KelownaMuseums
470 Queensway Avenue V1Y 6S7 Kelowna, BC, Canada

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Kelowna Museums Society staff members appreciate and miss our volunteers! We rely on you, value your varied contributions to all three museums, enjoy your company, and look forward to your return. We believe our volunteers play an important, positive role in what KMS offers. #NationalVolunteerWeek

Artifact or Artifiction? In the 1980s, Seagull Pewter produced these cute markers to be used at dinner parties for hors d'oeuvres. This collection would have been used to show which appetizers contained egg, beef, or lamb. Visit 'Artifact or Artifiction?' at the Okanagan Heritage Museum for more fun!

The first licensed cottage or estate wineries in BC were Chateau Jonn de Trepanier (1978), Vinitera, Sumac Ridge Estate Winery , Uniacke (CedarCreek Estate Winery ) Gray Monk Estate Winery, Divino (Hester Creek Estate Winery). Gehringer Brothers Estate Winery, Le Comte (See Ya Later Ranch) and Hainle Vineyards Estate Winery. These wineries took a big chance on both a new business model, as well as the less hardy vinifera varietals.

Ten-Lined June Beetles don’t mind telling you how they feel! These insects can use the stripes on their back to camouflage and hide, but if you tick them off they will let their presence be known by hissing. Don’t worry, they aren’t dangerous. They are gentle insects that just happen to have strong opinions!

War trophies weren’t just weapons and regalia but functional things, such as this field telephone and 10-line telephone exchange. Both are German-made and were found in a captured field command post by members of the British Columbia Dragoons (BCDs) in the Netherlands on April 26, 1945. Operation Canada was the envelopment and neutralization of German forces around Delfzijl that required roving vehicle patrols, infantry patrols and fixed outposts. The BCDs1 put this equipment to use to connect to outposts. Enemy shelling required constant telephone line patrols to repair breaks so that outposts could communicate with headquarters. The BCDs fought their last action as infantry due to the flooded fields that were impassable by tanks. [1. WD Apr 26, 1945, 9th CAR (BCD)] #MuseumMonday

Have you tried Frosty vs. Scrooge: The Scavenger Hunt Showdown at the Okanagan Heritage Museum? Have some fun, and the chance to win a $25 gift certificate to Mosaic Books.

way (hello) You’re invited! Stop by and explore our newest exhibition that we are pleased to present in partnership with Sncwips Heritage Museum and the Syilx Language House. Check our ‘About’ section to learn about our new visiting hours, which include Thursday evenings and Sundays.

Take a look at this great video in nsyilxcn posted by our partners at Syilx Language House.

#AskAConservator Q: How do I get the musty smell out of books? A: Mold and mildew smells can be very tricky to remove from old objects. You can try keeping the object in a sealed bag with odor absorbing materials like baking soda or a zeolite bag. Take care not to let these materials touch your object as they could cause damage over time. Sunlight is sometimes used to remove musty smells, but it can also fade materials and should always be used with caution.

Can you guess what this #WhatsItWednesday artefact could be?

Last, but certainly not least, in our #Movember series of historic moustaches is John ‘Hope’ Rutland. John and his wife, Edith (nee Martin) came from Australia and settled in the valley in 1902. They didn’t stay in the area for long, selling their orchard to the Okanagan Fruit and Lands Company after just three years. Despite their short stay the couple left a lasting mark, as part of the city still carries their name.

Q: How do you tell the difference between real ivory and French ivory? A: In the 1800s ivory was very popular material for cutlery handles, furniture inlay, jewelry, etc., but it was hard to get and expensive. In the late 1800s French Ivory, one of the first celluloid plastic, was created as a cheap alternative. This plastic is unstable and will be yellow and maybe brittle. It is usually uniform in colour or may have lines it in. The line are attempting to recreate Schreger lines, or the growth rings found in elephant ivory. These lines are the easiest way to tell if something is real or fake elephant ivory. Other forms of ivory, such as walrus and sperm whale teeth, do not have these lines. Bone was also used as imitation ivory and has more of a grainy or porous surface.

