A Stuiy Op the Okanagan Valley of British Columbia
Total Page：16
File Type：pdf, Size：1020Kb
A STUIY OP THE OKANAGAN VALLEY OF BRITISH COLUMBIA Margaret A. Ormsby A STUDY Off THE OKAN'AG-AN VALLEY OF BRITISH COLUMBIA. by Margaret Anchoretta Ormsby A Thesis submitted for the Degree of MASTER OF ARTS in the department of HISTORY The University of British Columbia, April, 1931. TABLE OF CONTENTS. Chapter 1. Nature's Gift to the Okanagan Valley ...Page 1. Chapter 2. The Fur-Trader' e Contribution 14. Chapter 3. The Gold-Miner?s Contribution 28. Chapter 4. The Cattle-Rancher 43. Chapter 5. The "Wheat-Grower 59. Chapter 6. The Fruit-Grower 78. Chapter 7. Other Farmers and Industrialists... 120. Chapter 8. The Growth of the Cities 142. Chapter 9. The Outlook for the Future 165. Appendix A 171. Appendix B 174. Appendix C 176. Appendix D 178. Appendix E. 179. Bibliography 18C. Plate 1. Facing page 1. Plate 2. Facing page 14. PLATE 1. A S$udy of the Okanagan Valley of British Columbia* Chapter 1. Nature's Gift to the Okanagan Valley, Situated in the Interior Plateau of British Columbia, the Okanag&n Valley is bound/e<f on the east by the Gold Range of Mountains, and on the west by the Cascade^ It includes all the land drained by streams flowing into Okanagan Lake and Okanagan River, north of the International Boundary Line, and therefore extends from the forty-ninth parallel north to a point a mile past the city of Armstrong, where a height of land divides the watersheds of the Columbia and Fraser Rivers. However, iiH-so-mucn-as the ' exact area of the Valley has never been 4^tirrteiy-del.ineat^cLr-- the name is also applied to the strip due north of Armstrong towards Sicamous, which is drained by the Spallumcheen River, and the territory south-west from Penticton, which is watered by the Similkameen River. As the conditions which prevail in these two smaller valleys are similar to those in the larger one, and as the districts are not separated from one another by natural barriers, I have determined that for the purpose of this thesis, the term "the Okanagan Valley" shall 'e-e-ver* this area. Thus defined, the Okanagan Valley of British Columbia includes 12,800 square miles of land, as it is approximately 160 miles long and 80 miles wide. Throughout its length this territory is intersected by a series of long trough-like valleys, at the foot of A - 2 - each of which lies a lake or river. Beginning at the south, the first valley surrounds Osoyoos Lake, which is about nine miles long and a mile wide. Dog Lake, which is about the same length, lies at the foot of the second valley. It is separated by a broad strip of flat land some three and a half miles long from Okanagan Lake which is the largest lake, being sixty-nine miles long and about two miles wide. At the head of Okanagan Lake a large tract of flat land, over twenty-five miles long and nearly three miles wide extends to the Spallumcheen River at Enderby. Prom that place, the valley which surrounds the river and Mara Lake maintains the same width to Sic&mous. Parallel to Okanagan Lake, but separated from it on the east by a low range of rolling hills nearly four miles wide, is another long trough-like valley, which commences at the delta forced by Mill and Mission Creeks near Kelowna and extends almost as far as the northern end of Okanagan Lake. It is occupied by Woods Lake and Long Lake, the latter of which is thirteen miles long and three- quarters of a mile wide. At the northern end of Long Lake, the Coldstream Valley runs north-easterly for about sixteen miles. The valley surrounding Bessette Creek then extends about nine miles to Shuswap Falls. From there, the course of the Shuswap River to Mabel Lake is winding. Mabel Lake also lies at the foot of another long trough-like valley, and is thirty-five miles long and two miles wide. East of its southern end is Sugar Lake, which is absolutely different from any of the other lakes mentioned. It is triangular or irregularly round, and its appearance shows that it is not in the Interior Plateau, but in the foot-hills of the mountain range to the east. As one travels from the Boundary Line, the changes in the topographical features are perceived. The general appearance of the country between Osoyoos and Dog Lakes is that of an arid waste. The soil is a light sandy loam with a gravelly subsoil, and as the region is so far south, and is located in the Dry Belt of British Columbia, the climate is sub-tropical, the maximum temperature at Osoyoos being 115 degrees Fahrenheit, and the average annual rainfall 8 inches. For years the territory was regarded as a "torrid waste of sand", unsuitable for any form of agricultural production. It was not until the last decade that it was found to be eminently suited for