Summerland Museum & Archives Society

05/29/2026

In a world where we have constant access to instant communication, it's hard to imagine life without our phones, emails, texts, and myriad messaging platforms. It wasn't too long ago, however, that the only way to communicate over long distances was by letter - a slow and unreliable process. The telegraph changed that and revolutionised communication!

Join us for a special lecture by telegraph expert Tim Taylor to learn about the dramatic impact that the telegraph had on communities and businesses across Canada. Tim will then demonstrate how the telegraph worked on the museum's fully functioning telegraph. You will also have the opportunity to try your hand at Morse Code and send a live message to other museums in Alberta and BC via the Alberta MTC Line. Let's see if they understand you and send a reply!

05/28/2026

Baseball season is in full swing in Summerland (excuse the pun!), and with Action Festival Summerland fast approaching, this week's Throwback Thursday takes a look at an exciting ball game that took place a century ago.

An article on the front page of the Summerland Review, exactly 100 years ago, gives a fabulous review of a baseball game between Summerland and Penticton, in which our boys gave "the Penticton hopefuls one of the worst trimmings in the history of Okanagan baseball"! The report from 28th May, 1926, records the official score as 20-1 and triumphantly proclaims that "from the number of circuits which were made during the evening the battle resembled a marathon contest more than anything else". The hero of the game, according to the newspaper, was local athlete Warren Gayton, who "was practically invincible", and with Gayton's help, "the locals easily ran away with the game".

Warren Gayton (1904-1986) truly was a remarkable sportsman. The youngest of four sons born to parents Charles and Armena Gayton, Warren was born in New Brunswick and moved to Summerland with his family as a young boy. The Gaytons lived on Victoria Road North, near where Gayton St is now located, named in their honour. Warren was an all-around athlete - not only was he a key player on the Summerland baseball team, but he also competed on the town's senior basketball and hockey teams. While at Summerland High School, Warren was a member of the 1919 champion basketball team, and later played on the Winnipeg Toilers Men's Senior A Basketball team, winning the championship with them in 1927. Not content with limiting his abilities to the court, Warren was also a talented track athlete. As a young man, he won local and valley championships in the Okanagan, before representing his college on the track in Brandon, Manitoba. A sportsman to the end, Warren was still enjoying golf and bowling until his death aged 81.

The 2nd photo here shows the Summerland Baseball Team in 1919, and features a 15-year-old Warren Gayton in the front row.

Back row: Joe Gayton, Alex Smith, Blanchard Munn, C.H. Daly.
Middle row: Fraser Lister, Hugh McIntyre, Roland Reid.
Front row: Warren Gayton, Gordon Blewett.

05/28/2026

The Museum, like most other non-profit organisations, simply couldn't operate without the assistance of our volunteers. From our committed board members to the occasional seasonal helper, all our volunteers provide invaluable expertise, skills, and support. We appreciate every minute they spend with us!

It's not just the organisation that benefits, though - volunteering can provide the volunteer with new friendships, community connection, opportunities to learn new skills, and a sense of belonging and well-being.

If you are interested in getting more involved with your community, giving back while gaining so much, join us at our Community Volunteer Fair on 13th June.

This is a chance to meet local nonprofits, charities, and community groups all in one place. Discover volunteer opportunities for all ages, interests, and schedules while connecting with neighbours who care about making a positive impact in our town.

A wide range of different organisations will be represented at the fair. Whether you're interested in history, art, gardening, animals, or healthcare, explore the various volunteer opportunities available to you here in Summerland and discover how you can make a difference in your community.

05/27/2026

We've made it to the middle of the working week, and that can only mean one thing... it's time for What-is-it-Wednesday! Make no bones about it, this week's puzzle is a tricky one! Do you recognise today's mystery artifact? If you think you know what it is, or would like to take a guess, please leave your answer in the comments below. As always, we'll reveal the correct answer next Wednesday.

Last week's mystery artifact was one of a pair of boot cuffs. Made from black velveteen with black fake fur trim, these cuffs would lace onto the top of a pair of boots, thereby protecting the boots and keeping the wearer's feet warm.
Our boot cuffs belonged to Lilac Nilson, who wore them around 1930-1949. According to her obituary, Lilac was the mother of 9 children, and at the time of her death, had 20 grandchildren and 31 great-grandchildren! Lilac is buried in Canyon View Cemetery with her husband, Oscar, and son Terry.

05/23/2026

Congratulations Marie, the lucky winner of the Hometown 50/50 Lottery organized by the Rotary Club of Summerland in support of the Summerland Museum! 🥳🎉

Thank you to everyone who bought tickets for this fundraiser - money raised will be used to buy fun and interactive materials to make the museum even more welcoming to families with young children. The new Children's Learning Centre will be put together over the next couple of months - we can't wait to share it with you!

🎉 𝗥𝗼𝘁𝗮𝗿𝘆 𝗖𝗹𝘂𝗯 𝗼𝗳 𝗦𝘂𝗺𝗺𝗲𝗿𝗹𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗛𝗼𝗺𝗲𝘁𝗼𝘄𝗻 𝟱𝟬/𝟱𝟬 𝗪𝗶𝗻𝗻𝗲𝗿 𝗔𝗻𝗻𝗼𝘂𝗻𝗰𝗲𝗱 🎉

Congratulations to 𝗠𝗮𝗿𝗶𝗲 𝗣𝗮𝘂𝗹𝗵𝘂𝘀, winner of our latest Rotary Club of Summerland Hometown 50/50 draw, taking home 𝗮 𝗽𝗿𝗶𝘇𝗲 𝗼𝗳 $𝟱,𝟮𝟲𝟬!

