Greetings,
Summer has finally come to the Okanagan, and with it an influx of visitors to the area, many campers to the Fintry Provincial Park and loads of people touring the Manor House. Unfortunately, because we did not receive any funding from the Federal government through Canada Summer Jobs, we are unable to hire students to assist with tours and programming. We are therefore reaching out to anyone who would like to learn the history of the Fintry Estate and assist with giving tours throughout the summer. Our meagre supply of volunteers is struggling to keep the doors open on weekends, but come July we need to be open during the week as well. If anyone is interested helping out even one day a week, please contact me for more information at 250-309-7868.
On June 18/19 we held our first annual Fintry Fusion Art Show and what a resounding success it was! Ten local artists displayed their work throughout the Manor House; incredible musicians played their renditions on the deck and, judging by the amount of scones we baked, everyone seemed to love their Strawberry Cream Tea! The artists loved the location and have asked for this to become an annual event.
Our next big event is on Sunday July 10th, when we hold our Fintry Summer Fair on the front lawn of the Manor House. The Vernon Girls Trumpet Band will be strutting their stuff and 11 a.m. and the Kalamalka Highlanders Pipe Band at noon, with other musicians playing throughout the day. Many vendors have already booked their space so bring your lawn chairs and plan for another fun day at Fintry.
Saturday, July 16th at 10 a.m. we will be holding our Annual General Meeting at the Manor House. We invite all members to attend this very important meeting. If your membership has lapsed, renewals are available at the front desk as you come in. We still have room on the Board for new members, so do give this some consideration if you would like to join. Most of our meetings are now by Zoom making them so much easier for everyone to attend.
Dan Bruce now has a few words to say about a recent addition to the Manor House collection……
Almost a year ago, our August 2021 Octagon had a feature about the Bighorn Sheep now frequently seen by travelers along Westside Road. We had borrowed the bronze sculpture of two rams, by Werner Plangg from the Kelowna Museum, and brought the “Chris Oakes’ ram” skull out of the Trophy Room to draw visitors’ attention to the presence of the sheep and their history in this area.
After their re-introduction and several years residence on the west side of the lake, it is gratifying to say that (as far as I know) there have been no bad experiences on the Westside Road, either for the sheep or motorists. A few sharp intakes of breath perhaps, but no worse. These sheep also seem to have been spared the outbreaks of any of the diseases that have taken a toll of wild sheep populations in other parts of the province.
In June 2022, the Fintry Estate hosted what might well become the first annual art show and sale. Very well attended in spite of the weather, ten local artists and their works, combined with Kathy Drew’s cream scones brought out the crowds. Wendy Hart Penner exhibited a charcoal drawing of a Bighorn Ram, which was purchased by the Fintry Estate, as part of the permanent collection. This not only gave us the opportunity to act as the patron of local artistic talent, but celebrates the return of our faunal neighbors as the artist’s own words explain. ” I encountered a herd of Mountain Sheep on Westside Road and quickly grabbed my camera to photograph them. The herd was peacefully resting on a slope just above Westside Road about 700 metres southwest of the Fintry Estate. They were very photogenic, so I crept up to them, and when I got too close for his comfort, the Ram of the herd struck the best ‘get-back stare’ pose ” Wendy Hart Penner.
The newly acquired drawing now hangs in the Ben Lee Room, I am sure, with the complete approval of James Dun-Waters.
Kathy Drew,
Friends of Fintry Provincial Park