This second article in a two-part series looks back at Vernon’s earliest mayors, highlighting their leadership, contributions, and memorable moments during a time when the city was still finding its footing. While more recent mayors have also played pivotal roles in Vernon’s growth, this series focuses on the city’s earliest leaders, capturing the formative years of its civic traditions.
By 1905, Vernon had already seen nine different mayors, a reflection of the city’s rapid growth and evolving needs. In 1908, R. W. Timmins took office and oversaw the opening of Central School (now Beairsto Elementary) but sadly became the first mayor to pass away while in office, succumbing to tuberculosis. His replacement, M. V. Allen, served less than a term but earned a reputation for running efficient council meetings, sometimes wrapping them up in under an hour.
From 1910 to 1912, H. W. Husband served as mayor before becoming Officer Commanding of the Lumby Squadron of the Okanagan Mounted Rifles. His life was tragically cut short during a military training course in Winnipeg. M. J. O’Brien followed in 1912, serving only one year but overseeing the installation and testing of a fire alarm system in Vernon.
W. H. Smith (1914 -1917) emerged as a popular candidate, with his first election drawing Vernon’s largest voter turnout to that point, possibly influenced by the onset of the First World War and the desire for steady leadership. Smith also represented Vernon at the provincial level, serving as Vice-President of the Union of B.C. Municipalities during his tenure.
His successor, S. A. Shatford (1917–1920), guided the city through the latter half of the War and was praised for his leadership. So highly regarded was his service that his colleagues awarded him an honorarium of $1,000 “in recognition of the exceptional services rendered to the city by Mayor Shatford during the three years which he has filled the mayor’s chair,” particularly his efforts to stabilize the city’s finances.
C. F. Costerton, mayor from 1921 to 1923, was also recognized for his contributions with an honorarium. A longtime Vernon resident who had arrived in 1888, Costerton’s career included work as an insurance and real estate representative, notary public, and alderman.
The decade closed with mayors J. S. Galbraith (1924–1927), an early supporter of the newly formed Okanagan Historical Society, and L. L. Stewart, first elected in 1928, who went on to become one of Vernon’s longest-serving mayors with six years in office.
Though this series focuses on Vernon’s first decades of leadership, it is important to note the contributions of later mayors as well. Among them are M. A. Clarke, elected in 1987 as Vernon’s first female mayor. Her achievements, along with those of many others, show how each era’s leaders have helped shape Vernon into the community it is today.
Archives Manager, Gwyneth Evans