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~ ~ The Enderby Commoner
~ ~ H.M. Walker
~ ~ Commoner
destroyed by fire
~ ~ Francis
Samuel Rouleau
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The Enderby Commoner
The first issue of The
Edenograph appeared May l8, l904 and contained general articles giving a description of
Enderby and its major businesses. The early issues carried many articles promoting Enderby
and the District.
The paper was founded by H.M.Walker who had
previously worked on the New Denver Ledge in New Denver. The name for the paper came from
Walker's impression of Enderby: the garden spot of the Okanagan, the Eden of Canada.
Walker sold the paper in July, l905 to W. and H. Fraser, but returned in l908 to continue
the newspaper after the Fraser brothers moved to Salmon Arm. He changed the name to the
Enderby Progress and Walkers Weekly, assuming a magazine style for some time.
During World War I the Enderby and Armstrong newspapers combined, calling their joint
effort the Okanagan Commoner. By l933 Walker was again writing and editing alone.
The Enderby Commoner remained in Mr. Walker's hands until illness forced him to retire in
1941. The Commoner was then taken over by F.S. Rouleau.
In May, 1946, the newspaper was purchased from Mr. Rouleau by J.D. Tucker. The following
winter a fire
destroyed equipment and records and although most of the equipment (which was hard to
replace at the time) was secured, Mr. Tucker found it in the community's best interest to
have the printing done for him by the Armstrong Advertiser. After about three years as
publisher, Mr. Tucker decided to return to his home in Montreal.
The business was then sold to John E. Jamieson and sons and incorporated as the Armstrong - Enderby Publishing Company Limited. The mechanical work continued to be done in Armstrong, while local reporters were hired.
In 1988 the newspaper was sold to John and Kathy Watt, Kaljon Publishing. They, in turn, sold the newspaper to Lisa McKnight-Yeates in 1994. The residents of Enderby have continued to work on the Enderby Commoner as editors, reporters, and office managers, representing and serving the community now for more than seventy-five years.
Keith Fichter, Kyle Wright, Davin Larsen
ALF School 1989