Some missing pieces from the Vernon Ski Club story were recently presented to the Silver Star Mountain Museum, an InSpot Museum of the Greater Vernon Museum and Archives.
Rob Tupper, past-president of the Vernon Ski Club made the presentation to Barbara Bell, archivist at the Vernon Museum and Linda Peterat from Silver Star Mountain Museum. The files date from 1947 to 1963 and help connect the people and events that contributed to the growth of skiing in Vernon area and the development of Silver Star Mountain.
“The files were languishing in our file cabinets when they really belong in an Archives where they can be used by others,” said Tupper.
“It’s a significant contribution that will help us build the story of Vernon’s longtime involvement in skiing and Silver Star Mountain,” added Bell.
The Vernon Ski Club will mark its 80th birthday in February. Carl Wylie was the first president of the club, originally known as the Silver Star Ski Club of Vernon. Jim Duddle was vice-president, and Annie Openshaw was secretary-treasurer. In 1938, the club had 30 members and its main goal was to encourage beginners in the sport of skiing. The Club installed their first rope tow on Birnie Range, south of Vernon in 1946, later moving it to Keefer’s Gulch on Coldstream Ranch, then to Freeman’s Farm near Lavington and finally to the Western Ridge of Silver Star Mountain known as Christie’s Shoulder in 1956.
In 1958, members of the Club formed Silver Star Sports Ltd to develop a ski facility on Silver Star and the Silver Star Ski Club became a racing club that used those facilities. The club continued to evolve along with changes in skiing. Its name changed to the Vernon Ski Club, but its purpose remained to develop competitive skiers.
In 1974, the North Okanagan Cross Country Ski Club (now known as Sovereign Lake Nordic Club) formed as an off-shoot of the Silver Star Ski Club.
If you have any old documents, photos or artifacts to fill in gaps in the Vernon Ski Club story, that may go back as far as 1938, contact Barbara Bell at barbara.bell@vernonmuseum.ca or Linda Peterat at silverstarmuseum@gmail.com. Information on the Vernon Ski Club can be found at www.vernonskiclub.ca