A Brief History of Vernon:

For many thousands of years, the Okanagan Valley was the undisputed home of the Interior Salish. Early in the 19th C., fur traders used their trails along Okanagan Lake to export furs from the area to the outside world. By the 1860’s, gold discoveries had brought miners and missionaries to the valley. Settlers soon followed and land was pre-empted for ranches in Coldstream, Vernon, and Okanagan Landing. Wagon roads soon replaced the old pack trails, and, with the arrival of a branch line of the CPR in 1892, settlers were able to reach the larger markets outside the Okanagan Valley. Improved transportation led to increased immigration and soon the large ranches were being sub-divided into smaller holdings. Major irrigation schemes allowed for the intensive planting of orchards and field crops. After a major population boom between 1907 and 1912, rumours of war curbed the influx of European capital into the Okanagan and the major land companies experienced financial collapse.

As World War I progressed, soldiers came from all parts of Canada to train at Camp Vernon. Vernon’s first airport opened on Mission Hill and private schools welcomed students with the promise of a British education. The confidence of the 1920’s was followed by the depression of the 1930’s as the supply of orchard fruit vastly exceeded the demand. Road and rail transportation improved enough that the CPR discontinued sternwheeler passenger service on Okanagan Lake.

Another war brought troops for training at Camp Vernon, while the end of the war saw a new tide of immigration to the valley. Postwar optimism produced improvements in communication, education, transportation, and entertainment. Orchards began to disappear as orchardists sold out to eager developers. The army camp came alive once more, this time with the arrival of cadets from across Canada. The completion of new highways to the coast and Alberta added tourism to the economic mix. New construction from the 1960’s to present day has included a civic centre, a recreation complex, several shopping malls, library, multiplex, and a performing arts centre. Predator Ridge Golf Course, Silver Star Mountain Resort, Okanagan Spring Brewery, and the Far West outdoor clothing factory have brought Vernon international acclaim. The city continues to thrive – a unique history, a diversified economy, a beautiful natural setting, and a balance between sports and cultural activities have all contributed to making Vernon the "Top of the Okanagan".

History of the Greater Vernon Museum & Archives:

The beginnings of the Greater Vernon Museum and Archives can be traced back to three men: Charles Haines, David Howrie, Sr., and W.C. Pound. Haines, a Coldstream orchardist, had trained as a cabinet-maker and taxidermist and, in his spare time, had amassed a large collection of native artifacts. Howrie was in the construction business and had been mayor of Vernon from 1943-1948. Pound had worked in Vernon as a taxidermist and furrier for 58 years. On his death, his mounted specimens were left to the city with the understanding that the collection would become the nucleus of a museum. In 1950, the first small museum was organized in the local high school. Haines built cases while Howrie handled the politics of developing the structure of the organization. In 1954, the first board of directors was elected to run the museum on a budget of $250 a year. In 1956, the museum moved to the former police station and ten years later, moved to a new civic building (Civic Centre Complex) shared with the art gallery and library. In 1970, the City of Vernon enacted a bylaw establishing a Board of Museum and Archives.

The Vernon Museum when it was located in the former police station. Circa: 1965

Photo Number: 1272

Interior view of the museum when it was located at the former police station. Circa: 1965

Photo Number: 1273

The Civic Centre Complex:

The Greater Vernon Museum and Archives occupies a 1½-story brick-block building that was constructed in 1966.  The building is one of five that make up the Civic Centre Complex located near the centre of downtown Vernon.  The other four structures are occupied by Vernon City Hall, the Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP), the Vernon Fire Department, and the Vernon Branch of the Okanagan Regional Library (constructed later in 1988-89).  The grounds surrounding the complex consist of walkways, courtyards, fountains, and grassy areas with an abundance of outdoor seating.

The original complex, consisting of four buildings, was designed by a consortium of local architects (Allen, Gower, Huggins, and Meiklejohn). Shortly after the project was completed, the architects submitted a letter stating, "The Civic centre is perhaps unique in Canada in that to our knowledge no other town of comparable size has developed a site such as Vernon's with all new civic buildings integrated one with the other to provide an architectural balanced scheme...The buildings were designed using natural materials together with sheet copper (and) sloping roof forms...The form of the buildings echoes the shapes of the hills surrounding Vernon."

The museum building originally housed the museum, art gallery, and library. Today, the Greater Vernon Museum and Archives occupies the entire structure which consists of approximately 13,000 square feet.

In 1968, the Civic Centre Complex received Honourable Mention as being "...among the 100 most beautiful buildings in Canada" in a submission for the Massey Medal Award for Architecture. Later, in 1971 the Complex was judged the Zone "C" winner for the Park & Tilford Beautification Award, placing it second in British Columbia that year.

Views of the Vernon Museum building shortly after construction in 1966

Exterior. Photo Number: 11668

Front Entrance. Photo Number: 11667

Exhibition Area. Photo Number: 11668