Wednesday, August 29, 2012

Queen's Jubilee Celebration ~ Kamloops Heritage Train ~ Kamloops, BC

The Kamloops Multicultural Society and the Kamloops Heritage Society hosted a day of celebrations in honor of the Queen’s Jubilee this summer.  It was a wonderful hot summer day and those that came to celebrate enjoyed the nostalgia of days gone by and the entertainment talents of today.
the poster has photos to show the Queen with different duties
Poster for the Queen's Jubilee Celebration
The Queen’s Jubilee is the time to celebrate 60 years since the coronation of Queen Elizabeth 11 took place and Kamloops, thanks to the work of many volunteers was doing just that.  There were several organizations involved who's volunteers worked to make this happen. 
The train was dressed to celebrate the Jubilee
Kamloops Heritage train dressed for the Queen's Jubilee
The Kamloops Heritage Railway train was all dressed up for the occasion and ready to take the guests on a royal ride.  The guests were being treated to a special treat today as an English hostess would be telling them about the Queen and her reign.

The actors were present as royalty.
The "Queen" addresses the audience

The 'royal' actors were present to offer a royal touch.  The ‘Queen’ for the day with her ‘guard’ was accompanied by some ‘princesses’ and welcomed everyone to the celebration doing a great job with an accent to make it even more authentic.
Tea is being served as the guests sit at the tables offered for the celebration.
Tea is being served at the Queen's Jubilee celebration in Kamloops, BC
 Tea was served, as would be only proper, for the Queen’s Jubilee celebration.  The volunteers from the Centre of Senior Information did a great job hostessing tea in china cups to the ladies dressed in hats and their escorts who enjoyed sitting in the sunshine sipping their tea and enjoying the entertainment of the day.
the collage shows the different entertainment that was at the celebration
Entertainment at the Queen's Jubilee celebration in Kamloops, BC
There were some energetic young people demonstrating their skills of martial arts in the courtyard in front of the old railway station.  This young man was jumping over three of his companions and kicking a board before he landed on his feet.  Then actors took to the stage and entertained those of us that were not on the train ride today and the pretty little dancers did a great job of dancing to three different numbers.
Val poses with a cup and her doll
Val enjoys a cup of tea at the Kamloops celebration of the Queen's Jubilee
Val is the photographer for the Kamloops Heritage Railway so was here doing some photography but she found time to relax with a cup of tea.  Val is wearing a costume of bygone days that was made by her sister Alanna, who has made many of the costumes worn by volunteers on the Heritage Train rides.  Val had also brought the doll from her childhood that was also dressed for the Queen’s Coronation, an outfit her mother had made for the doll at that time.
several booths lined the entrance to the Queen's Jubilee celebration
Booths of the Kamloops Multicultural Society
The Chinese Cultural Association had several large photographs on display to sell as well as displaying the lovely lanterns that were gifts from the Chinese consulate who had visited here recently.  Mr. Lyle Anderson hosted a booth with photos that showed the sixty year history of Queen Elizabeth’s reign and another booth offered posters, flags and pins to commemorate the celebration.
Mr & Mrs Dagert pose for a photo on their 65th wedding anniversary
Mr. and Mrs. Lorne Dagert
Mr.& Mrs. Dagert were here to celebrate their own 65th wedding anniversary at the Queen’s Jubilee and were enjoying a cup of tea as they watched the entertainment.  A very special day for them both and we wish them a very Happy Anniversary.
The Queen’s Jubilee, as with so many other celebrations, is all made possible due to the diligence and hard work of some very dedicated volunteers. The visitors and guests enjoyed the celebration and we thank you for making this a special day.

Be sure not to miss the last weekend of the 2012 Spirit of Kamloops train ride and enjoy the adventure and the special surprise that waits for you, check here for their schedule. Also read about their special events throughout the year. This is a great tourist attraction for those visiting Kamloops but it is also a great attraction for the locals, too.

