This article is about the city in Canada. For the complete metropolitan area, see
Greater Vernon
.
City in British Columbia, Canada
Vernon
is a city in the
Okanagan
region of the
Southern Interior
of
British Columbia
, Canada. It is 440 km (270 mi) northeast of
Vancouver
. Named after
Forbes George Vernon
, a former
MLA
of British Columbia who helped establish the Coldstream Ranch in nearby
Coldstream
, the City of Vernon was incorporated on 30 December 1892. The City of Vernon has a population of 40,000 (2013), while its metropolitan region,
Greater Vernon
, had a population of 58,584 as of the
2011 Canadian census
.
[2]
With this population, Vernon is the largest city in the
North Okanagan Regional District
. A resident of Vernon is called a "Vernonite".
History
[
edit
]
The site of the city was discovered by the
Okanagan people
, a tribe of the
Interior Salish
people, who initially named the community Nintle Moos Chin, meaning "jumping over place where the creek narrows". This name refers to a section of the
Swan Lake
that passes through Downtown Vernon, the community's central business district.
[3]
Some of these were part of the
Okanagan Indian Band
,
[4]
a
First Nations
government part of the
Okanagan Nation Alliance
.
[5]
This was followed by Priest's Valley, which serves as an Indigenous reserve, and its present name, in honour of
Forbes George Vernon
, a pioneer member part of the
Legislative Assembly of British Columbia
for
Yale
.
[3]
The Okanagan people settled around the city's two lakes,
Okanagan Lake
and Swan Lake, obtaining seasonal sources of food.
[3]
In that same decade, a section of a road near
Fort Kamloops
became its first road.
[6]
Pleasant Valley Road, north of that street, was also historically developed.
[6]
In 1811, fur traders began travelling around the area. After one of these, David Stuart, began working with the
Pacific Fur Company
, which was bought out by the
North West Company
; Luc Girouard became the first white settler.
[3]
However, the
North West Company
was forced to merge with the
Hudson's Bay Company
in 1821. Fur traders decided to camp in Vernon, which started to develop in 1863, following a gold discovery at the
Cherry Creek
,
Monashee Mountains
,
Mission Creek
and the east side of Okanagan Lake.
[3]
After the development began, numerous ranches were constructed. Centreville, the community's original central business district, was formed in 1885.
[3]
That same year, a post office, hotel, general store, and school house was constructed.
[6]
[7]
A Hudson's Bay Company store was established in 1887, in a rough wooden structure.
[6]
Historically a major economic hub destination in the Okanagan, Vernon was home to many cattle ranches and fruit orchard areas, attracting British families.
[6]
Vernon's growth accelerated beginning in 1891, after the
Canadian Pacific Railway
was opened in the Okanagan and
Shuswap
regions of the
British Columbia Interior
, connecting in
Sicamous
, a town in the Shuswap area; services by this railway were offered to Vernon by 1891, in addition to its neighbourhood of
Okanagan Landing
.
[3]
Shortly after, the sternwheeler
S.S. Aberdeen
was launched by the Canadian Pacific Railway for use on Okanagan Lake in 1893 connecting Vernon to
Penticton
at the south end of Okanagan Lake, and points between.
[3]
Fruit trees were planted in Vernon, which first grew by the early 1890s, while water supplies were shipped to the community by canal in 1906 for use at local orchard or farm areas.
[3]
In 1908, the Okanagan Mounted Rifles military program was formed in it, thus bringing a number of people to the area during
World War I
and
World War II
for lessons.
[6]
Vernon was incorporated as a city on 30 December 1892,
[8]
with a city hall formed in 1903 for the governing body, which included a fire hall and a public reading space.
[6]
The following year, it was declared the largest municipality in the Okanagan and first of which to contain a bank and telephone.
[6]
As population expanded, more services were made available at Vernon, while its city centre switched from Coldstream Road to 30th Avenue.
[6]
A school and
Vernon Jubilee Hospital
were public services made available in 1909.
[6]
Despite a growth drop during World War I, citizens voted to open a new high school, sports stadium, and, later, a shopping mall, Village Green Centre, and library, in the city.
[6]
Transportation
[
edit
]
Three
provincial highways
connect Vernon:
Highway 97
which connects north?south (south to
Kelowna
, north to
Kamloops
);
Highway 97A
which begins in Vernon, and goes north to
Armstrong
and
Enderby
; and
Highway 6
which ends in Vernon running east?west to
Lumby
.
[9]
In recent years, each of these highways has undergone major renovations, including a new $22-million
interchange
system and four lane expansion at the
Highway 97
and
Highway 6
junction.
[10]
The City of Vernon, in conjunction with the
District of Coldstream
and the
North Okanagan Regional District
, operates
Vernon Regional Transit
through
BC Transit
. This transit system is responsible for all local full-service and
handyDART
public bus transportation.
eBUs
, a sister brand for the luxury transportation company
Red Arrow
, also serves Vernon for out-of-town destinations from their downtown bus terminal.
