubilee with a series of sporting events, including baseball, lacrosse, trap shootings, and tug-of-war. Other outlying communities, including Enderby, came to compete in the day’s activities, and it is noted that Vernon won all events except tug-of-war.

May Long Weekends in Vernon were also marked with sporting events and special activities in celebration of the Queen’s birthday. On May 24, 1895, a cricket match was held between Kelowna and Vernon, with the SS Fairview offering special trips between the two cities for individuals who wished to attend.

In 1900, Enderby hosted Vernon and other nearby communities for a series of foot, horse, and canoe races. A football match was also held between the community of Lumby and employees of the Coldstream Ranch, followed by a grand ball in Morand’s Hall.

A most respected sovereign

A black and white document. The top reads "The Vernon News." It discusses the death of Queen Victoria.

Queen Victoria’s passing in 1901 was announced in large font on the front page of the January 24^th edition of the Vernon News, as the City mourned the loss of its “Most Respected Sovereign.” Later that year, Vernon officially celebrated “Victoria Day” for the first time, with—you guessed it—sporting events, including three-legged and ladies races.

“Queen Victoria is Dead: Her Most Gracious Majesty Succumbs to the Grim Reaper. The Nation Overwhelmed with Grief. The World Sorrows over the Decease of Its Most Respected Sovereign-The End Came on Monday, at 6:55 London Time-The Prince of Wales Now King Edwards VII.”

To explore more of Vernon’s history, check out our other blog posts!

Gwyneth Evans, Research and Communications Coordinator

Sonja Gaudet

Posted on 25 February 202225 February 2022 by Vernon Museum

The World’s Most decorated

With three Paralympic gold medals, Sonja Gaudet is the world’s most decorated wheelchair curler. She currently resides in Vernon with her husband Dan.

In 1997, as a young mother with two small children, Sonja fell off a horse and experienced a spinal cord injury which left her wheelchair-bound. However, she was determined to maintain the healthy lifestyle she had enjoyed before the accident, and turned to Rick Hansen with questions about adaptive sporting opportunities and raising children from a wheelchair, since his children were around the same age.

WheelChair Curling

She tried a variety of wheelchair sports, but discovered curling almost by accident in 2003 when the Vernon Curling Club sought her advice on making their building’s bathrooms more accessible. Wheelchair curling was set to be a new Olympic sport, and with training from Sharon Morrison and Jan Mori, Sonja quickly qualified for the national team in 2005. She made her debut the following year at the Turin 2006 Winter Olympics.

Paralympics

Sonja and her team went on to win three straight Paralympic gold medals for Canada: in 2006, 2010, and 2014. At Sochi, she served as Canada’s flag bearer for the Opening Ceremonies. Sonja is also a three-time world wheelchair curling champion, and her efforts saw Canada become virtually unbeatable in this sport between 2009 and 2014.

In 2013, Sonja became the first wheelchair athlete inducted into the Curling Canada Hall of Fame. In 2016, Sonja retired from her athletic career, and two years later, was featured on a Canada Post stamp.

Vernon Vanguards of Winter Sports

If you are interested in learning about other celebrated local athletes, the Museum and Archives of Vernon is hosting a Winter Sports Display featuring vanguards Larry Kwong, Josh Dueck, and Sonja Gaudet. Check it out during the museum’s open hours.

Gwyneth Evans, Research and Communications Coordinator

Josh Dueck

Posted on 18 February 202225 February 2022 by Vernon Museum

An Unbreakable determination

Even a tragic accident could not slow down Josh Dueck’s remarkable athletic career.

Josh was born in 1981 in Kimberley, B.C., and now lives in Vernon. An aspiring Olympian, Josh learned to ski at the age of 13, and later worked as a coach of the Silver Star Freestyle Ski Club.

In 2004, while attempting to demonstrate a jump to a group of club members, Josh experienced a crash landing that resulted in him being paralyzed below the waist.

Within a year, however, Josh was back on the snow as a sit-skier, and made his Paralympic debut at the Vancouver 2010 Winter Olympics. Here he won a silver medal in the men’s sitting slalom race.

