Among our loyal and much loved vendors has to be the House of the Caribbean.  Jack & Melinda Taylor never fail to please the crowds with their Jerk Chicken among other delights.

Okanagan Spirits are also great supporters of Fintry.  They produce a wonderful Scotch called “The Laird of Fintry” as well as many other award winning spirits.  Last event they were next to the FireFighter’s ice cream stand.  We heard from a number of people how delicious the sample of fruit spirits tasted over their ice cream.  Rumour has it they will be in the same location this Sunday!

Oh Natural Foods will also be at Fintry July 17th.  They were new to the May event and got rave reviews from all who enjoyed their smoothies and lunch dishes.

Len Marriot, of Terroir Cheese, shared with us his delicious product.  There is nothing like a truly mouth watering bite of his fresh cheese!

Hans & Sandy Metzler (Food 4 U) brought their baking and preserves to sell at the May event.  Most of us have little time to preserve like our parent’s and grandparents did.  Such a delight to taste their home made goodness!

Remember…. the next Fair at Fintry is this Sunday, July 17th from 10am to 4pm.

See you there.

People come to the events at Fintry not only to see the Manor House but to enjoy the atmosphere of a good old fashioned country Fair.  These events would not be possible without the wonderful vendors who display their wares.   Some of these vendors try to make each one of our events, others come when they are able and there are always new vendors signing up.

For the next few days we would like to highlight a few of these amazing businesses.

The North Westside Fire Department has been a part of Fintry for years now.  They help with parking, have a fire hose demonstration for kids to take part in, they sell ice cream which is always a hit and have helped us out with games like tug of war.

Georgia Scott operates the ‘Buster’s’ Kiosk at the Manor House during the summer and sells here beautiful jewellery during our events.

Micah Rattink is the owner of Dawnfire Forge.  As a blacksmith he brings an ancient art in to modern times.  It’s great to watch his demonstrations.

Helena Hobart is the very talented owner of Cabin Country Creations.  Helena is always coming up with new ideas for her line and has even found the time to recover the cushions for the Manor House deck furniture.

Bob Raymond, Willowbrook Nursery, always has amazing and interesting plants for your garden.  The colours and varieties are often quite unusual.   Both the Perennials and Annuals will add interest to your garden.

These are just a few of the many vendors we would like to thank for making the Fintry Fair a great success.

Watch this blog as we spotlight more vendors in the days leading up to the big Summer Fair this Sunday, July 17th.

Come join us on July 17th for the Summer Event at Fintry.  Over the next few days this blog will post new entries that spotlight vendors who have been a part of the events at Fintry.  Each year it gets bigger and better.

Hope to see you there!

Few of us have any idea about the history of the Barn Complex at Fintry.  Though it is an extremely important part of Dun-Waters’ legacy our attention seems to be drawn to the Manor House.  Without a particular interest in livestock &/or farming it seems we would rather wander through the house enjoying the ambiance of days gone by.  However, if you only see the Manor House you will be missing out on the ingenious way Dun-Waters made the Fintry Delta come alive.

As you enter Fintry you will see buildings to your left along Short’s Creek.  Take the time to wander the path leading to a number of buildings.  Here is where the Laird harnessed the power of the water to run not only a Pelton Wheel (for making electricity) but to create one of the first spray irrigation systems in the Okanagan.  The most striking building in the complex is the Octagonal (or eight sided) barn.  This ingenious design allowed for a central silo making feed easily accessible to the ring of cattle waiting patiently below.  A trough in the concrete collected the animal waste and the (easily accessible) water diverted from Shorts Creek made for efficient clean up.  It also allowed the waste to be collected and used for fertilizer.  This type of barn is unique in the Canadian west.

This is only a taste of what you will learn when you tour the barn complex at Fintry.  If you want to learn more please make a point of visiting the area.

We are always looking for volunteers to help us out with the tours.  You don’t have to know the difference between Ayrshire Cattle and a Texas Longhorn, we have all the information you need.  Please contact us through this website or on Facebook if you would like to know more about becoming a volunteer.  The time commitment is up to you.

Please consider helping if you can.

There is a very special area close to the Manor House that finds it’s roots in ancient history.     The Labyrinth can trace it’s origins over 4,000 years.  Unlike a Maze which is designed to get you lost, the Labyrinth is “an ancient symbol that  combines the imagery of a circle and the spiral into a meandering but purposeful path”  ( www.crystalinks.com).

In Great Britain the Labyrinth is known as a “turf maze” and would often be found in the gardens of stately Manor Homes.  Though the Labyrinth at Fintry was not present when Alice was alive I’m sure she and her guests would have taken pleasure in strolling along the peaceful pathway.

Each time I visit the Manor House I see people, young and old, walking or running to the centre and back, sometimes over and over again.  I have many photos of my grandsons enjoying this special place as well.  Even at three and six years of age they understand the uniqueness of the area and are very careful to stay within the lines.

