The Past
Businesses
Churches
Communities
Community Services
Entertainment
Ethnic Groups
Geography
Heritage Homes
Industries
Organizations
People
Schools
Transportation
~ Bridges
~ Canals
~ Paddlewheelers
~ Roads
~ Trains
In 1874, an engineer by the name of
Marcus Smith was surveying the Okanagan Valley and other areas of B.C. In one section of
his records, when he reached the North end of the Okanagan Lake, Smith made mention of a
valley connecting the lake with the Shuswap River. The valley was approximately eighteen
miles long, and a series of swamps and ponds ran along the bottom of the valley. Smith
also noted that a canoe had been taken through the valley using the existing waterway, and
he thought that a canal could be built through the valley at a low cost to the
constructors.
At this time the paddlewheelers were the main mode of transportation in British Columbia.
In order to bring freight into the Okanagan from the Coast, it had to be loaded onto a
steamer at Savona's Ferry, transported through the Thompson River and Shuswap Lake, and
freighted up the Spallumcheen River to Lambly's or Fortune's Landing. Here it was unloaded
and packed by horse and wagon to the head of Okanagan Lake, where it was again loaded onto
paddlewheelers and barged down the lake to Okanagan Mission. A canal connecting the
Shuswap Lake steamers with the Okanagan Lake boats would greatly simplify this process.
In l882, after the suggestion of a canal was brought to the attention of the Dominion
government in Ottawa, an engineer from the Canadian Pacific Railway, L.B. Hamlin, was
instructed to explore the feasibility of a canal in the valley. Hamlin's report declared
that the canal would be quite practical, and would effectively serve the agricultural
development of the district.
Mr. Hamlin reported that the canal would need four or five locks, rather than one lock at
each end of the canal as earlier reports had projected. He proposed a shallow draft canal,
with a depth of five or six feet; each lock would be approximately one hundred and fifty
feet in length and fifty feet in width. The canal would be approximately l8 miles in
length, with the cost as estimated by Engineer Hamlin to be $27,000 per mile.
In April of l883 Mr Hamlin's report was adopted by the Executive Council of B.C. and
forwarded to the Privy Council and the Minister of Railways and Canals in Ottawa. The
House of Commons never acted upon the proposal. It is thought that the expense was
unjustifiable to the Dominion government, especially when a railway line across Canada was
to be constructed soon.
Agitation for the canal was revived once again in the late l800's. Captain Thomas D.
Shorts, the first person to carry freight from the head of Okanagan Lake to points south,
proposed construction of a ditch between Fortune Creek and Deep Creek, to be used as a
canal. This ditch would also connect the two different water systems, but at a lower cost.
Robert Wood, a leading influence in persuading the Dominion government to explore the
possibility of a canal, also had a proposal, this one concerning the means of moving the
boats through the canal. He felt that the boats should have special grips mounted
underneath, which would connect to an endless chain that would run along the bottom of the
canal; the chain would tow the boats through the canal. Wood wanted the endless chain
system because of his fear that wash from stern wheelers would eat away the banks of the
canal.
Neither of these proposals was given serious consideration, due to the Dominion government's decision in l890 to build the Shuswap & Okanagan Railway, connecting the mainline at Sicamous with Okanagan Landing at the head of Okanagan Lake.
Vicky Tulak, Kevin Steinwand
ALF School 1989