the growing of sub-tropical fruits and vegetables, when it was provided with irrigation. At the northern end of Dog Lake, there are small areas suitable for cultivation among the hills which over• look the Valley. The first strip of flat land lies between the northern end of Dog Lake and the lower end of Okanagan Lake, and is well adapted for various forms of agricultural production. This valley is, however, fringed with terraces, the banks of which are hard enough to form vertical or nearly vertical faces. At Summerland, these bluffs rise to (1) "Guide to the Province of British Columbia for 1877-8M , Victoria, 1877, p. 8. - 4 - a height of 200 feet above the lake shore for a distance of about two miles. From Summerland to Vernon, the land formation consists largely of a series of these clay cliffs, rising to benches ranging from 10C to 5C0 feet above the Lake, at some points bordering on it and at others starting a short distance back. These benches are free from timber and at one time were covered with a heavy growth of bunch-grass which made them ideal for grazing. Of late years, they have, however, been planted to fruit trees. The soil which is composed of volcanic ash and clay loam produces large crops, and the atmospheric conditions cause the fruit to be well flavoured. The atmosphere, while being influenced by the sea winds, is stripped of its excessive moisture by the mountains which intervene between the Coast and the Okanagan Valley, and as a result is clear and dry. Therefore, with the facilities for irrigation, the conditions for fruit production are splendid. Back of the benches there are numerous valleys which are for the most part heavily timbered. From Summerland to Kelowna the hills are thickly wooded, but at the latter place there is a large area of agricultural land, which is on one side adjacent to the woods, and on the other accessible to rolling hills. Kelowna was chosen as the site for the first white settlement in the Valley, because it was a place where food could be produced in abundance, where lumber could be obtained for dwellings, and where stock could be turned out to pasture. - 5 - The largest area of good farming land to be found in one place in the southern interior of British Columbia extends from the head of Okanagan Lake to Enderby. Around Vernon, the soil is clay, while the sub-soil is largely gravelly-clay, which is well adapted to fruit and vegetable growing. Around Armstrong and Enderby the soil consists of candy loam which produces very heavy field crops. This is the only part of the Valley which does not lie within the Dry Belt of British Columbia, and therefore the precipitation of 20 inches a year is sufficient to mature all crops. The maximum temperature is never as great as in the southern part of the Valley, but the minimum is much lower, being about -35 degrees Fahrenheit. There is a certain amount of land available for cultivation north of Enderby, but at Mara Lake the shores are timbered down to the water's edge. The valley surrounding Long Lake is also well adapted to fruit-growing, although because of the northerly position, the production per acre is not as great aB at Penticton. At Vernon the elevation is 1,200 feet, but at Lumby it increases to 2,150 feet and the climate becomes too cold to grow fruit. However, in the latter district there are portions of nearly flat land which consist of the bottom deposit of an ancient lake, and which produce splendid crops of hay and grain. Prom Lumby to Shuswap Falls the country is wooded, and at Mabel Lake there are no benches or terraces, but the mountains are heavily timbered. Here is situated the timber area of the Okanagan Valley which consists of large stands of Douglas fir, white and yellow pine, cedar and tamarack. The variations in temperature in different parts of the Okanagan Valley are due to the divisions in the Biological Zone. During the early progress of the Biological Survey of the North American Continent, it was realized that North America is divisible into three great Primary Transcontinental Regions, in each of which the flora and fauna present marked differences. Each region has also been divided into a number of minor belts which are characterized by particular associa- (2) tions of animals and plants. These divisions are as follows; REGION ZONE- PAUNAL AREA (Arct ic Boreal (Hudsonian (Canadian (Alleghenian JTr&nsition (Arid transition area (Pacific Coast area ( (Carolinian area Austral [upper Austral (Upper Sonoran area (Lower Sonoran area (Lower Austral (Aristroriparian area (Semi-tropical or Gulf Stream Tropical (Tropical The Okanagan Valley is remarkable as three divisions occur in it: the Upper Sonoran area at the south and the Transition and Canadian Zones at higher levels.