Summerland Inspected
By David Gregory
In the year 1900, the Canadian Pacific Railway made the decision to acquire 10,000 acres of land in the Interior of British Columbia to grow fruit for their new C.P.R. hotels. By 1901, after an extensive search, two properties were short-listed. The Kamloops proposal was dropped because of questionable water reliability. The Trout Creek property, in the centre of the Okanagan Valley, was also dropped because there wasn’t enough acreage; only 4,000 acres. So the C.P.R executive abandoned the idea. But C.P.R. President Sir Thomas Shaughnessy (1853-1923) decided to personally proceed with the acquisition of the Trout Creek property.
Shaughnessy created the Summerland Syndicate to purchase Barclay’s Trout Creek cattle ranch. By August 1902 the sales agreement between George Barclay and the Summerland Syndicate was completed.
Shaughnessy immediately created the Summerland Development Company. Shaughnessy owned almost all of the company shares and voting was based on one vote per share. His company built
the water system, the road system, the electrical system (first community in the Okanagan) and his company assisted with the telephone system. Shaughnessy moved quickly. In the Fall of 1902, his company built the Summerland Hotel.
Sir Thomas Shaughnessy had been president of the C.P.R since 1899, and each year he conducted a national inspection tour of C.P.R. properties. Some described this tour as the “dreaded white glove inspection tour.” Shaughnessy insisted on quality and cleanliness of C.P.R. services. In 1903, Summerland was added to his annual inspection tours.
1904 INSPECTION
Lord Shaughnessy arrived in Summerland on Sept. 22, 1904. Many of the CPR executives accompanied him to Summerland. Several members of the tour had Summerland orchard homeowners included Sir Thomas Shaughnessy, Sir William Whyte, Sir Edmund Osler, R.B. Angus, Sir Edward Clouston, Sir Herbert Holt and Charles Hosmer. Other prominent citizens included Sir George Drummond, Henry Cambie, Richard Marpole and prominent Vernon Bank of Montreal manager, G.A. Henderson.
1907 INSPECTION
This tour was a special event for Summerland. The Council proclaimed a half-day municipal holiday, Shaughnessy Day, October 18th, to celebrate his visit. Shaughnessy was met at the C.P.R wharf by the Summerland Brass Band and a large group of cheering citizens. The community also had a display of fruit and other farm product. This tour included C.P.R. executives, R.B. Angus, Sir Edmund Osler, Sir Herbert Holt, W.D. Matthews, Sir William Whyte, Richard Marpole, Captain Gore and G.J. Bury. This display of fruit was the origin of Summerland’s Fall Fair, which by 1909 became an important annual event.
1908 INSPECTION
For this tour, C.P.R. executives included Sir Edward Clouston, Sir Herbert Holt, Sir Edmund Osler and R.B. Angus. Accompanying the C.P.R. executives on this tour was provincial horticulture commissioner R.M. Palmer. This tour also included visits to Vernon and Kelowna. According to the Victoria Daily Colonist, “Mr. Palmer is of the opinion that the fruit output of the part of the Okanagan visited will increase to such an extent during the next two years as to render it necessary to augment the transportation facilities.” He suggested that railway barges would improve efficiency. In 1908 Vernon had approximately 3,800 acres of fruit, Kelowna about the same and the Summerland/Penticton area had over 5,000 acres.
Summerland Hotel
1910 INSPECTION
Historically, this tour was the most important. Through the efforts of Shaughnessy’s Summerland Development Company, Summerland was now the most prosperous community in the Okanagan Valley. According to the government’s 1909 land assessments, Summerland was valued at $1,060,000, Coldstream: $934,618, Penticton: $845,955, Kelowna: $840, 660 and Peachland: $305, 200.
The S.S. Okanagan arrived at the Summerland wharf with the Shaughnessy party. With Sir Thomas were two of Shaughnessy’s daughters, Sir William Whyte, R.B. Angus, Sir Herbert Holt, Sir Edward Clouston, Charles Hosmer, Mr. Switzer, Captain Gore and T. Kilpatrick.
R.B. Angus had participated in each tour of Summerland. In 1910 he was 79 years old. Summerland representatives included Summerland Reeve R.H. Agur, and Agricultural president Charlie J. Thomson. The site of the second Fall Fair (then called the Apple Show) was at the Okanagan Fruit Union’s new packing-house at the C.P.R wharf. The Fall Fair was scheduled to coincide with the Shaughnessy visit. For the event, a new apple developed by L.D. McCall was named ‘Shaughnessy Red”. There were 450 entries into the Fair. Winners included Summerland orchardist Frank Osler for his ‘fameuse’ apple (Sir Edmund Osler’s brother). During the visit, Shaughnessy presented J.M. Robinson with a cheque for $600; a token of appreciation for his assistance with the development of the community.
Sir Thomas Shaughnessy was pleased with the progress of the community. So, in 1910, his Summerland Development Company sold the road, water and electrical systems to the District of Summerland.
Shaughnessy continued to conduct his national inspection tour until 1916 when eye sight began to fail. That year was also the last tour for 85 year old R.B. Angus. Angus kept ownership of his Summerland orchard home until his death in 1922.
2009 INSPECTION
One hundred years after Sir Thomas Shaughnessy officially opened Summerland’s first Fall Fair, his grand-daughter, the Honourable Brigid Shaughnessy, opened Summerland’s 2009 Fall Fair. She donated a new trophy, the Shaughnessy Cup, to the event. Ms. Shaughnessy travelled throughout the community and was especially interested in some business opportunities. She particularly enjoyed the Kettle Valley Steam Railway: which included riding in the engine room of Locomotive 3716.
Sir Thomas Shaughnessy became Baron Shaughnessy or Lord Shaughnessy in 1916 for his contributions to Canada’s war effort. The title “Baron” or “Lord” is not a hereditary title, except for four Canadian families: Strathcona, Beaverbrook, Morris and Shaughnessy. So, there still is a Lord Shaughnessy: Charles Shaughnessy, an actor in Hollywood. And yes, the current Lord Shaughnessy follows the progress of Summerland.
photos courtesy Summerland Museum Archives
