| City of Vernon | |
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| Downtown Vernon | |
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City of Vernon
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| Coordinates: | |
| Country | Canada |
| Province | British Columbia |
| Regional District | North Okanagan |
| Incorporated | December 30, 1892 |
| Government | |
| • Mayor | Robert Sawatzky |
| • Governing Body | Vernon City Council |
| • MP | Colin Mayes |
| • MLA | Eric Foster |
| Area | |
| • Total | 94.2 km2 (36.4 sq mi) |
| Elevation | 380 m (1,247 ft) |
| Population (2006) | |
| • Total | 35,944 |
| • Density | 381.6/km2 (988.3/sq mi) |
| Time zone | Pacific Time Zone (UTC-8) |
| • Summer (DST) | Pacific Daylight Time (UTC-7) |
| Postal code span | V1B, V1H, V1T |
| Area code(s) | +1-250 +1-778 |
| Website | City of Vernon |
Vernon is a city in the south-central region of British Columbia, Canada. Named after Forbes George Vernon, a former MLA of British Columbia who helped found the famed Coldstream Ranch, the City of Vernon was incorporated on December 30, 1892. The City of Vernon has a population of 35,944 (2006), while its metropolitan region, Greater Vernon, has a population of 55,418 (2006).[1] With this population, Vernon is the largest city in the North Okanagan Regional District. A resident of Vernon is called a "Vernonite".
In 2005, on an episode of The Early Show, Vernon was ranked as one of the top six most desirable communities to retire to in North America by Consumer Reports.[2]
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In the early years, parts of the Okanagan Valley were inhabited by the Interior Salish people. They were hunter-gatherers, who are a direct relation to the Coastal Salish known for their Totem Poles. The Interior Natives were a quiet, non-warlike culture which was over-run by the fur traders first arriving in 1811. The earliest development, aside from pit-houses which dot the area, 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 this 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 1900s, 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 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 (this camp is now the site of W.L Seaton Secondary School) and in WWII for people of Japanese descent (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, music, 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, Alberta), Whitehorse CSTC, (Whitehorse, Yukon), Blackdown ACSTC (Borden, Ontario), Connaught ACSTC (Ottawa, Ontario), Valcartier ACSTC (CFB Valcartier Quebec), Mont St-Sacrement CSTC, (St-Gabriel-de-Valcartier, Quebec) and Argonaut ACSTC (CFB Gagetown, New Brunswick). Approximately 78,000 young Canadians have attended Vernon ACTSC in the past 61 years. Vernon ACSTC celebrated its 60th Anniversary in the summer of 2009.
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.[3] In recent years, each of these highways has undergone major renovations, including a new $22-million interchange system and four lane expansion at the Highway 97 and Highway 97A junction.[4]
The City of Vernon, in conjunction with the District of Coldstream and the North Okanagan Regional District, operates Vernon Regional Transit through BC Transit. This transit system is responsible for all local full-service and handyDART public bus transportation. However, there are very few buses services the area, and they do not run on a very tight schedule. Most residents get around by automobiles, and in the summer many of them walk. Greyhound Canada also serves Vernon for out-of-town destinations from their downtown bus terminal.[5]
Vernon is served by the Vernon Regional Airport (IATA: YVE, ICAO: CYVK) in the Okanagan Landing area. Currently, the airport has no scheduled air service, and is primarily used by civilian aircraft.[6]
The Greater Vernon area is also served by Kelowna International Airport, located approximately 40 kilometres (about a 1/2 hour to 40 minute drive) south on Hwy 97. Numerous airlines provide scheduled passenger and cargo services to points throughout British Columbia and Alberta, as well as to Toronto, Ontario and Seattle, Washington (USA). Some airlines also offer service to locations as far away as Puerto Vallarta, Mexico. Most people that are traveling long distances have to drive to Kelowna International Airport and then fly from there to Vancouver International Airport, where they take their flight to the location they are traveling to. Calgary International Airport is another convenient connecting point, as it's also about a one-hour flight from Kelowna.
