History

Vernon is the oldest community in the Okanagan. For thousands of years the Interior Salish inhabited this beautiful area. They thrived here until the early 1800s, when big changes came to the valley.

First came the fur traders, then the miners, the Oblate missionaries, and finally, the Hudson Bay Company. By 1890 the CPR main line was completed and a charter was granted for construction of a branch line from Sicamous to Okanagan Landing.

Cattle ranching and growing wheat were the two main industries here. Then, in the 1890s Lord Aberdeen introduced fruit farming to the area.

More and more people moved to the area and Vernon's first city hall was built in 1903. It was also a fire hall and a public reading room. In 1904 Vernon was the largest town in the valley and the first to have a bank.

Growing fruit soon replaced cattle ranching as the area's number one industry. Water was brought into the area from Okanagan Lake through the Grey Canal - a 30.6 km (19 mi) irrigation system. By 1908 land prices had risen from $1 an acre to $150 an acre. Vernon became a trading hub in the Okanagan for ranchers and orchardists alike.

Vernon's military camp was built in 1913, right around the time the area was hit by an economic depression that lasted well into the mid 1930s. The 1950s brought a real estate boom to the area and by the 1960s out-dated civic facilities were torn down and replaced.

Much of Vernon's history can be seen on the 27 murals you'll find gracing our downtown buildings. You'll be swept back in time as these larger than life paintings depict our history, culture, folklore and scenery.

Agriculturally diverse, Vernon now thrives as the present day centre of the North Okanagan. The abundance of lakes, rivers, and mountains makes Vernon a destination that visitors love to discover.

For more information on our history, visit the Greater Vernon Museum & Archives.