Two Townsites: Summerland grows

Summerland-on-the-lake
In 1906, a first-class institution complete with its own china, the first college in Western Canada opened in Summerland. Okanagan College, a Baptist college in affiliation with McMaster University began with Ritchie Hall built on the north side of Giant’s Head mountain. Due to its popularity, additions were made to the college and in 1910 a residence to house female students and a gymnasium were built. Electricity (the first town on Okanagan Lake to have it) had all ready made an appearance by 1905; Summerland was a booming metropolis and the many advancements continued to draw more settlers. The residents had water in their homes, septic tanks, a school and a sawmill. There was even a local telephone company operating by 1907! In 1908, the first issue of Summerland Review made its appearance and in 1909, the first hospital in the area was officially opened.

The years following WW I brought about much devastation to the lakeside town and the culprit was fire. It was bad enough that the fires got a start but worse that the fire fighting was ineffective due to the lack of water pressure. The packing house and CPR office and wharf were the first to be lost, followed within a few years by the Post Office, Empire Hall, the Summerland Hotel, and many businesses. As well, the clay cliffs rose sharply to the west, limiting growing room and would prove not too stable and very hazardous in the future. The Summerland Development Company promoted Crescent Beach where, in 1905, properties along the lakeshore were sub-divided into residential lots and offered for one hundred dollars each.

“Up on the Flat”.
In years to come, the Summerland Development Company would also promote Peach and Pear Valleys, south of the Giant’s Head. West Summerland was growing rapidly and many businesses had decided to make the move “up to the flat.” Granville Road (Main Street) was filling up with retail and service businesses even though for many years, orchards could be found in the middle of the townsite. Many of the homes, such as R.H. Agur’s Balcomo that were built in the early years, some of which still grace the streets of Summerland, were examples of an architectural era that was popular in town, referred to as the Arts and Crafts Movement. Another prominent architectural style, that of Tudor Revival with its decorative “mock timbering,” was popular in those years. (This eventually led to the adoption of the Old English theme and revitalization that took place in the early 1990’s.)

In the mid-1950’s the main highway through the Okanagan was re-routed up Summerland Hill, therefore by-passing the lakeside townsite and all but eliminating it in importance. “In 1964 the inevitable happened; the post office was closed down [on the lakeshore] and the ‘West’ was dropped from the upper town address so that there was only one Summerland for mailing purposes. The early vibrancy of the lakeside town was gone and it was said that “Lower Summerland was for the tired and the retired.” (Fitzgerald, 1973).

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