Vernon, British Columbia
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| Census Division | |
| Regional District | North Okanagan |
| Area: | 77.92 km² |
| Founded | |
| Incorporated | 1892 |
| Population:
City |
33,494 (2001) |
| Population density: | 429.9/km² |
| Time zone: | Pacific: UTC -8 |
| Postal code span: | |
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Latitude: |
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| Elevation: | 381 m MSL |
| Highways | Highway 6 Highway 97 |
| Waterways | Okanagan Lake Kalamalka Lake Swan Lake |
| Mayor: | |
| Governing body: | Vernon City Council |
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| 1(sc) According to the Canada 2001 Census. 2(gr) Geographic references.Template help Edit Template  |
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Vernon is a city in the south central region of British Columbia called the Okanagan at the north end of Okanagan Lake and Kalamalka Lake.
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[edit] Recreation and Sports
Vernon is known for its lakes and beaches in the summer, and skiing and hockey in the winter. It is therefore a year-round tourist destination and weekend get-away for people from Vancouver and Calgary. During the winter it hosts Western Canada's largest Winter Carnival and in the summer hosts a large SloPitch tournament (Funtastic). Silver Star Mountain Resort is a well-regarded destination for skiing approximately 25 kilometres north-east of Vernon. Vernon is also home to some quality golf courses including Predator Ridge (Host of the Export A Skins Game in 2000), Spallumcheen Golf, and the Vernon Golf and Country Club. Armstrong 15 minutes north also offers a golf course.
Beaches Hosting several beaches, Kalamalka Beach (Kal Beach) is amongst the most popular near Vernon. A large pier built by a local service club is used for sun bathing and jumping. In the evenings the beach is used extensively for beach volleyball Kin Beach and Paddle Wheel Park Beach on Okanagan Lake are also amongst the most popular of the twenty or so beaches in or near Vernon.
Vernon Minor Football consists of 1 atom team (Vernon BlueBombers) 2 PeeWee teams (Vernon Yellowjackets) + (Vernon Rams) 2 Junior Bantam Teams (Vernon Mouraders) + (Vernon Vikings) 1 Bantam team (Vernon Wolverines) and a midget Team (Vernon magnum)
[edit] History
For many thousands of years, parts of the Okanagan Valley were occupied by the Interior Salish people. Fur traders first arrived in 1811. The earliest development occurred alongside Swan Lake. Growth occurred quite rapidly in the few decades following the first trading posts. Discoveries of gold in surrounding creeks generated a small rush of miners, which in turn drew cattle farmers. Native presence prompted Oblate missionaries. Father Durieu built a cabin near the junction of Swan Lake and Long Lake Creeks about 1863, joining Luc Girouard, a gold miner and the first white settler in the area. By 1890, a charter was granted for the construction of a branch line from Sicamous to Okanagan Landing. In the surrounding district, wheat growing had become an important industry, second only to cattle ranching. Fruit farming was introduced by Lord Aberdeen on the Coldstream Ranch lands, attracting many British families to the area.
New subdivisions on East Hill, Mission Hill, and other areas near the city core accommodated the rapid population growth of this period. By the early 1900's, Vernon was recognized as the economic hub of the Okanagan. This period of growth and development came to an end in 1913, when an economic depression slowed the movement of capital for land development, although the establishment of the military camp in Vernon in 1913 and the growing importance of the food packaging industry softened the economic blow.
During both World Wars, Vernon was an important training ground for Canadian Troops. The military camp, #110 Canadian Army Basic Training Centre, trained thousands of soldiers from 1940-45. The 19th Infantry Brigade made its headquarters here, comprising of 3rd Battalion Irish Fusiliers (Vancouver Regiment), Winnipeg Light Infantry, Prince Albert Volunteers, 26th Field Company Royal Canadian Engineers, 25th Field Ambulance and various support units. Some 6 km to the east of the camp on the edge of the Coldstream Ranch was the Battle Drill School. This camp trained Canadian soldiers in advanced fighting skills from 1942-45. It was the first FIBUA (Fighting In Built Up Areas) training centre in the world. To this day, unexploded artillery and mortar shells used in training are still turned up by the frost and development of the surrounding hills. Internment camps were also located in Vernon during the World Wars; in WWI for Ukrainian Canadians (ironically this camp is now the site of a high school) and in WWII for people of Japanese decent (mostly from Vancouver).
After WWII, the camp was mothballed. In 1949 it was reopened and became an Army Cadet Training Centre for the Royal Canadian Army Cadets which it continues as to this day, Vernon Army Cadet Summer Training Centre. This training centre teaches approximately 1400 cadets: citizenship, leadership, orienteering and map using, canoeing, sports events, bushcraft, safe firearms handling and shooting, rock climbing, mountaineering, first aid training, drill each summer. The ACSTC (Army Cadet Summer Training Centre) is operational for 10 weeks with course cadets taking courses up to 6 weeks in duration. The cadets come from nearly all parts of Canada. During the balance of the year the training centre serves various reserve and cadet units on weekends or longer training. It is the oldest ACSTC in Canada. Other ACSTCs include: Rocky Mountain ACSTC (NW of Cochrane, AB), Whitehorse CSTC, (Whitehorse, YK), Blackdown ACSTC (Borden, ON), Connaught ACSTC (Ottawa, ON), Valcartier ACSTC (CFB Valcartier QC), Mont St-Sacrement CSTC, (St-Gabriel-de-Valcartier QC) and Argonaut ACSTC (CFB Gagetown, NB). Approximately 75,000 young Canadians have benefited from the experiences at Vernon ACTSC in the past 57 years.
[edit] How To Get There
Three provincial highways can be found in Vernon: Highway 97 which passes through Vernon, Highway 97A which begins in Vernon, and Highway 6 which ends in Vernon. In recent years, each of these highways has undergone major renovations, including a new interchange system at the Highway 97 and Highway 97A junction.
Vernon has a Regional Airport (IATA Airport Code: YVE; ICAO Airport Code: CWVK) in the Okanagan Landing area.
[edit] Other information
- Facts
- Location: 50.27N, 119.27W (map).
- Population: 33,494 (2001).
- StatsCan Community Profile
- References