[11]
Vernon is served by the
Vernon Regional Airport
(IATA:
YVE
, ICAO:
CYVK
) in the Okanagan Landing area. The airport has no scheduled air service, and is primarily used by civilian aircraft.
[12]
The Greater Vernon area is also served by
Kelowna International Airport
, located approximately 40 kilometres (about a 30 to 40 minute drive) south on Hwy 97. Numerous airlines provide scheduled passenger and cargo services to points throughout British Columbia and
Alberta
, and areas beyond such as
Toronto
and
Seattle
.
Climate
[
edit
]
Vernon has a
humid continental climate
(
Koppen
: Dfb) with warm, sometimes hot summers and cold winters with highs around freezing, though mild by Canadian standards. Precipitation is well-distributed year-round.
[13]
Climate data for Vernon
|
Month
|
Jan
|
Feb
|
Mar
|
Apr
|
May
|
Jun
|
Jul
|
Aug
|
Sep
|
Oct
|
Nov
|
Dec
|
Year
|
Record high
humidex
|
10.5
|
11.0
|
19.1
|
27.0
|
34.0
|
46.0
|
46.2
|
38.4
|
31.9
|
27.0
|
18.9
|
10.8
|
46.2
|
Record high °C (°F)
|
14.5
(58.1)
|
13.1
(55.6)
|
19.3
(66.7)
|
27.8
(82.0)
|
33.0
(91.4)
|
44.2
(111.6)
|
38.5
(101.3)
|
38.1
(100.6)
|
32.5
(90.5)
|
27.4
(81.3)
|
19.4
(66.9)
|
13.0
(55.4)
|
44.2
(111.6)
|
Mean daily maximum °C (°F)
|
?0.5
(31.1)
|
2.1
(35.8)
|
8.9
(48.0)
|
14.1
(57.4)
|
19.2
(66.6)
|
23.1
(73.6)
|
26.0
(78.8)
|
26.4
(79.5)
|
20.0
(68.0)
|
11.9
(53.4)
|
3.9
(39.0)
|
?1.3
(29.7)
|
12.8
(55.0)
|
Daily mean °C (°F)
|
?3.0
(26.6)
|
?1.0
(30.2)
|
4.4
(39.9)
|
8.8
(47.8)
|
13.4
(56.1)
|
17.3
(63.1)
|
19.6
(67.3)
|
19.9
(67.8)
|
14.2
(57.6)
|
7.9
(46.2)
|
1.3
(34.3)
|
?3.5
(25.7)
|
8.3
(46.9)
|
Mean daily minimum °C (°F)
|
?5.4
(22.3)
|
?4.0
(24.8)
|
?0.2
(31.6)
|
3.4
(38.1)
|
7.5
(45.5)
|
11.4
(52.5)
|
13.2
(55.8)
|
13.3
(55.9)
|
8.4
(47.1)
|
3.8
(38.8)
|
?1.4
(29.5)
|
?5.8
(21.6)
|
3.7
(38.7)
|
Record low °C (°F)
|
?26.7
(?16.1)
|
?23.5
(?10.3)
|
?18.3
(?0.9)
|
?7.2
(19.0)
|
0.0
(32.0)
|
1.5
(34.7)
|
5.5
(41.9)
|
4.4
(39.9)
|
?1.4
(29.5)
|
?17.1
(1.2)
|
?29.4
(?20.9)
|
?31.0
(?23.8)
|
?31.0
(?23.8)
|
Record low
wind chill
|
?35.1
|
?26.3
|
?23.7
|
?13.5
|
0.0
|
0.0
|
0.0
|
0.0
|
0.0
|
?15.4
|
?23.7
|
?38.3
|
?38.3
|
Average
precipitation
mm (inches)
|
32.5
(1.28)
|
24.7
(0.97)
|
28.5
(1.12)
|
31.8
(1.25)
|
41.9
(1.65)
|
49.4
(1.94)
|
42.2
(1.66)
|
28.4
(1.12)
|
36.7
(1.44)
|
27.1
(1.07)
|
44.2
(1.74)
|
38.2
(1.50)
|
425.6
(16.76)
|
Average rainfall mm (inches)
|
7.6
(0.30)
|
10.1
(0.40)
|
24.2
(0.95)
|
31.2
(1.23)
|
41.9
(1.65)
|
49.4
(1.94)
|
42.2
(1.66)
|
28.4
(1.12)
|
36.7
(1.44)
|
25.1
(0.99)
|
28.1
(1.11)
|
8.3
(0.33)
|
333.3
(13.12)
|
Average snowfall cm (inches)
|
25.0
(9.8)
|
14.5
(5.7)
|
4.3
(1.7)
|
0.6
(0.2)
|
0.0
(0.0)
|
0.0
(0.0)
|
0.0
(0.0)
|
0.0
(0.0)
|
0.0
(0.0)
|
2.0
(0.8)
|
16.3
(6.4)
|
30.6
(12.0)
|
93.3
(36.7)
|
Average precipitation days
(≥ 0.2 mm)
|
12.1
|
10.6
|
10.5
|
10.5
|
12.8
|
12.0
|
10.5
|
7.7
|
9.1
|
11.2
|
14.6
|
14.2
|
135.8
|
Average rainy days
(≥ 0.2 mm)
|
3.2
|
5.2
|
9.1
|
10.4
|
12.8
|
12.0
|
10.5
|
7.7
|
9.1
|
11.0
|
9.9
|
3.2
|
104.0
|
Average snowy days
(≥ 0.2 cm)
|
9.7
|
6.6
|
2.2
|
0.4
|
0.0
|
0.0
|
0.0
|
0.0
|
0.0
|
0.4
|
6.5
|
11.9
|
37.6
|
Average
relative humidity
(%)
|
77.8
|
71.3
|
49.5
|
44.7
|
46.6
|
45.3
|
41.9
|
40.6
|
43.0
|
57.2
|
72.2
|
79.4
|
55.8
|
Mean monthly
sunshine hours
|
45.6
|
88.1
|
156.9
|
197.2
|
248.8
|
251.6
|
306.9
|
295.1
|
208.3
|
128.4
|
58.5
|
41.2
|
2,026.6
|
Percent
possible sunshine
|
17.2
|
31.2
|
42.7
|
47.8
|
52.0
|
51.4
|
62.2
|
65.7
|
54.8
|
38.4
|
21.5
|
16.4
|
41.8
|
Source 1:
[14]
|
Source 2:
[15]
|
Demographics
[
edit
]
Historical population
Year
| Pop.
