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Okanagan Historical Society requests action from Summerland

Three heritage projects have been presented to municipality
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A sod-roofed cabin in Summerland, built between 1886 and 1888, is the oldest building in the community and one of the oldest buildings in the Okanagan Valley. (Summerland Review file photo)

The Okanagan Historical Society is asking Summerland’s municipal council for assistance with three proposed heritage projects.

In a letter to Summerland council, George Downton, president of the Summerland branch of the society, asked about the status of three projects which had been submitted to council in the past.

The three projects are naming the three roundabouts in Summerland; completing a monument, interpretive sign or plaque project at Waterfront Heritage Park; and the ownership or protection of the sod cabin in Trout Creek.

READ ALSO: Discussions focus on preserving heritage cabin in Summerland

READ ALSO: Historical society working to preserve cabin and rename roundabouts in Summerland

All three heritage projects have been brought to Summerland council in the past.

“I can appreciate that responses to our requests may not have been forthcoming as quickly as we had hoped because of priority issues requiring your attention by the 2017 flood, fires, staff workload, staff turnover and layoffs and the pandemic,” Downton’s letter reads.

“Our group is willing to manage and complete the project independently and to work collaboratively with the district.”

Of the three projects, the sod cabin in Trout Creek has received considerable attention from the historical society and Summerland council.

The cabin is believed to have been constructed between 1886 and 1888 and is the oldest building in Summerland.

It was added to Summerland’s heritage register in 2016, after a recommendation by the community’s Heritage Advisory Commission.

There are concerns about the structure and the restoration work it needs if it is to survive.

Last fall, a Change.org petition to save the structure received more than 2,000 signatures, including 1,177 from Summerland residents.

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John Arendt

About the Author: John Arendt

John Arendt has worked as a journalist for more than 30 years. He has a Bachelor of Applied Arts in Journalism degree from Ryerson Polytechnical Institute.
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