The team at UBCO Library’s Okanagan Special Collections & Archives has been hard at work digitizing, curating, editing, and ingesting items contributed by community partners. This spring and summer, nearly 7,500 items were digitized and made accessible, including 265 photographs and 2,907 newspaper publications from Kelowna Capital News and regional collections belonging to six community partners and memory institutions.
Kelowna Capital News
Kelowna Capital News has provided news coverage in Kelowna since 1930. This past spring and summer, newspaper publications covering events, activities, and news in Kelowna from 1930 to 1986 were digitized from UBC Okanagan Special Collections & Archives holdings. The online availability of this digital news collection was made possible through generous funding provided by the Central Okanagan Foundation and with the permission of Kelowna Capital News via Black Press Media.
Explore the Kelowna Capital News digital collection
Description: Lance and his dog, Jake at the beach
In addition, 265 photographs from the Kelowna Capital News photograph collection were digitized from holdings in supplement to the digitized newspaper issues. This collection of photographs from 1980 to 1984 is a minuscule extraction of the full extent of the physical collection, which comprises of about 600,000 exposures.
The digitized photograph collection was made possible through a collaboration permitting photo identification and description with Kelowna Public Archives, and permission to post online generously provided by the publisher of the Kelowna Capital News.
EXPLORE KCN PHOTOGRAPHIC FONDS
BCRDH Stewarded Community Content
This spring and summer, Okanagan Special Collections & Archives added collections from four existing partners, including Windermere Valley Museum, Trail Museum and Archives, Nelson Museum, and Naramata Heritage Museum through the British Columbia Regional Digitized History (BCRDH) project. Collections from two new partners: Kootenay Columbia Educational Heritage Society and Kaleden Museum and Archives were also added. By the end of the summer, BCRDH hosted over 709 thousand objects.
More about BCRDH
BCRDH is a shared digital portal that compiles a wide range of local historical resources across the Kootenays, Nicola-Thompson, and Okanagan regions. Learn more about this innovative project and its digitization process through this video.
Kootenay Columbia Educational Heritage Society: Yearbook collection
Description: Page 21 of Trail High School Quotannis, 1947-1948
The Kootenay Columbia Educational Heritage Society aims to preserve the educational heritage of School District No. 20 (Kootenay Columbia) and is a recent partner addition to BCRDH. The Yearbook collection includes the digitization of 64 yearbooks and school annuals from J.L. Crowe High School, Trail High School, and Trail Junior High School.
Browse the Yearbook Collection
Kaleden Museum and Archives: Historical photograph collection
Description: Fred King hauling apples in a Kaleden orchard
The Kaleden Museum and Archives is a new partner and its first contribution to BCRDH includes 98 historical photographs that demonstrate the lived experiences of people in Kaleden in the nineteenth and twentieth centuries.
Naramata Heritage Museum: Historical photograph collection
Description: May Pole dancing at Manitou Park
Naramata Heritage Museum is an established BCRDH partner and this summer BCRDH ingested photographs of Naramata and area ranging from 1890 to 2007 as well as textual records of the community hall, animal pound, and local Girl Guides chapter.
Revelstoke Museum & Archives: Maps, Plans, and Drawings collection
Description: Aerial photograph – Plan of Big Eddy Area, Revelstoke – Special Mosaic relating to Columbia River Developments
The Revelstoke Museum & Archives Maps, Plans, and Drawings Collection is the tenth Revelstoke collection hosted by BCRDH and consists of topographic maps, mineral and land claims maps, townsite and subdivision plans, and architectural drawings constructed by the Canadian Pacific Railway Company, all dating from 1897 to 1977. Online accessibility of this collection was made possible by a BC History Digitization Program grant through the Irving K Barber Learning Centre.
See the Revelstoke Maps, Plans, and Drawings collection
Trail Museum and Archives: Historical photograph collections
Description: “Special Train” for the Trail Smoke Eaters
BCRDH now hosts two new collections from Trail Museum and Archives. While the Trail Historical Society Photograph collection focuses on industrial history, agriculture, and landscapes. The Sports Photograph Collection showcases the development and success of Trail’s well-known sports teams, particularly the world championship Trail Smoke Eaters teams, as well as countless athletes. These additions bring the entire digital extent of the Trail collections to 9,758 photographs.
Explore the new Trail collections
Windermere Valley Museum: Historical photograph collection
Description: Mountains and trench in winter
This summer, BCRDH added 479 new items to the Windermere Valley Museum Photograph collection, bringing the total to 2,072 photographs. The collection consists of photographs of the Windermere Valley depicting both Indigenous and settler residents. Activities and subjects included are forestry, mining and agriculture, institutions (including schools and hospitals), the built and physical environment of communities in the valley, and the Kootenay National Park.
Explore the Windemere historical photograph collection
Nelson Museum, Archives & Gallery: Shaw Cable 10 Fonds
The Nelson Museum, Archives and Gallery is an established BCRDH partner, and the Shaw Cable 10 fonds are a new collection consisting of 100 curated recordings from 1979 to 2000. The videos include musical and theatrical performances, historical and topical documentaries, and local news and events and feature Nelson locals and visiting artists and performers to Nelson.
Explore the Shaw Cable 10 fonds
Okanagan Special Collections & Archives is located in COM 004 on the lower level of The Commons building adjacent to the D. Ross Fitzpatrick Great Hall.
Learn more about Okanagan Special Collections & Archives