| ±%
|
---|
1891
| 600
| ?
|
---|
1901
| 802
| +33.7%
|
---|
1911
| 2,371
| +195.6%
|
---|
1921
| 3,685
| +55.4%
|
---|
1931
| 3,937
| +6.8%
|
---|
1941
| 5,209
| +32.3%
|
---|
1951
| 7,822
| +50.2%
|
---|
1956
| 8,998
| +15.0%
|
---|
1961
| 10,250
| +13.9%
|
---|
1966
| 11,423
| +11.4%
|
---|
1971
| 13,283
| +16.3%
|
---|
1976
| 17,546
| +32.1%
|
---|
1981
| 19,987
| +13.9%
|
---|
1986
| 20,241
| +1.3%
|
---|
1991
| 23,514
| +16.2%
|
---|
1996
| 31,817
| +35.3%
|
---|
2001
| 33,494
| +5.3%
|
---|
2006
| 35,944
| +7.3%
|
---|
2011
| 38,180
| +6.2%
|
---|
2016
| 40,116
| +5.1%
|
---|
2021
| 44,519
| +11.0%
|
---|
Sources:
Statistics Canada
[16]
|
In the
2021 Census of Population
conducted by
Statistics Canada
, Vernon had a population of 44,519 living in 19,776 of its 21,287 total private dwellings, a change of
11% from its 2016 population of 40,116. With a land area of 96.43 km
2
(37.23 sq mi), it had a population density of
461.7/km
2
(1,195.7/sq mi) in 2021.
[17]
In 2016,
[18]
the median age was 48.4, higher than the national median age of 41.2. 25.5% of residents were age 65 or older. The median income before tax was $31,455. The median value of a dwelling was $349,932.
Ethnicity
[
edit
]
According to the
2021 census
, 84.7% of Vernon residents are white, 8.0% are visible minorities, and 7.3% are Indigenous.
[19]
The largest visible minority groups are
South Asian
(2.4%),
Filipino
(1.1%),
Chinese
(1.0%), and
Japanese
(0.8%).
[19]
Panethnic
groups in the City of Vernon (2001?2021)
Panethnic
group
|
2021
[19]
|
2016
[20]
|
2011
[21]
|
2006
[22]
|
2001
[23]
|
Pop.
|
%
|
Pop.
|
%
|
Pop.
|
%
|
Pop.
|
%
|
Pop.
|
%
|
European
[a]
|
36,495
|
84.66%
|
33,625
|
86.61%
|
32,570
|
89.27%
|
31,620
|
89.97%
|
29,815
|
90.57%
|
Indigenous
|
3,150
|
7.31%
|
2,795
|
7.2%
|
2,415
|
6.62%
|
1,920
|
5.46%
|
1,295
|
3.93%
|
South Asian
|
1,040
|
2.41%
|
730
|
1.88%
|
340
|
0.93%
|
710
|
2.02%
|
980
|
2.98%
|
East Asian
[b]
|
845
|
1.96%
|
730
|
1.88%
|
565
|
1.55%
|
515
|
1.47%
|
540
|
1.64%
|
Southeast Asian
[c]
|
725
|
1.68%
|
520
|
1.34%
|
225
|
0.62%
|
115
|
0.33%
|
130
|
0.39%
|
African
|
305
|
0.71%
|
105
|
0.27%
|
120
|
0.33%
|
125
|
0.36%
|
55
|
0.17%
|
Latin American
|
205
|
0.48%
|
155
|
0.4%
|
125
|
0.34%
|
60
|
0.17%
|
40
|
0.12%
|
Middle Eastern
[d]
|
190
|
0.44%
|
120
|
0.31%
|
40
|
0.11%
|
60
|
0.17%
|
45
|
0.14%
|
Other
[e]
|
155
|
0.36%
|
55
|
0.14%
|
60
|
0.16%
|
10
|
0.03%
|
35
|
0.11%
|
Total responses
|
43,110
|
96.84%
|
38,825
|
96.78%
|
36,485
|
95.64%
|
35,145
|
97.78%
|
32,920
|
98.29%
|
Total population
|
44,519
|
100%
|
40,116
|
100%
|
38,150
|
100%
|
35,944
|
100%
|
33,494
|
100%
|
Note: Totals greater than 100% due to multiple origin responses.