A remarkable Feat

The following year, Josh made waves by becoming the first person to complete a back flip on a sit ski, a feat which earned him a spot on the Ellen DeGeneres Show in 2012. In 2013, he was also named one of the National Geographic’s Adventurers of the Year.

An Olympic Champion

At the Sochi 2014 Winter Olympics, Josh captured his second Paralympic silver medal, this time in the downhill event, as well as a gold medal in the super combined. To honour his achievement, he was named Canada’s flag bearer for the closing ceremony.

A Community Icon

Josh is not only an ambassador for Paralympians across the country, but also an active community member involved with a plethora of organizations, including the Rick Hansen Foundation, Wings for Life, Spinal Cord Injury BC, and the Live it Love it Foundation.

In 2018, Josh Dueck was inducted into the B.C. Sports Hall of Fame.

Vernon Vanguards of Winter Sports

Gwyneth Evans, Research and Communications Coordinator

Rob Boyd

Posted on 11 February 202211 February 2022 by Vernon Museum

Celebrated Local Athletes

The Winter Olympics in Beijing are underway, with Vernonites Kevin Hill and Emma Lunder having competed in their respective sports (Elena Gaskell was also nominated, but was sadly forced to withdraw after sustaining a knee injury). In addition to Hill, Lunder, and Gaskell, Vernon has been home to several accomplished athletes over the years, including Rob Boyd.

The highlight of Rob’s successful skiing career came on February 25, 1989, when he soared down Whistler Mountain to become the first male Canadian to win a gold medal in a World Cup downhill race in his home country.

An origin story

Rob started skiing in Vernon when he was only three years old, using a homemade tow rope his father, Sandy Boyd, had built. By his mid-teens, Rob decided to pursue a career in skiing; the fact that his parents owned their own ski hill (the New Winterside Ski Hill and Recreation Area in Tillicum Valley, which operated in the 1970s) was likely a great help in sharpening the young athlete’s skills. He also competed with the Silver Star Ski Club.

Rob qualified for the provincial ski team at the age of sixteen and moved to Whistler with his parents. Two years later he made it to the national downhill team. In 1985, he won his first downhill at Val Gardena in Italy’s Dolomites; it is this Italian mountain that saw Rob place in the top-ten six times during his career, including two of three World Cup victories.

Crazy Canucks

Rob was following in the footsteps of “Crazy Canucks” Jim Hunter, Dave Irwin, Dave Murray, Steve Podborski, and Ken Read, a group of Canadian athletes who earned a reputation for impossibly fast downhill skiing and consistently challenged European athletes on the World Cup circuit in the 1970s and ‘80s. Besides the three World Cup victories, Rob finished on the podium six times and captured 28 top-fifteen results in his twelve years on the national team. He also qualified for six world championships and three Olympics before retiring in 1997.

Rob Boyd was inducted into the B.C. Sports Hall of Fame in 2003.

Vernon Vanguards of Winter Sports

Gwyneth Evans, Research and Communications Coordinator

Chinese New Year 1922

Posted on 28 January 2022 by Vernon Museum

An early photo of Vernon’s Chinatown, taken in the lunar year 4608 (1910).

Chinese New Year 2022

This Tuesday, February 1, marks Chinese New Year. 2022 is a Year of the Tiger, and those born under this zodiac are said to be ambitious, daring, enthusiastic, generous, and self-confident.

This festival is celebrated each year in China (as well as Vietnam, North and South Korea, and Tibet, under different names) and is based on the ancient Chinese lunar calendar (as opposed to the western solar calendar). Each month in the lunar calendar is 28 days long, so a year lasts between 353 and 355 days. Determining the date of the Chinese New Year requires some complicated calculations, but it typically occurs on the second new moon after the winter solstice, either in late January or early February. A variety of beliefs and traditions are attached to this special occasion.

A celebration 100 years ago

In 1922, a reporter from the Vernon News was granted the honour of attending a Chinese New Year celebration in Vernon’s Chinatown. That year, the festival fell on Saturday, January 28. He started off by saying that although the celebration was great fun, he hoped it would be the last for a while, since with Christmas, the Solar New Year, Robbie Burns’ Night, and the Lunar New Year all occurring in a little over a month, many of Vernon’s business men were struggling to get back on the “Water Wagon.”