Marie was presented with her cheque at today’s Rotary meeting at the Summerland Legion.

A huge thank you to everyone who purchased tickets and supported this draw in support of the Summerland Museum & Archives Society and their new 𝘊𝘩𝘪𝘭𝘥𝘳𝘦𝘯’𝘴 𝘓𝘦𝘢𝘳𝘯𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘊𝘦𝘯𝘵𝘳𝘦 initiative.

Your support helps fund more welcoming, interactive, and engaging community spaces for local children and families.

🎟 Our next Rotary 50/50 will be happening later this year. Stay tuned for details!

05/22/2026

Apparently, it's National Buy a Musical Instrument Day today 😆
We're pretty sure this was made up by an innovative music store, but what the heck... at least it gives us an excuse to share this wonderful photo from 1904, showing Summerland's first band posing on the steps of the Summerland Hotel with their musical instruments! 🥁🎷🎺🎸🪕🎻

Back row (l-r): Nelson Short, Jack (J.O) Robinson, W.J. (Bill) Lawrence (hotel manager), J.M. Robinson, Arthur Anderson, C.E. Pineo.
Front row (l-r): Will (W.L.) Robinson, Cam (R.C.) Robinson, K.S. (Kenneth) Hogg, Jack (J.W.L.) Logie, W. (Billy) Sylvester.

05/21/2026

This week's Throwback Thursday takes us back in time over 100 years to this wonderful photo of friends relaxing together.

With the ever-popular Meadowlark Nature Festival wrapping up for another year over the weekend, and Endangered Species Day taking place last week, we were put in mind of the conservation heritage that exists here in Summerland. We tend to think of ecological conservation as being a modern concern, but the folks pictured here in 1922 were early proponents of environmental stewardship.

Pictured here (from left to right) are Joe Liddell, Eric Tait, Bill Simpson, Art Simpson, and Harriet Simpson. The girl in the window is a cousin of Art. The group are relaxing outside Joe Liddell's cabin.

Known to everyone as "Joe", Sidney Albert Liddell first appears on our records on the 1903 voters list. He bought and farmed Lot 4 from the Summerland Syndicate and also had a pre-emption west of Faulder, which he called Dingley Dell. Joe enlisted in WW1, and on his return lived in 'Willowbrook' in Garnett Valley. Joe kept the land around his cabin as a bird and wildlife sanctuary and taught many young people to appreciate nature there. In 1926, Joe, along with Bert Simpson and Eric Tait, started an annual bird census in the Summerland area. They continued for over 20 years, with growing numbers of observers joining in, and ultimately, the South Okanagan Naturalist Club took over the event.

05/20/2026

Thinking caps on... It's What-is-it-Wednesday! Do you recognise this week's mystery artifact? If you think you know what it is or would like to take a guess, please leave your answers in the comments below.

Well done to everyone who correctly identified last week's mystery artifact as an accordion!
Our accordion is a button accordion, which is played by pushing buttons on a buttonboard, unlike a piano accordion, which makes use of a piano-style keyboard. It was made by the German company M. Hohner, which was founded by Matthias Hohner in Trossingen, Germany, in 1857, and still operates today. This model has the 'Highest Award, San Francisco 1915' stamp on it. This was in celebration of the company's triumph at the 1915 Panama-Pacific International Exposition (World's Fair) in San Francisco. Hohner was awarded the prestigious "Grand Prix" for their musical instruments, a distinction they proudly mass-produced on their accordion casing plates and grillwork. The stamp dates our accordion to between 1915 and the early 1920s.

05/19/2026

🚨 DEADLINE AT MIDNIGHT!🚨 Don't miss your chance to win - buy your tickets now for the Rotary Club of Summerland's Hometown 50/50 Lottery - the deadline is tonight (May 19th) at midnight!

This fundraiser is supporting the creation of a Children's Learning Centre at the Summerland Museum, including interactive installations, hands-on learning materials, and kids books on themes of reconciliation and diversity. Help us make the museum more welcoming and fun for families with young children!

Tickets can be bought online here: https://summerlandrotary.rafflenexus.com

Thank you so much for your support!

05/15/2026

Today is Endangered Species Day 🦇

Did you know that 48,600 species worldwide are threatened with extinction? (International Union for Conservation of Nature and Natural Resources)

In the South Okanagan and Lower Similkameen alone, 32 species are considered to be "at risk". In fact, the Okanagan Valley has more threatened, endangered, and rare species than any other part of BC. The South Okanagan is home to 30 percent of BC's Red-listed wildlife species, and 46 percent of the province's Blue-listed species.

It is more important than ever to work together to protect our native species and habitats.
To learn more about "at risk" species and how you can help, please visit the Okanagan Similkameen Stewardship

Learn about the endangered and threatened species in the Okanagan and Similkameen valleys, the threats to them, and how people can help