|
Language
[
edit
]
The
2021 census
reported that 87.2% of residents claim
English
as their mother tongue. Other common first languages are
German
(2.1%),
French
(1.2%),
Punjabi
(1.2%), and
Russian
and
Tagalog
(0.7% each).
Religion
[
edit
]
According to the
2021 census
, religious groups in Vernon included:
[19]
51.2% of residents were Christian as of 2011.
[24]
The largest denominations were other
Christian
(16.9%),
Catholic
(12.4%),
United Church
(7.2%),
Anglican
(5.6%), and
Lutheran
and
Baptist
(2.6% each). 45.5% of residents held no religious affiliation. All other religions combined make up 3.3% of the population.
Education
[
edit
]
Vernon is served by
School District 22 Vernon
, a school district that includes 14
elementary schools
and five
high schools
. The high schools are: Vernon Secondary School,
[25]
Kalamalka High School,
[26]
Clarence Fulton High School,
[27]
W.L. Seaton Secondary,
[28]
and Charles Bloom Secondary.
[29]
Vernon Secondary School (VSS) is in the neighbourhood of East Hill. This building was renovated in the early 21st century to give the students a new and better learning environment. Kalamalka Secondary School, otherwise known as Kal, is in the neighbouring municipality of Coldstream which is near Kalamalka Lake. It is also below Middleton Mountain, a prominent landmark in Coldstream. Fulton Secondary School is near the airport in South Vernon. Seaton High School, also known as Seaton, is located directly off 27th Street which merges into Highway 97. Charles Bloom Secondary is in the town of Lumby, which is about 20 minutes East of Vernon on Highway 6. Competitions are common among the schools, with all of them taking part in annual grad pranks as well as healthy sports competitions.
[30]
Vernon is home to few independent schools such as the Vernon Christian School,
[31]
which has both an elementary (preschool-grade 6) and secondary campus with a middle school (grades 7-9) and high school (grades 10-12).
For
post-secondary education
, Vernon is home to
Okanagan College
, a multi-campus full degree granting college. Many summer courses and yearly courses are offered there. Other smaller community and specialty colleges exist within Vernon.
Arts and culture
[
edit
]
Each winter, Vernon plays host to the Vernon Winter Carnival. First held in 1961, it is now
Western Canada
's largest and
North America
's second largest
Winter Carnival
.
[32]
[33]
[34]
Sunshine festival is an annual event held in the Downtown core of Vernon. This event features live music, artisan booths, community program booths, food trucks, and children's entertainment.
Vernon is also home to the Vernon and District Performing Arts Center.
[35]
The society presents three series of entertainment including dance, theatre, and child oriented. The performing arts centre also hosts hundreds of touring musical acts, local talent and community based events.
The city is also home to the 60 year old Powerhouse Theatre, which is housed in a former power station. The theatrical society of Powerhouse Theatre operates on a seasonal basis and is largely reliant on the coordinated efforts by passionate volunteers.
Vernon's Towne Cinema is the home of The Vernon Film Society and is a classic example of a 1930s Art Deco style theatre. Built in 1929?30, the Towne Cinema began its life as The National Ball Room, presenting live entertainment on stage, hosting banquets and stage plays. It was the main venue in Vernon for entertaining the troops during the Second World War and was heavily involved in selling war bonds and the collection of aluminum from its customers for the war effort. Children could bring an old aluminum pot or pan and receive a ticket for a free movie, the aluminum going towards the construction of war planes and other military materials so necessary for the achievement of victory over the Nazi regime of Adolf Hitler.
The Vernon Community Arts Centre (VCAC) is located in Polson Park. This community centre is a studio-based facility and is operated by the Arts Council of the North Okanagan. The VCAC offers year-round programming for youth and adults such as art classes and workshops, an artist in residence program and independent study sessions.
Every Summer in June, Vernon hosts the largest craft show in western Canada, called Creative Chaos. Artisans from across western Canada gather to sell their original handmade goods and services: jewellery, chocolates and candies, unique clothing, and other household items and/or decorations. A food fair and entertainment are also a feature of this craft fair. The fair usually lasts three days and many of the citizens of Vernon partake.