Decorations of red and gold

To celebrate the occasion, Chinatown was wonderfully decorated with strings of fruits, vegetables, and gold-and-red emblems. (Tangerines, mandarins, and kumquats, in particular, are a popular decoration for Chinese New Year, as they are said to symbolize wealth and good luck. In a similar manner, the colours red and gold are symbolic of joy and prosperity, respectively). The reporter also noted that genuine “greenbacks,” dollar bills, had also been used to decorate.

Ringing in the New Year

A thrilling performance was held in the center of a square in Chinatown, including acrobatic and magical acts, and of course the celebrated Chinese Dragon Dance (distinguishable from the Lion Dance in that is requires a larger group to manipulate the creature).

The reporter remarked on the hospitality of the crowd, and a lucky number of Vernonites who were later invited to a somewhat-secretive New Year’s feast hosted by one of Chinatown’s leading business owners loudly praised the generosity of their host. The final moments of the lunar year 4619 exploded in firecrackers and fireworks, as a new Year of the Dog was ushered in.

To explore more of Vernon’s history, check out our other blog posts!

Gwyneth Evans, Research and Communications Coordinator

The Crowning of Queen Silver Star I

Posted on 21 January 202224 January 2022 by Vernon Museum

Vernon Winter Carnival chairman George Melvin presenting the silver plate and trophy to the new Queen Silver Star, Rhondda Oliver (Biggs), in 1961.

The Vernon Winter Carnival is always new

One thing you can be sure about with the Vernon Winter Carnival is that each year will bring something new. However, in 1961, everything was new, since that was the year the annual event began.

From radio coverage captured by CJIB (now 107.5 FM) and preserved in the Vernon Archives, we are able to relive the exciting moment the Carnival’s first ever Queen Silver Star was crowned.

Royalty and Dignitaries

As the coverage begins, announcer Jack Pollard states that the crowd of two-to-three thousand gathered on Barnard (30^th) Avenue is awaiting the arrival of the Vice Regal Party, composed of Lieutenant Governor George Pearkes, Mrs. Pearkes, Lieutenant Colonel David Kinloch, and Mrs. Kinloch. Once the dignitaries arrive, they gather near a large ice palace, which was carved on the main drag for the occasion, with the Queen Silver Star participants and the visiting royalty. Queens from Trail, Summerland, Victoria, Kelowna, Vancouver, Port Alberni, Salmon Arm, and Lumby travelled to Vernon for the occasion.

Vernon: A Winter Playground

Peter Seaton, the president of the Vernon Board of Trade, then says that the occasion marks the “final lap in a long hard race to make Vernon and Silver Star a winter playground … The Carnival is going to be to Vernon like a drink to a man in the desert.” The crowd cheers, some standing around the palace, others watching from the roofs of nearby businesses or parked cars.

Queen Silver Star I accepts her crown

The RCMP clears a path through the crowd to the sounds of the McIntosh Girls’ Pipe Band. The Vernon Girls’ Trumpet Band then escorts a car carrying the new Queen Silver Star to the ice palace. The young lady emerges, and is revealed to be Miss Rhondda Oliver (later Biggs). She is helped up the palace’s stairs by two six-year-old pages. They neatly arrange the long train of her blue and white robe as she takes her place on the throne. Her princesses, Sharon Magee and Joyce Moilliet, stand on either side.

Mayor Frank Becker and Miss Vernon Barbara Wolsey then place the crown on Rhondda’s head. As she gives her acceptance speech, a bonfire of Christmas trees on the hill behind the ice palace blazes to life. Mayor Becker wishes her a happy reign, before reading congratulatory telegrams from Prime Minister John Diefenbaker and M.P. Stewart Fleming. Lieutenant Governor Pearkes then declares that the first ever Vernon Winter Carnival has officially begun.

More than 60 years later, the 2022 Vernon Winter Carnival is set to begin on February 4.