| Climate data for Vernon | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Month | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | Year |
| Record high °C (°F) | 14.5 (58.1) |
13.1 (55.6) |
19.3 (66.7) |
27 (81) |
33 (91) |
36.5 (97.7) |
38.5 (101.3) |
36.5 (97.7) |
32.5 (90.5) |
27.4 (81.3) |
19.4 (66.9) |
13 (55) |
38.5 (101.3) |
| Average high °C (°F) | −1.6 (29.1) |
1.8 (35.2) |
8.2 (46.8) |
14 (57) |
18.7 (65.7) |
22.9 (73.2) |
26.2 (79.2) |
26.1 (79.0) |
20 (68) |
12.1 (53.8) |
3.8 (38.8) |
1.8 (35.2) |
12.3 (54.1) |
| Average low °C (°F) | −6.7 (19.9) |
−4.2 (24.4) |
−0.6 (30.9) |
3 (37) |
7.2 (45.0) |
11.1 (52.0) |
13.2 (55.8) |
13.2 (55.8) |
8.5 (47.3) |
3.7 (38.7) |
−1.5 (29.3) |
−5.5 (22.1) |
3.4 (38.1) |
| Record low °C (°F) | −26.7 (−16.1) |
−23.5 (−10.3) |
−18.3 (−0.9) |
−7.2 (19.0) |
0 (32) |
1.5 (34.7) |
5.5 (41.9) |
4.4 (39.9) |
−1.4 (29.5) |
−17.1 (1.2) |
−29.4 (−20.9) |
−31 (−24) |
−31 (−24) |
| Precipitation mm (inches) | 32.8 (1.291) |
26.2 (1.031) |
26.9 (1.059) |
27.7 (1.091) |
40.1 (1.579) |
42.4 (1.669) |
37.5 (1.476) |
33.8 (1.331) |
32.9 (1.295) |
26.6 (1.047) |
40.4 (1.591) |
42.7 (1.681) |
409.9 (16.138) |
| Source: Environment Canada[7] | |||||||||||||
Vernon is currently served by School District 22 Vernon, a school district that includes 14 elementary schools and 5 high schools. The high schools are: Vernon Secondary School, Kalamalka High School, Clarence Fulton High School, W.L. Seaton Secondary, and Charles Bloom Secondary. Vernon Secondary School, otherwise known as VSS is in the neighborhood of East Hill. Kalamalka High School, otherwise known as Kal, is in the neighboring municipality of Coldstream which is near Kalamalka Lake. Fulton High School is near the airport in South Vernon. Seaton High School, also known as Seaton, is located directly off 27th Street which merges into Highway 97. Charles Bloom Secondary is in the town of Lumby, which is about 20 minutes East of Vernon on Highway 6. The high schools have many school rivalries, with all five schools competing in annual grad pranks as well as healthy competition in sporting events.[8] Vernon is also home to multiple independent schools such as the Vernon Christian School which has both an elementary (preschool-grade 6) and secondary campus with a middle school (grades 7-9) and high school (grades 10-12) www.vcs.ca For post-secondary education, Vernon is home to Okanagan College, a multi-campus full degree granting college. Many summer courses and yearly courses are offered there. Other smaller community and specialty colleges exist within Vernon.
Each winter, Vernon plays host to the Vernon Winter Carnival. First held in 1961, it is now Western Canada's largest and North America's second largest Winter Carnival.[9][10][11]
Also, in summer, there is the Sunshine festival, held on the main street.
During the August long weekend for the past 9 years The Komasket Music Festival has taken place on the land of the Okanagan Indian Band. During this weekend a multi-cultural village is created in the town of Vernon and draws a crowd from across the nation as well as introducing international acts including this year's headliner The Wailers (reggae legend Bob Marley's backing band) to the area for the first time (in 2009 the festival brought 80's hip-hop icons Arrested Development (group)). It was started by the local music act known as Samsara and promotes family, community, world music and freedom. Being on sacred native land there is a no alcohol policy which creates a much safer and family orientated vibe.
Vernon is also home to a state of the art performing arts centre, The Vernon and District Performing Arts Centre.[12] The society presents three series of entertainment including dance, theatre and child oriented. The performing arts centre also hosts hundreds of touring musical acts, local talent and community based events on a yearly basis. Vernon also boasts one of the most successful film societies in Canada. Films are presented every second Monday at Vernon's Towne Cinema (www.vernoncinema.com). The Vernon Film Society also produces two film festivals per year. One is a festival dedicated to the presentation of documentary films from around the world. The Second film festiva is also an international film festival dedicated to the presentation of mainstream movies that fall into the "Arts" genre.
Vernon's Towne Cinema is the home of The Vernon Film Society and is a classic example of a 1930's Art Deco style theatre. Built in 1929-30, the Towne Cinema began its life as The National Ball Room, presenting live entertainment on stage, hosting banquets and stage plays. It was the main venue in Vernon for entertaining the troops during the Second World War and was heavily involved in selling war bonds and the collection of aluminum from its customers for the war effort. Children could bring an old aluminum pot or pan and receive a ticket for a free movie, the aluminum going towards the construction of war planes and other military materials so necessary for the achievement of victory over the Nazi regime of Adolf Hitler. The Towne Cinema has enjoyed 80 years of success entertaining movie fans in this Okanagan city and hopes to enjoy 80 more.
The Vernon Community Arts Centre is located in Polson Park near downtown Vernon. This community centre is a studio-based facility and is operated by the Arts Council of the North Okanagan. The VCAC offers year-round programming for youth and adults such as art classes and workshops, an artist in residence program and independent study sessions.