Vernon displays a variety of public art from murals to sculptures and mosaics. A collection of 28 heritage murals
[36]
was created under the direction of lead artist
Michelle Loughery
. The mural project is in a continual state of growth, with new pieces of art being added at regular intervals. One of the most notable murals is a depiction of
Sveva Caetani
, daughter of Italian noble
Leone Caetani
. She was an Italian immigrant who survived captivity by her mother to become a famed artist and local art instructor.
[37]
In 2016, Canada's first inclusive memorial sculpture was installed on the grounds of
Vernon Secondary School
.
[38]
Sports and recreation
[
edit
]
Vernon is known for its lakes and beaches in the summer, and skiing and hockey in the winter. It is therefore a year-round tourist destination and weekend getaway for people from
Vancouver
and
Calgary
. During the summer Vernon hosts a large slo-pitch tournament (Funtastic).
[39]
The Vernon area is home to several golf courses.
[40]
Among these is the prestigious
Predator Ridge Resort
, a 36-hole golf resort and community. This resort is one of only two public golf courses in Western Canada to have been ranked by Score Magazine as one of the country's top 25 golf courses over the last 8 years. Predator Ridge Resort also hosted the Skins Game twice - first in 2000 featuring
Fred Couples
,
Sergio Garcia
,
Phil Mickelson
, and
Mike Weir
,
[41]
[42]
then in 2008 featuring
Mike Weir
,
Fred Couples
, Greg Norman,
Colin Montgomerie
and
Camilo Villegas
.
One of the most popular winter sports in Vernon is
skiing
. With two major ski locations nearby located in
Regional District of North Okanagan
Electoral Area C, each winter locals and tourists alike flock to
Silver Star Mountain Resort
and Sovereign Lake Nordic Club. Known as one of the top ski resorts in North America, Silver Star also has a large
cross-country skiing
area which hosted a 1991
FIS Cross-Country World Cup
event.
[43]
[44]
As another world-class ski area, Sovereign Lake is the region's premier
cross-country skiing
location with over 50 kilometers of skiing terrain.
[45]
This Nordic Club gained worldwide exposure as the host of a 2005
FIS Cross-Country World Cup
event.
[46]
Curling
also has a strong following in Vernon, with local curlers being found at the Vernon Curling Club. In past years, the city has hosted several major national curling events, including the
1979 Canadian Senior Women's Curling Championship
, the
1992 Canadian Junior Curling Championships
, and the
2004 Canadian Senior Curling Championships
. Its first international event, the
2008 Ford World Women's Curling Championship
was held at the
Vernon Multiplex
.
[47]
Another popular sport in Vernon is
tennis
, with many courts in picturesque locations. The Vernon Tennis Association (VTA) was started in October 2008 to bring together tennis players of all skill levels within the Vernon area and to offer both competitive and social programs that are not being offered currently to players. Presently the VTA operates programs 15 hours per week in "partnership" with Greater Vernon Parks, Recreation and Culture.
[48]
A more recent sport with growing popularity is
pickleball
. The Vernon Pickleball Association was incorporated in 2014, and currently has more than 500 members. It recently spearheaded a campaign to construct a roof over its pickleball complex of 12 courts, which will facilitate year-round playing when it opens early 2021.
[49]
Kalamalka Beach (Kal Beach) is the most popular of many unique beaches in and around Vernon. A large pier built by a local service club is used for sunbathing and jumping. On summer evenings the beach is used extensively for
beach volleyball
. Kin Beach and Paddle Wheel Park Beach on
Okanagan Lake
are also among the twenty or so larger beaches in Vernon.
Vernon has several areas for mountain biking including
Ellison Provincial Park
, Kalamalka Lake Park, Sovereign Lake Provincial Park,
Predator Ridge
, and
Silver Star Mountain
.
Cougar Canyon
is near Vernon, with both a popular
rock climbing
site and an
ecological preserve
. Another place for cliff jumpers and campers is Ellison Provincial Park, located about 15?20 minutes out of South Vernon.
The city is home to
Splashdown Vernon
.
Vernon has also seen success in junior hockey. The
Vernon Vipers
(former the Vernon Lakers) are one of the most decorated junior teams in Canadian history having won the
Royal Bank Cup
(formerly the Centennial Cup) six times, with four of those wins in the 1990s. They won while hosting the tournament in 1990, repeated in 1991, again in 1996, in 1999 and most recently won back-to-back championships in 2009 and 2010; giving arguably the most dominant performance of any franchise in a single decade since the introduction of the Centennial Cup in 1971. To date, the Vernon Vipers have won 4 Royal Bank Cups, 2 Centennial Cups, 4 Abbott Cups, 5 Doyle Cups, 8 Mowat Cups and 9 League Titles.
The Vernon Tigers Junior B Lacrosse Club was established in 2000, coinciding with the inception of the
Thompson Okanagan Junior Lacrosse League
. Since that time, they have won three league titles and two provincial silver medals.
Governance
[
edit
]
In 2019 Vernon city council decided to install free-standing toilets, which can be
"used by all community members"
, with specific design features to prevent it being used inappropriately.
[50]
[51]
Council had originally considered purchasing a pair of "
Portland loos
", for $275,000.
