Take a walk through Penticton and you’ll stumble upon examples of charming architecture taking you back in time. Some of these building date back more than a century, harking back to when Penticton was the new headquarters for the new Kettle Valley Railway and the S.S. Sicamous steamship cruised Okanagan Lake.
Following the end of the Second World War, a flood of returning veterans led to a post-war population boom, and in 1948, Penticton was incorporated as a city. The 1950s and 1960s were busy decades of construction and infrastructure projects.
While times have changed, a selection of these historic buildings remain. In fact, about 50 sites throughout the city have been recognized by the Penticton Heritage Registry as having heritage significance.
Now, City Council has agreed to seek a grant from Heritage BC on behalf of the Heritage and Museum Advisory Committee to fund a public education campaign aimed to raise awareness of the city’s heritage.
“This is an intent to enhance the opportunity for Penticton to recognize and keep its heritage before it’s all gone,” said Coun. Judy Sentes, who is also the council liaison for the Heritage & Museum Advisory Committee.
This campaign would clear up any misunderstandings involving heritage designations in the community, she added, while providing clarification to help Penticton “realize its very rich history.”
Karen Collins, a member of the Heritage & Museum Advisory Committee, said there are many benefits to embracing heritage buildings, which she says retain their value “with more resiliency as property markets shift through time” and support tourism.
“Heritage sites are a connection to the past and provide a sense of history and continuity,” she said. “They also tell the stories of who we are, what we have experienced as a community, in addition to functioning as landmarks and having significant aesthetic value.”
Bill Hillis, Committee Chair, said he feels there are a lot of misconceptions about what it means to be on a Heritage Registry and what is available to homeowners through grants. An education program would inform the public about the benefits of retaining our heritage sites.
“Once a heritage site, building or tree is gone, it is lost forever,” he said.
Learn more about Penticton’s Heritage Registry
Visit the City’s Heritage Registry webpage to learn more. You can also view a map on this page that highlights various heritage locations throughout the city. Simply tap on the item marked in blue and click the link to read about that site’s history.
About the Heritage & Museum Advisory Committee
The Heritage & Museum Advisory Committee uses the City's Heritage Strategy as its basis for advising and providing guidance to Council on heritage issues. It has eight voting members appointed by City Council for a term ending Dec. 31, 2022. Members have a direct knowledge or interest/experience in arts and culture.
The current voting members include Anne Hargrave, Brad Hillis, Gerald Buzzell, Jeanette Beaven and Karen Collins. The staff liaisons include Blake Laven, Dennis Oomen and Kelsey Johnson, and Council liaison is Judy Sentes.
Interested in Joining?
The committee is currently accepting applications for three vacancies. If you’re interested in applying, visit our Join a Council Committee page for details.
To read more updates from behind the scenes, go to Committee Updates.