Sunday, August 26, 2012

Bicentennial Celebration ~ Tk'emlups ~ Kamloops, BC

2 Rivers, 2 Peoples, 200 years is the theme of our Bicentennial Celebrations.  We are one of very few communities in BC that have the benefits of seeing the two worlds coming together as one and as Chief Gottfriedson was quoted as saying, we are “One mind, one heart, one spirit, one Kamloops”.
3 canoes paddling down the river
The voyageurs on South Thompson River
The Kamloops Outrigger club, many dressed in costumes to reflect the bygone era of the beginning of this bicentennial, carried Mayor Peter Milobar and councilors to the shores of the South Thompson River.  3 canoes had paddled downstream to Tk’emlups and arrived at noon.

The canoes stop on the beach and the chief welcomes the party
Chief Gottfriedson welcomes Mayor Milobar
Mayor Milobar, also dressed in costume, and his party were welcomed by Chief Shane Gottfriedson, wearing a fur headdress, to the banks of the river at the Secwepemc Heritage Park as it may have been done 200 years ago.
Drummer and singers greet the visitors
Greetings are done with drum and song
Garry Gottfriedson, uncle to the Chief, and Family singers were there to sing a song of welcome with the drums and add to the ceremony with true Secwepemc spirit. 
Several councilors join the mayor on the beach.
Kamloops city councilors join the mayor
Councilor Nancy Bepple was one of several councilors on the voyage, joined by Marg Spina, Nelly Dever, Ken Christian and Arjun Singh who all participated in the voyage and were welcomed to lunch at the Heritage Park before carrying onto Riverside Park
A flag is added to the canoe
Volunteer Alex adds a flag
Volunteer Alex adds a Secwepemc flag to signify the representation of the two communities travelling in the canoe to Riverside Park.
The canoes leave to go downstream to Riverside Park
Voyageurs paddle the dignitaries to Riverside Park
Once lunch was finished, Chief Shane Gottfriedson and others joined the party in their canoes and set off downriver to join in the celebrations at Riverside Park.  
The train sits on the bridge over the river and welcomes the canoes
The arriving party is welcomed by the Heritage train whistle
Sitting on the bridge over the Thompson River is Engine 2141 and the Heritage Train, dressed in the Queen’s Jubilee flags, and welcoming the canoes and dignitaries with several blasts of the steam whistle.  It was pretty neat to see and hear and had the crowds cheering as the canoes arrived into Riverside Park.
The mayor and chief are welcomed as they arrive to the park
The crowd welcomes the mayor and chief and their party
There was a great crowd at Riverside Park to greet and welcome Chief Gottfriedson and Mayor Milobar and the other dignitaries as they arrived.  There was lots to see during this Bicentennial celebration all set up in the park for all to enjoy for the rest of the afternoon. 
The mayor and chief exchange gifts from each community represented
Mayor Milobar and Chief Gottfriedson trade gifts
Two hundreds years ago, David Stuart, a fur trader and explorer built a trading post called Fort Kamloops on the shore of the Thompson River. Today, as we stood on the same ground that Fort Kamloops once stood, we watched as Chief Shane Gottfriedson and Mayor Peter Milobar traded gifts to celebrate the anniversary of the relationship between our two communities. These gifts will be on display in City Hall and the Secwepenc Museum.
The history of Kamloops is very young compared to so many other parts of the world, including many parts of our country but very interesting. It was wonderful to see the efforts put into this event by many to remind us of what has been accomplished in the past 200 years.

To learn more about the Secwepemc history and the Native Heritage Park, click here.