[52]
That design that had been installed in dozens of cities, but, due to the long waiting list, Vernon decided to commission a similar facility from local suppliers.
The local design was installed on time, and at a lower cost than that projected for the Portland Loo.
[50]
[51]
However, it needed a bit of work, as it did not function on opening day. Like the Portland Loo, the toilet designed for Vernon is built from stainless steel and is painted with special paint designed to counter graffiti. Like the Portland Loo there is no washbasin inside, only a toilet, and a dispenser for waterless hand cleanser. Slats allow police enough visual access to confirm there is only one occupant.
Requests for new toilets were first brought to council by the Activate Safety Task Force, in 2018.
[51]
Initially Vernon planned to leave the facility open 24 hours a day, as is done with almost every city that has installed a Portland Loo, but, in the end, Council decided the facility will only be open from 7am to 9pm.
[52]
If the new facility proves satisfactory, toilets like it will replace the public toilets near the city's bus station.
[50]
Flag
[
edit
]
The flag of Vernon was adopted in November 2010 after it had been flown in
Afghanistan
by
Canadian Forces
members, including Gareth Eley, a seaman from the city, who returned the flag when it was adopted.
[53]
It was presented to the mayor at a service member flag program, Home Flags Project, by Eley, in addition to a number of other municipal flags, in Vernon at the
Wesbild Centre
sports stadium during
Remembrance Day
ceremonies.
[54]
The mayor stated it displays the "rich" history of this city to the public.
[54]
Vernon City Council declared they would frame and display the flag at Vernon City Hall at this time.
[53]
There is a crest and shield version of the flag of Vernon that is used occasionally; it was adopted shortly after the city was incorporated.
[55]
The flag of Vernon represents the city itself and its region, the Okanagan, containing a "V" to note Vernon, an elk to represent the wildlife of the area, sheaves to suggest the importance of agriculture in the city, while its horn of plenty notes its fruit industry.
[56]
Notable people
[
edit
]
- Andrew Allen
, singer-songwriter
- Alice Barrett Parke
, diarist and pioneer
- Eric Brewer
, former ice hockey player
NHL
- Leone Caetani
, scholar of
Islam
, father of
Sveva Caetani
, spent the last years of his life in Vernon.
- Raquel Cole
,
country music
singer, musician, and songwriter
- John Denison
, ice road engineer who operated in the Northwest Territories in the 1950s-1970s.
- Josh Dueck
, won both silver and gold medals at the Paralympic Games in Sochi, Russia, as well as a silver medal at the 2010 games in Vancouver.
- Andrew Ebbett
, ice hockey player for the
Pittsburgh Penguins
- Lykele Faber
, Dutch secret agent during World War II
- Tracy Garneau
, Ultramarathon runner
- Sonja Gaudet
Paralympic Curler, three-time gold medalist, Sonja Gaudet is the world's most decorated wheelchair curler.
- Eric Godard
, professional hockey player for the
Pittsburgh Penguins
- Leah Goldstein
(born 1969), Canadian-Israeli professional
road racing cyclist
winner of the
Race Across America
, World Bantamweight
Kickboxing
Champion, and Israel
Duathlon
national champion
- James Green
, professional football player for the
Toronto Argonauts
- Kevin Hill
, snowboarder.
- Aaron Hoffman
(stage name SonReal), hip hop and alternative artist.
- Krista and Tatiana Hogan
, craniopagus conjoined twins
- Ken Holland
, general manager of the
Edmonton Oilers
- Ryan Holmes
, CEO of
HootSuite
- Larry Kwong
, first Chinese Canadian ice hockey player in the
NHL
- Frederick McCall
, WW1 Air Ace. McCall Field was the original name of the Calgary International Airport
- Vasek Pospisil
, tennis player,
Wimbledon 2014
men's doubles champion
- Daniel Powter
, singer-songwriter of US Billboard #1 hit song from 2005
Bad Day
- Laisha Rosnau
, novelist and poet
- TJ Schiller
, professional skier
- Jerred Smithson
, professional hockey player for the
Florida Panthers
- Raymond Wladichuk
, professional football player for the
Hamilton Tiger-Cats
Photo gallery
[
edit
]
-
View of downtown Vernon facing SE
-
Alexis Park area of Vernon BC facing north.
-
Alexis Park area of Vernon BC facing north.
-
View of Vernon BC facing NE.
-
Mission Hill area of Vernon - facing South.
-
Okanagan Landing area of Vernon facing SW.
-
Greater Vernon's welcome sign.
Sister cities
[
edit
]
Vernon has "
sister city
" agreements with the following cities:
[57]
Freedom of the City
[
edit
]
The following people and military units have received the
Freedom of the City
award from Vernon.
Individuals
[
edit
]
Military units
[
edit
]
See also
[
edit
]
Notes
[
edit
]
- ^
Statistic includes all persons that did not make up part of a visible minority or an indigenous identity.
- ^
Statistic includes total responses of "Chinese", "Korean", and "Japanese" under visible minority section on census.
- ^
Statistic includes total responses of "Filipino" and "Southeast Asian" under visible minority section on census.
