1946* stands out in my mind for a couple of reasons. First, it was the year that my father, mother and I moved into the historic Haynes house. My father, along with my grandmother, grandfather and his sister Peggy, had moved into it in 1917. My father was 9 years old at the time, and he lived in that house until he went away to UBC in 1928. My grandparents continued to live in the house until 1946, when they moved to another house in Osoyoos, and my family moved in and operated the orchard.
The second reason that 1947 was a significant year is that I entered grade 7, and since the Osoyoos School (now the town office) at that time was an elementary school, it meant being bussed to Oliver. For grades 7, 8 and the first part of 9, we were housed in what was known as the ’41 building. The first school bus we rode on had wooden seats which ran from the back of the bus to the front. Interesting movement of bodies occurred whenever an unexpected slow down or stop was made by the driver. Grade 7 bodies, being naturally smaller than older student’s bodies, got moved along those bench seats quite frequently. Buses changed: the school changed as well, as in the fall of 1948, we were able to move into the brand new Southern Okanagan High School. I think it was in the early 50’s that the present Sonora Centre was built as the Elementary School, and it eventually expanded to include grade 10, while 11’s and 12’s were bussed to Oliver. The present High School was built in the early 80’s.
Going to Oliver to school was really a positive experience. It was a good first step in learning to be independent; we met new people and made new friends. Our age group benefitted from making a small step out into the world. Later, the same benefits were available only to grades 11 and 12, but I feel that is was still a good experience.
Growing up in Osoyoos back then was a lot different from the way it is now. Osoyoos back then was a lot different from what it is now. Everybody knew everybody and it was truly a community in every sense of the word. But it allowed us a sense to freedom that kids don’t have these days. It was a growing agricultural area, and the concept of tourists was unknown. It’s a little unfair to make too many comparisons, because WW2 influenced our daily lives, with food rationing, gas rationing, etc. But one memory is worth commenting on: in those days, if you were outside, and a vehicle went by on the gravelled highway, you knew whose it was just from the sounds! Now, as a consequence of the 1948 flood, the bridge was replaced, the roadway raised and paved; the traffic is now endless and we even have the traffic light, and we don’t recognize even the appearance of local traffic.
We had lived in a few of the houses that are on the lake on the south side of “motel strip” until that aforementioned move to the Haynes house in 1946. That house took a few years of planning and building, and was completed in 1882. Looking at it now, it is impossible to tell that its first story is built of logs that were placed on a stone foundation. Any lumber that was used, primarily for the second floor, was floated down the Valley from a sawmill just south of Kelowna. It was a great place for a young boy to grow up in. There was lots of room, as it was just over 1900 square feet. The second floor, really more of an attic, had four rooms and they were used as play rooms and storage rooms. When the house was eventually sold, we were impressed by the sheer volume of interesting items that both my grandparents and parents had put up there. In the years I lived in it, from 1946 until 1959, I was always aware of its history. It was a delight to have 14 acres of orchard to roam in, and the unmown grass grew tall enough to provide settings for all sorts of child-invented games.
It was a change from where we had lived previously, since the houses were farther apart. But a newly acquired bicycle made short work of the distance back to the old neighbourhood, as did a small boat with a small inboard gas engine.
- see George’s comment below
- (this is a repeat of a story from about a year ago)