To the Max 80’s Party – Virtual Edition

As part of Carnival, the Museum will be hosting “To the Max 80’s Party – Virtual Edition.”

Tease your bangs, pull on your leg warmers, and grab the kiddos for an 80’s style sing-and-dance along with Kiki the Eco Elf. This family-friendly virtual event will feature music, dancing and prizes for best dressed, all from the comfort of your own home. Tickets are $20 and on-demand video access will be available for the entirety of the Winter Carnival! For more details, please click here.

To explore more of Vernon’s history, check out our other blog posts!

Gwyneth Evans, Research and Communications Coordinator

Tillicum Valley’s New Winterside

Posted on 10 December 202110 December 2021 by Vernon Museum

Aerial photo of the ski runs at the New Winterside Ski Resort (Tillicum Valley) circa 1972. The raceway can also be seen.

SilverStar’s Little SIbling

It may have only operated for a few years, but Vernon’s Tillicum Valley Ski Hill played host to several professional athletes and even launched the career of a future downhill champion.

In the mid-1960s, Vernonites Molly and Sandy Boyd decided to rig up a tractor-driven tow rope from an old purse seiner so that they could ski down a hillside on their property, since the couple were too busy with five kids and a farm to make the trek up to SilverStar. After a few quiet first seasons that saw mostly family and friends using the hill, it began to garner attention following the addition of a new tow rope, safety gates, groomed slopes, and even a children’s ski school.

Night Skiing at New Winterside, undated.

Moving on up

By 1969, the Boyds and business partner Neil Wolliams had decided that it was time to move their venture five miles up the hill to their Tillicum Valley property where a northern exposure offered better snow conditions. They installed a 2,000 foot T-bar to service two lit runs that could be used for day or night skiing, and named it the New Winterside Ski Hill and Recreation Area.

The resort officially opened in January of 1970. In addition to the two slopes, it included a skating rink, snowmobile trails, and ski-doo rentals. Eventually, it would come to be year-round playground with a hot spring, a raceway, hiking trails, and even an alpine slide. It is here that Rob Boyd, one of Molly and Sandy’s sons and the first male Canadian to win a gold medal in a World Cup downhill race in his home country, began his athletic career.

Sandy Boyd and an unidentified woman looking at the bottom of a cart for the alpine slide at Tillicum in 1979.

From New Winterside to Camp Tillicum

After several seasons of poor snow conditions, the Boyds were forced to sell New Winterside in the early 1980s. They moved to Whistler to support their son’s blossoming skiing career, and New Winterside faced an uncertain future as its assets were sold off. Thankfully, in 1989, the property was purchased by the Girl Guides of Canada, and “Camp Tillicum” is still used by the group today. Molly and Sandy eventually moved back to the Vernon area, and continued to serve as active and energetic community members.

To explore more of Vernon’s history, check out our other blog posts!

Gwyneth Evans, Research and Communications Coordinator

The Okanagan School of Ballet

Posted on 22 October 202127 October 2021 by Vernon Museum

The Okanagan School of Ballet has been a fixture on Vernon’s 27^th Street since it opened in 1980. The school’s director and one of its founders, Deborah Banks, is a former member of the Alberta Ballet Company and a born-and-raised Vernonite.

Prior to housing the ballet school, the building, which was built circa 1938, was used as a private residence and later by the local Jehovah’s Witnesses.

In addition to ballet training, the school also offers classes in tap, jazz, modern, and hip hop, and prepares students to take exams with the Royal Academy of Dance. Several of Bank’s graduates have gone on to have successful careers in performing arts.

In addition to regular classes, students at the Okanagan School of Ballet participate in festivals and recitals. In 1990, to celebrate their 10^th anniversary, students performed “A Celebration of Dance.” In 1993, the Okanagan School of Ballet and the Young Scott Singers entertained audiences with a production of The Nutcracker, with Katherine Wilson playing Clara. In 2013, the school presented The Wizard of Oz for its annual recital, which saw Andie Wemyss fill the role of Dorothy.

Banks, who holds an advanced executant certificate from the Royal Academy of Dance, has being teaching dance to students of all ages and skill-levels for more than 40 years. That is a lot of pointed toes!