- ^
Statistic includes total responses of "West Asian" and "Arab" under visible minority section on census.
- ^
Statistic includes total responses of "Visible minority,
n.i.e.
" and "Multiple visible minorities" under visible minority section on census.
References
[
edit
]
- ^
Government of Canada, Statistics Canada (9 February 2022).
"Census Profile, 2021 Census of Population"
.
www12.statcan.gc.ca
. Retrieved
25 July
2023
.
- ^
"Population and dwelling counts, for Canada, census metropolitan areas, census agglomerations and census subdivisions (municipalities), 2006 and 2001 censuses"
. Statistics Canada. Archived from
the original
on 2 October 2009
. Retrieved
15 March
2007
.
- ^
a
b
c
d
e
f
g
h
i
Bell, Barbara.
"Vernon"
.
The Canadian Encyclopedia
. Archived from
the original
on 23 October 2012
. Retrieved
19 January
2013
.
- ^
"Culture & History"
.
Tourism British Columbia
. Retrieved
19 January
2013
.
- ^
"Okanagan Nation Alliance"
. British Columbia Ministry of Aboriginal Relations and Reconciliation
. Retrieved
19 January
2013
.
- ^
a
b
c
d
e
f
g
h
i
j
k
"History"
. Vernon
. Retrieved
19 January
2013
.
- ^
"Main Street"
. Vernon Museum and Archives
. Retrieved
19 January
2013
.
- ^
"British Columbia Regional Districts, Municipalities, Corporate Name, Date of Incorporation and Postal Address"
(
XLS
). British Columbia Ministry of Communities, Sport and Cultural Development
. Retrieved
19 January
2013
.
- ^
"Major Highway Routes in British Columbia"
. Government of British Columbia
. Retrieved
22 March
2007
.
- ^
"Province Opens $22
Million Swan Lake Interchange"
(Press release). British Columbia Ministry of Transportation. 15 November 2004
. Retrieved
22 March
2007
.
- ^
"Vernon, British Columbia"
. eBus
. Retrieved
4 August
2020
.
- ^
"Vernon Regional Airport"
. Vernon Regional Airport
. Retrieved
2 March
2007
.
- ^
Canada, Environment and Climate Change (25 September 2013).
"Canadian Climate Normals 1981-2010 Station Data - Climate - Environment and Climate Change Canada"
.
climate.weather.gc.ca
. Retrieved
19 May
2020
.
- ^
"Calculation Information for 1981 to 2010 Canadian Normals Data"
. Environment Canada
. Retrieved
9 July
2013
.
- ^
https://climate.weather.gc.ca/climate_data/daily_data_e.html?StationID=46987&timeframe=2&StartYear=1840&EndYear=2023&Day=8&Year=2023&Month=8#
- ^
"British Columbia ? Municipal Census Populations (1921?2011)"
. BC Stats. Archived from
the original
on 24 December 2018
. Retrieved
9 May
2013
.
- ^
"Population and dwelling counts: Canada, provinces and territories, and census subdivisions (municipalities), British Columbia"
.
Statistics Canada
. 9 February 2022
. Retrieved
20 February
2022
.
- ^
"Vernon, City [Census subdivision], British Columbia and Canada [Country] Census 2016"
.
- ^
a
b
c
d
Government of Canada, Statistics Canada (26 October 2022).
"Census Profile, 2021 Census of Population"
.
www12.statcan.gc.ca
. Retrieved
9 November
2022
.
- ^
Government of Canada, Statistics Canada (27 October 2021).
"Census Profile, 2016 Census"
.
www12.statcan.gc.ca
. Retrieved
1 January
2023
.
- ^
Government of Canada, Statistics Canada (27 November 2015).
"NHS Profile"
.
www12.statcan.gc.ca
. Retrieved
1 January
2023
.
- ^
Government of Canada, Statistics Canada (20 August 2019).
"2006 Community Profiles"
.
www12.statcan.gc.ca
. Retrieved
1 January
2023
.
- ^
Government of Canada, Statistics Canada (2 July 2019).
"2001 Community Profiles"
.
www12.statcan.gc.ca
. Retrieved
1 January
2023
.
- ^
"NHS Profile, Vernon, CY, British Columbia, 2011"
. 8 May 2013.
- ^
vss.sd22.bc.ca
- ^
"kalamalka.sd22.bc.ca"
. Archived from
the original
on 16 December 2009
. Retrieved
15 December
2009
.
- ^
fulton.sd22.bc.ca
- ^
seaton.sd22.bc.ca
- ^
bloom.sd22.bc.ca
- ^
"About Us"
. School District 22. Archived from
the original
on 10 February 2007
. Retrieved
5 March
2007
.
- ^
vcs.ca
- ^
"History"
. Vernon Winter Carnival Society
. Retrieved
4 March
2007
.
- ^
Lippert, Wayne (2007).
47th Annual Vernon Winter Carnival: Carnival on Broadway [Brochure]
. Vernon, BC: Vernon Winter Carnival Society. p. 5.