Vernon also hosts the Creative Chaos art fair. Many artisans come and sell: jewellery, chocolates and candies, unique clothing, and other household items and/or decorations. The fair usually lasts three days and many of the citizens of Vernon partake. One of the main draws of the fair is the food fair. The food fair is held in the ice-less ice rink in the middle of the Rec Centre. A number of vendors are there selling many different cultural foods. The Creative Chaos art fair is a highlight in Vernon.
Vernon's downtown core is home to a large public art display in the form of its mural project. This artwork depicts interpretations of period photographs from Vernon's early history. The collection of most of the approximate 26 murals was created under the direction of lead artist Michelle Loughery. The mural project is in a continual state of growth, with new pieces of art being added at regular intervals. One of the most notable murals is a depiction of Sveva Caetani, daughter of Italian noble Leone Caetani. She was an Italian immigrant who survived captivity by her mother to become a famed artist and local art instructor.[13]
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 summer Vernon hosts a large SloPitch tournament (Funtastic).
The Vernon area is home to several golf courses.[14] Among these is the prestigious Predator Ridge Resort, a 36-hole golf resort and community. This resort is one of only two public golf courses in Western Canada to have been ranked by Score Magazine as one of Canada's top 25 golf courses over the last 8 years. Predator Ridge Resort also hosted the Skins Game twice - first in 2000 featuring Fred Couples, Sergio García, Phil Mickelson, and Mike Weir,[15][16] then in 2008 featuring Mike Weir, Fred Couples, Greg Norman, Colin Montgomerie and Camilo Villegas.
A new Fred Couples Signature golf course is now open. "The Rise" showcases unsurpassed views of the Okanagan Lake and of Vernon itself.
One of the most popular winter sports in Vernon is skiing. Blessed with two major ski locations, each winter locals and tourists alike flock to Silver Star Mountain Resort and Sovereign Lake Nordic Club. Known as one of the top ski resorts in North America, Silver Star also has a large cross-country skiing area which hosted a 1991 FIS Cross-Country World Cup event.[17][18] As another world class ski area, Sovereign Lake is the region's premier cross-country skiing location with over 50 kilometers of skiing terrain.[19] This Nordic Club gained worldwide exposure as the host of a 2005 FIS Cross-Country World Cup event.[20]
Curling also has a strong following in Vernon, with local curlers being found at the Vernon Curling Club. In past years, Vernon has hosted several major national curling events, including the 1979 Canadian Senior Women's Curling Championship, the 1992 Canadian Junior Curling Championships, and the 2004 Canadian Senior Curling Championships. Its first international event, the 2008 Ford World Women's Curling Championship was held at the Vernon Multiplex.[21]
Tennis Another popular sport in Vernon is Tennis with many courts in picturesque locations . The Vernon Tennis Association (VTA) was started in October 2008 to bring together all tennis players of all skill levels within the Vernon area and to offer both competitive and social programs that are not being offered currently to players. Presently the VTA operates programs 15 hours per week in "partnership" with Greater Vernon Parks, Recreation and Culture. VTA website
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 among the most popular of the twenty or so larger beaches in Vernon. If you find the larger beaches too crowded, it is possible to find your own private piece of beach real estate, as there are hundreds, if not thousands of small accessible beaches across the landscape, and even your own private lake if you look hard enough.
SunValley Speedway brings stock cars, including a NASCAR Canadian Tire Series national event, to their facility north of Vernon.
Cougar Canyon is near Vernon, with both a popular rock climbing site and an ecological preserve. Another place for cliff jumpers and campers is Ellison Provincial Park, located about 30-40 minutes out of South Vernon.
Vernon has also seen success in junior hockey. The Vernon Vipers (former the Vernon Lakers) are one of the most decorated junior teams in Canadian history having won the Royal Bank Cup (formerly the Centennial Cup) 6 times, four coming in the 1990s. They won while hosting the tournament in 1990, repeated in 1991, again in 1996, in 1999 and most recently won back-to-back championships in 2009 and 2010; giving arguably the most dominant performance of any franchise in a single decade since the introduction of the Centennial Cup in 1971. To date, the Vernon Vipers have won 4 Royal Bank Cups, 2 Centennial Cups, 4 Abbott Cups, 5 Doyle Cups, 8 Mowat Cups and 9 League Titles.
| Club | League | Sport | Established | Venue |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Vernon Vipers | BCHL | Ice hockey | 1961 | Wesbild Centre |
The Vernon Tigers Junior B Lacrosse Club was established in 2000, coinciding with the inception of the Thompson Okanagan Junior Lacrosse League. Since that time, they have won three league titles and two provincial silver medals.
| Club | League | Sport | Established | Venue |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Vernon Tigers | TOJLL | Lacrosse | 2000 | Wesbild Centre |
Vernon has “sister city” agreements with the following cities:[22]
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