A desire to share the sense of peace that strolling a Labyrinth can bring was the reason that Cathryne Durante decided, in 2002, to gather together a hatchet, shovel & string line and get to work.  She felt strongly that the winding pathway would be an asset to Fintry and all who visit there.  Slowly, over the next year, the Labyrinth took shape.

Sadly Cathryne passed away in 2004 but to this day her husband lovingly takes care to weed & maintain the area.  He also finds pleasure in the comments he hears as people pass by.  What a wonderful legacy she  has left for her family and all of us to enjoy.

The continuous pattern, or flow, of a Labyrinth has proven to calm people.  Walking the path or tracing the pattern carved in wood, brings a sense of peace.  Lisa Durante (www.cedarphoenix.ca),  Cathryne’s daughter, carves Labyrinths in cedar.  At the last Mother’s Day event at Fintry she often had children at her booth finger tracing the designs. Lisa works with children who have Autism and has seen firsthand the calming effect of fingers tracing the patterns.  As Lisa said in her letter to me: “Many people can only be still in their minds if they are busy with their hands”.  This soothing action has also proven beneficial to people with anxiety disorders, alzheimer’s etc.

Overseas tourists, students on field trips, campers and locals are all drawn to this special place near the Manor House.  It would be interesting to hear from visitors to the Park willing to share their experience at the Labyrinth. If anyone reading this blog would like to share their story please send us a message via Facebook or on this website.

For those of you who don’t know, this peaceful walk is located just north of the Manor House lawn.

Today was the Annual General Meeting for Friends of Fintry.  The meeting was held at the Manor House and those in attendance were given the opportunity to see the repairs & renovations taking place.

A representative of BC Parks took us through the renovations starting with the Laird’s bedroom.  This room, which was blocked off from the main living area during a former renovation, will one day become part of the tour.  Friends of Fintry have most, if not all, of the furnishings needed to bring this room alive.

As we walked through the chaos of construction we were told about some of the challenges the contractor faced.  Along with the replacement of plumbing and wiring came the structural challenges.  Engineered support beams were needed as well as supports in the basement and new bearing walls in the upstairs.  It seems that the Manor House has been fortunate that a heavy snow load hadn’t damaged the roof in the past.

BC Parks, the contractor (Maddock’s Construction) and our Curator have worked together to give the unusable areas of the house a safe & secure purpose.  The drywall will be going up soon with taping and mudding to continue in to July.  Construction will cease and continue again in the fall.  All going well it is slated for completion by the end of October.

When the dust clears there will be a prep kitchen, new viewing area for films, a caretaker’s suite, two separate bedrooms for summer students, a board room & office for the Curator.

We will keep you posted as work progresses.

Thank you to all the Friends of Fintry who attended our AGM today.  Glad everyone got a chance to see the changes.

If you’re looking for something for your family and friends to do this May long weekend why not take a drive to Fintry.

The water in Short’s Creek is rushing with the Spring melt making the views from the stairs breathtaking.  Captain James Dun-Waters used the force of that rushing water to run a Pelton Wheel which supplied electricity to his home and out buildings.

Closer to the Manor House you will see many flowers blooming.  Alice Dun-Waters loved her garden.  The Friends of Fintry are working hard to bring her garden back to life.  This time of year with the Irises in bloom, roses starting to open and the lilacs fading away it is easy to take yourself back to the peaceful country pleasures of the last century.

Judging from all the smiling faces on Mother’s Day I think it’s safe to say that the Spring Fair was a great success.

The Fairs at Fintry are an opportunity for families and friends to come together.  It’s a time to not only find unique items to buy from one of the many vendors, but to play together, sometimes dance together, and learn about the rich history that is Fintry.   My six year old grandson told me that “Fintry has a lot of neat history but we’re making our own Fintry history by being helpers at the Fair”.  I don’t think anyone could top that statement.

Members of the Friends of Fintry Board would like to thank all the volunteers that helped make the day a memorable experience.   We couldn’t do it without you.

Here are a few photos for you to enjoy.

The weather is going to be perfect for the Mother’s Day fair this Sunday.   There will be lots of vendors, plants for your garden, good food, music and fun for all ages.  You can hike the falls, visit the Barn Complex,  Manor House and enjoy the beautiful Okanagan.

Hope to see you there!

On May 4th a number of volunteers turned out to clean the Manor House and weed the gardens.  The windows are washed and the floors vacuumed.  Even the Kodiak bear got spruced up for the season.  With the cobwebs gone and the silver polished the Manor House is ready to greet guests at the Fair this Mother’s Day.

While we were cleaning the exhibits work continued on the caretaker’s suite & meeting room upstairs as well as the kitchen area.  I was fortunate to get a sneak peak at the progress.  Though there were some unforeseen structural issues they have now been solved and the new space is taking shape.

We will keep you updated as the renovations progress.