- ^
Christensen, Tom (2007).
47th Annual Vernon Winter Carnival: Carnival on Broadway [Brochure]
. Vernon, BC: Vernon Winter Carnival Society. p. 5.
- ^
"Vernon and District Performing Arts Centre"
.
owned by the Regional District of the North Okanagan and operated by the Vernon and District Performing Arts Society.
- ^
vernonmurals.ca
- ^
"Sveva Caetani fonds - MemoryBC"
. Archived from
In the original
on 27 March 2016
. Retrieved
10 June
2011
.
1973, she obtained a teaching job at Charles Bloom School in Lumby, where she continued to teach until her retirement in 1984. During her years in Lumby, Sveva began to paint again. Her most important project, a series of 54 paintings which she called Recapitulation, was begun while she was teaching.
- ^
Knox, Roger (13 March 2018).
"Project impresses Defence Minister"
.
Vernon Morning Star
.
- ^
funtastic.org
- ^
"Greater Vernon Golfing"
. Vernon Tourism. Archived from
the original
on 6 February 2007
. Retrieved
3 March
2007
.
- ^
"Facilities"
. Predator Ridge Golf. Archived from
the original
on 27 February 2007
. Retrieved
3 March
2007
.
- ^
"History"
. Telus Skins. Archived from
the original
on 23 February 2007
. Retrieved
3 March
2007
.
- ^
"Awards"
. Silver Star Mountain Resort
. Retrieved
23 March
2007
.
- ^
Levy, Sue-Anne (7 January 2005).
"Silver Star a place to shine"
. CANOE Travel. Archived from the original on 18 July 2012
. Retrieved
23 March
2007
.
{{
cite news
}}
: CS1 maint: unfit URL (
link
)
- ^
"Welcome!"
. Sovereign Lake Nordic Club
. Retrieved
23 March
2007
.
- ^
"Greater Vernon welcomes the World this December!"
(Press release). Sovereign Lake Nordic Club. 10 November 2005
. Retrieved
23 March
2007
.
- ^
"Vernon to stage 2008 Ford World Women's Curling Championship"
(Press release). Canadian Curling Association. 27 September 2006
. Retrieved
23 March
2007
.
- ^
vernontennis.com
- ^
"Home"
.
vernonpickleball.com
.
- ^
a
b
c
"State of the art loo installed in Okanagan"
.
Penticton Western News
. 7 October 2011.
Archived
from the original on 14 August 2020
. Retrieved
12 October
2019
.
The stainless steel walls have a graffiti resistant coating and there are open slats at the top and bottom, offering privacy, but still allowing police to ensure there is only one person inside at a time and to see whether or not the user is in distress.
- ^
a
b
c
Bulmer, Ben (11 October 2019).
"Much ado about a loo: Taking Vernon's new outdoor washroom for a spin"
.
Infotel
.
Archived
from the original on 16 January 2020
. Retrieved
12 October
2019
.
The City had originally discussed spending $275,000 on two Portland Loos from the Oregon firm who had a lengthy waiting list for their toilets. The City changed course and looked closer to home found and found Eagle Industries who designed and produced the washrooms. According to the City, they're still crunching the numbers and haven't got a total as yet, but in a statement said it
'
came in well under budget
'
.
- ^
a
b
Bulmer, Ben (17 April 2019).
"Vernon to spend $275K on two public washrooms downtown"
.
Infotell
.
Vernon, BC
.
Archived
from the original on 18 March 2020
. Retrieved
12 October
2019
.
The plan is to spend the cash on two single-occupancy public toilets, which will be open 24 hours a day seven days a week, according to a document from City of Vernon procurement services. The stainless steel toilets are resistant to vandalism and painted with an anti-graffiti coating.
- ^
a
b
"Flag flown in Afghanistan, returned to Vernon"
.
Global News
. 11 November 2010
. Retrieved
17 January
2013
.
[
dead link
]
- ^
a
b
Bouey, Kate (11 November 2010).
"Vernon Flag Returns From Afghanistan"
.
EZ Rock
. Retrieved
17 January
2013
.
- ^
Kimola, Rachael (9 November 2010).
"Vernon flag back from Afghanistan"
. Castanet
. Retrieved
19 January
2013
.
- ^
"Mission Statement"
. Vernon. Archived from
the original
on 18 March 2013
. Retrieved
17 January
2013
.
- ^
"Sister Cities"
. City of Vernon
. Retrieved
23 July
2014
.
- ^
McIntyre, Pete (12 October 2021).
"City of Vernon awards Oilers G.M. Holland Freedom of the City"
.
CFJC Today
. Retrieved
12 October
2021
.
- ^
"Cadet camp honours fallen commanding officer"
.
Vernon Morning Star
. 29 July 2011.
- ^
"British Columbia Dragoons"
. Archived from
the original
on 15 June 2013
. Retrieved
14 June
2013
.
External links
[
edit
]
50°16′01″N
119°16′19″W
/
50.267°N 119.272°W
/
50.267; -119.272
Places adjacent to Vernon, British Columbia
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