Her’s is a tale of adventure and hardship, and it’s one that has gained recognition in the Thompson-North Okanagan.
In honour of Armstrong settler and first woman to cross Canada overland Catherine O’Hare Schubert, Janet Irving met Armstrong City Council Tuesday to seek support for a rose naming project.
“An idea came that it would really be very special to have a rose named after Catherine,” Irving said.
The germ of the idea came from Armstrong’s partnership with its sister city in Northern Ireland, Rathfriland, only three kilometres from Schubert’s birthplace.
“All of this fell into place and we decided it will be very special to have it named after her,” Irving said.
On Schubert’s journey, the history books say she and company relied on wild berries and rose hips for sustenance. And so, when the convoy reached the Kamloops area and Schubert’s daughter was born, it only made sense for her to be named Rose.
“They picked the rose because of her daughter’s name,” Armstrong Mayor Chris Pieper said.
In pursuit of the project, Irving, alongside Jessie Ann Gamble and Carol Cooney — a descendant of Schubert — reached out and eventually met Langley-based rose breeders Select Roses.
“The owner was really excited about the project,” Irving said, noting that they settled on a pink shrub rose. “We wanted to have something as similar to a wild rose as possible.”
To secure the naming rights for the rose shrub, the group was set to the task of raising $5,000.
“There was a sense of urgency when we decided to do this,” Irving said. “(But) we’re doing very well with our fundraising.
Currently, they have raised $3,500. To that accord, council pledged support in the form of $500.
“Janet Irving gave an excellent presentation on the rose naming project,” Pieper said. “She is a really passionate person and she really wants to get this going.”
Once the naming rights are purchased, a limited number of the roses will be available for purchase, and Irving hopes that the city will have Catherine O’Hare Schubert roses on display in local parks.
“All of these pieces fell into place,” Irving said. “We decided it will be very special to have it named after her.”
Donations for the project can be made through the Armstrong Spallumcheen Museum and Arts Society, 250-546-8318, www.armstrongspallmuseumart.com.
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