Love ‘em or hate ‘em, it’s that time of year once again! Who do you side with in the Great Carol Debate? Let us know in the comments.

Only a couple spots left. Don't miss out!

#AskAConservator Q: What is this green stuff? A: The green waxy substance is copper corrosion resulting from chemical reactions between the metal and some residue. Unlike iron corrosion products, this green substance is easily removed with a wooden pick and mineral spirits.

way (hello) You’re invited! Stop by and explore our newest exhibition that we are pleased to present in partnership with Sncwips Heritage Museum and the Syilx Language House. Check our ‘About’ section to learn about our new visiting hours, which include Thursday evenings and Sundays.

Pet costumes are pretty popular these days, but apparently animals getting roped into playing dress up is nothing new. Mrs. Willit’s horse is wearing some lovely polkadots and ruffles to match his human companions in this photo from the 1930s. The clowns in the wagon are Marjorie DeMara (Leckie), Vi Bailey, Jean McLeod (Kincaid), Dorothy Wright (Leckie) and Delia Hough (Perry). Bey Lyon (DeHart) is on the horse. The photo was taken after a Regatta parade on Abbott Street, 1930s. #ThrowbackThursday

Chanukah begins this evening! Learn more about the Jewish 'festival of lights' here. Chabad Okanagan

#AskAConservator Q: What is the oldest thing that you have licked in the collection? A: Licking objects is not something we recommend! However, cleaning an object with spit is something that we sometimes do. You spit in a cup then apply it to the painting using a swab. Spit cleaning is most commonly used for cleaning paintings as the enzymes in our saliva can be very effective at removing dirt residue without harming the paint layers. So I guess the oldest thing I have gently spit on is about 100 years old.

Learn the nsyilxcn words for fall colours with Rachel from Sncwips Heritage Museum. You can also visit the 'Our Living Languages' exhibit at the Okanagan Heritage Museum. https://www.kelownamuseums.ca/exhibits/our-living-languages/

On 11 September 2001, Al-Qaida terrorists struck the World Trade Center in New York City and the Pentagon in Washington, DC. This attack on the United States triggered the NATO (North Atlantic Treaty Organization) agreement that an attack on one was an attack on all and led directly to Canada’s Mission to Afghanistan, 2001-2014. This talk by Captain (Retired) Howard Hisdal, CD, MA, a History professor at Okanagan College will cover the role of the British Columbia Dragoons in the Afghanistan conflict, both overseas and at home. Register today!

#AskAConservator Q: I have a torn document that I want to keep safe, can I tape it back together? A: Sadly most adhesive used in tape will yellow and become brittle over time. It will stain the paper and the plastic carrier will fall off, causing more damage than good. We use wheat starch paste and Japanese tissue to repair paper documents. Both materials have good aging properties and will not chemically react with the document over time. ... An easy at home solution would be to put the document in an acid and PVC free protective sleeve, these can easily be found at office supply stores. If your document is larger than a standard sheet of paper, try your local art supply store for folder solutions. If you would like your documents repaired, please get in touch and we would love to assist you.

There's another fun way to explore your museum... From now to December 30, visit the Okanagan Heritage Museum and pick up your Frosty vs. Scrooge scavenger hunt. Join the scavenger hunt fun and you could WIN a $25 gift certificate to Mosaic Books!

A great way to remember Okanagan men and women in uniform!

"I think once we locate it, I'd like to speak to the person who had it or found it and learn how it came to be in their possession and discuss with them repatriating it and bringing it back to the cultural centre ... where it can be preserved with the rest of his artwork and just celebrate the coming home of it with all of my family," - Taylor Baptiste

Learn about the characteristics and properties of some of the wild local plants, used by syilx knowledge carriers and families since time immemorial. Pick up your pack of wild and cultivated ingredients from the museum before the workshop, to make your own tea blend during the program. Register today!