Right: A photo from the May 1, 1990, edition of the Vernon News. Young dancers prepare for their Royal Academy of Dance exams at the Okanagan School of Ballet.

Gwyn Evans, Research and Communications Coordinator

Larry Kwong

Posted on 1 October 20215 May 2022 by Vernon Museum

2021/’22 Hockey Season

With the cooler weather setting in, hockey season is only just around the corner. The 2021/’22 National Hockey League season begins on October 12 between this year’s Stanley Cup champions, the Tampa Bay Lightning, and the Pittsburgh Penguins.

The NHL has a long history, dating back to 1917 when it replaced the National Hockey Association. But it was not until 1948 that the league saw its first non-white player; the player who broke the colour barrier was named Larry Kwong, and he was born right here in Vernon.

One of Fifteen

Larry Kwong (1923-2018) was the second youngest of fifteen children. His father, Ng Shu Kwong, had immigrated to Canada from China in 1884, eventually setting up a store in Vernon called the Kwong Hing Lung Grocery.

Like many young boys, Larry grew up listening to hockey games on CBC radio. His passion for the sport was obvious even from the age of five, and two of his older brothers, Jack and Jimmy, encouraged Larry to start playing hockey himself. When the weather was cold enough, Jack and Jimmy would pour water into a vacant lot near the family store, creating a rink for Larry to practice. Larry and some of his friends also liked to frequent a nearby local pond to play their games and sharpen their skills.

A first hockey Team

When Larry was 16, he joined his first hockey team, the Vernon Hydrophones. His natural talent gained him instant attention, and his career took off from there. This is not to say that he did not face significant racial barriers along the way; in fact, in 1942, he was invited to the training camp of the Chicago Black Hawks, but the Canadian Government never processed the paperwork that would allow him to leave and return to Canada.

Joining the NHL

It wasn’t until after his enfranchisement as a result of serving in the Canadian Army during World War Two that Larry was able to accept an invitation into the NHL. He made his debut with the New York Rangers on March 13, 1948. However, Larry decided to leave the team after only one season; although he was the Rangers’ top scorer, he received very little ice time.

A long Career

He went on to have a long and successful career in senior leagues across Canada and the United States, and coached both hockey and tennis in England and Switzerland. He also helped to run his family’s grocery business, which had migrated to Calgary.

In 2011, Larry Kwong was inducted into the Okanagan Sports Hall of Fame, and two years later, in 2013, into the B.C. Sports Hall of Fame. This remarkable man passed away in Calgary on March 15, 2018.

Gwyn Evans, Research and Communications Coordinator

Do you have memories of winter carnivals past?

The video interviews will be conducted in mid-late August with a focus on three main questions:

Residents wishing to be interviewed should meet the following requirements:

If you or someone you know might be interested in participating contact the Winter Carnival Society today by emailing INFO@VERNONWINTERCARNIVAL.COM or calling 250-545-2236.​

In the meantime, take a trip back in past to the 1964 Vernon Winter Carnival.

First Stop: Winter Carnival Parade

Next Stop: Silver Star Mountain

MAY LONG

celebrations fit for a queen

A most respected sovereign

The World’s Most decorated

WheelChair Curling

Paralympics

Vernon Vanguards of Winter Sports

An Unbreakable determination

A remarkable Feat

An Olympic Champion

A Community Icon

Vernon Vanguards of Winter Sports

Celebrated Local Athletes

An origin story

Crazy Canucks

Vernon Vanguards of Winter Sports

Chinese New Year 2022

A celebration 100 years ago

Decorations of red and gold

Ringing in the New Year

The Vernon Winter Carnival is always new

Royalty and Dignitaries

Vernon: A Winter Playground

Queen Silver Star I accepts her crown

To the Max 80’s Party – Virtual Edition

SilverStar’s Little SIbling

Moving on up

From New Winterside to Camp Tillicum

2021/’22 Hockey Season

Newsletter Signup

If you or someone you know might be interested in participating contact the Winter Carnival Society today by emailing INFO@VERNONWINTERCARNIVAL.COM or calling 250-545-2236.