Is it a Hallowe’en decoration? Nope! It’s a multi-layered anatomical illustration from ‘Bilz Natural Method of Healing,’ published in the late 1890s. #WackyWednesday

Not so unprecedented? These excerpts from the November and December 1918 issues of the Kelowna Record feel a little too familiar these days As the second wave of the Flu Epidemic hit Kelowna, people were feeling tired of all the time spent ‘under the lid’ (in isolation) and that the ‘restrictions were starting to become an infernal nuisance.’ Be kind everyone, and stay safe! We WILL make it through this.... Source: UBC Open Collections - BC Historical Newspapers (Kelowna Record, November and December, 1918) #WayBackWednesday

‘Eye Snow Protectors’ or goggles were worn to prevent snow blindness. Also called photokeratitis, snow blindness is caused by over exposure to UV light. This pair of goggles was hand carved by J F Riggs for use in Arctic Ice Patrols 1927/28.

Here's a #BehindTheScenes peek at the gallery overhaul taking place at the Okanagan Wine and Orchard Museum.

It was a fascinating and sometimes tragic story. On June 10, 1940 hundreds of Italian men were rounded up from across Canada and sent to Internment Camps as enemy aliens. In many cases, they were naturalized citizens who had lived in Canada for many years. We look at the differences between the Italian Communities in Vancouver, Trail and Nanaimo, where dozens of males were interred, and here in the Okanagan, where there was only one internee in the entire valley. What factors made the difference? And what was life like during the war for those Italians who had made Kelowna their home? What happens when a war comes Between Neighbours? Register today!

Mmm! Harvest season continues in the Okanagan! The first Rome apple tree was a chance seedling found in Ohio in the early 1800s. Romes were once grown throughout the Okanagan and were known to be good baking apples. In recent decades, they have been replaced by new varietals. These romes are in bags to prevent ‘stings’ from codling moths. This is one way that orchardists can protect fruit without using chemical sprays.

Let's get Batty! Bat week is upon us. Celebrate bats and spread awareness about bat conservation. Check out the link below for info, videos and more. https://batweek.org/educate/

Shout out to all the tire shops helping to get us ready for winter driving! Does anybody remember Bill Jolley’s Service Station in downtown Kelowna? #ShoutOutSaturday

Have you already carved a jack o’lantern? Mr. A.I. Dawson’s pumpkins would have been perfect! He sold his crop to the Aylmer Pumpkin Co, but who knows maybe he kept a few for Hallowe’en decorations. In this colourized photo you can also see the Aylmer labels that were used on his pumpkins post-processing. Photo by Ribelin, 1950s.

Dr. Reba Ellen Schoenfield was one of two daughters of the Willits, early Kelowna settlers. Her father, a pharmacist, encouraged her to pursue her interest in studying medicine. Her mother did not! In the 1920s it was not a field that many women got into. Reba crossed the country to study at the University of Toronto. She interned at Vancouver General Hospital, then returned to Kelowna and practiced with Dr. Boyce for several years. Reba went back to U of T, and became the fi...rst woman in the school’s history to complete a degree in Public Health. For much of her career, Reba worked in Vancouver as a health unit director for the Metropolitan Health Services and as the Director of School Health Services. Reba retired and married in Kelowna, and spent the rest of her years here. She passed away in 1977 when she was 71 years old. #WomensHistoryMonth #ThrowbackThursday See more

Come celebrate the last of this year's #BCCultureDays by exploring the ‘Our Living Languages’ exhibition! Visit https://www.kelownamuseums.ca/about-us/locations/ for hours.

Join us for an online presentation of the 13 month calendar, focusing on activities related to each season. Storytelling, demonstrations, and discussion will deepen your understanding of the syilx calendar and the connection of the people and the land.

The Okanagan has always been home to extraordinary athletes. Give the athlete, team, builder or pioneer that inspires you a shout-out and tag in the comments below! Learn more about those who have gone before by visiting the Central Okanagan Sports Hall of Fame and nominate an athlete for induction in 2021. Visit https://www.kelownamuseums.ca//the-central-okanagan-sport/ for more information.

Did you know that sumacs are good for xeriscape and low-water gardens? They attract butterflies in the summer, and in fall their colours are outstanding! Is your garden putting on a spectacular fall show? Show us all the beautiful colours! #MuseumsEh