Thursday, August 23, 2012

North Thompson Fall Fair and Rodeo ~ Barriere, BC

A recent drive up the North Thompson on the Yellowhead Highway was a perfect reminder of how pretty this valley is with the green fields and the North Thompson River gently rolling downstream on a sunny day.  We have so much to enjoy in our part of the world.
This view of the river is taken from the Yellowhead Hwy across the CN rail tracks.
North Thompson River, BC
Some of the tree covered hills near Barriere and Louis Creek, BC were destroyed by fire some years ago but they are slowly coming back to life and filling in some of the devastation that we saw then.
The tractor and equipment are shown cutting the hay
Cutting hay in field near Barriere, BC
Farming is a big part of the communities that line the North Thompson River and crops are filling the fields at this time of year and keeping the workers busy. The highway is on the west side of the North Thompson River until we reach Barriere when we cross the bridge and travel on the east side of the river. The Yellowhead is never far from the river and all it’s splendor through this part of the North Thompson Valley. 
These artistic endeavors were advertising the upcoming Fall Fair
Entertaining hay structures along the Yellowhead Highway
Then we began seeing some hay sculptures, this wasn’t something we had seen before so had to get some photos to share.  Perhaps this is a regular sight for the locals; it is fun to see for those of us who happen to drive by and it was a great reminder of the upcoming North Thompson Fall Fair and Rodeo held in Barriere, BC.
The crafts are displayed in the exhibit hall for competition and all to see.
Artistic displays of crafts for competition in the Exhibit Hall
The last time we spent a day at the North Thompson Fall Fair and Rodeo was their 60th anniversary celebration in 2010 and it was a rainy day but that did not seem to put a damper on for those that were enjoying the Fair.  There were hundreds of items on display inside the exhibit hall including some very large vegetables and canning goods, too and crowds were here to see it.

The fowl are in their cages in the barn for display to show the winners.
Roosters, chickens and pigeons win awards
The judging had been done and the ribbons were proudly displayed.  I wouldn’t think the chickens, roosters and pigeons were impressed by these ribbons but some of them seemed to be pretty puffed and strutting around a little more than usual! (:  I'm just sayin'! 
The sheep are standing on the shearing stand to be judged.
Sheep patiently wait for the judging to be done
We watched the sheep being clipped by some very young participants that were likely 4H members and we were amazed at their skills!  There is no doubt that they’ve spent plenty of time learning this and should be proud of their job, their finished products were beautiful!  I am sure the judging wasn’t easy.
The llama stands looking out his wire window at the fair.
The llama patiently stands at the North Thompson Fall Fair
The llama barn had lots of them to see including some little ones, which are called “cria”.  The llamas are often used to control predators like coyotes and help protect herds of sheep and goats. They stand tall and are known to spit if provoked and their indifference does not encourage petting so we admired them from a slight distance.
It looks like the pig is smiling, he is sleeping on the hay.
Smiling piglet has a nap
This little guy seemed to be having a happy dream and was totally oblivious to all of us wandering past his pen.  He may have already finished his competition along with other farm animals so today was his day of rest and relaxation.
The horses are all in their own pens getting attention from passersby.
Horses and donkeys at the North Thompson Fall Fair
Horses are a big part of the Fair as well as the Rodeo. We did watch some of the horsemanship demos like the barrel racing and we wandered around the barn to get a good look at these magnificent animals, as well. The Fair is “a celebration of agriculture, livestock, western country living and community spirit” and this community certainly lives up to this philosophy.
The Brahma bull watches me closely from inside his pen as I take my photos
A very large Brahma Bull
The rodeo is held in the arena on the grounds and is handicap friendly and the price of the entrance to the Fair includes the rodeo. This Brahma bull is one like you will see being ridden if you stay for the rodeo, he weighs about a ton and is to be taken seriously. I wasn’t getting too close for this photo, he seemed to be keeping his eye on me!

The North Thompson Fall Fair began in 1950 with about 500 people attending their one day event. After all these years of hard working volunteers keeping this great fair going strong, they expect to see almost 10,000 people attend the 3 day event Sept. 1, 2 & 3rd., 2012.

Check the schedule here so you don’t miss the rodeo or any other shows of the day and you'll also find a map on their website to show you the way.

They’ve come a long way since the first North Thompson Fall Fair and we would recommend you take that 45 minute drive north on Highway 5 to Barriere, BC from Kamloops this Labor Day weekend and enjoy all the Fair has to offer, you won’t be disappointed.  It is just another reason why there is no place like home. 

Sunday, August 12, 2012

Hot Nites in the City Show 'n Shine 2012 ~ Kamloops, BC ~ Canada

Another successful Hot Nites in the City Show ‘n Shine.  The 18th Annual appears to have been a great success if beautiful cars and trucks and crowds are what counts.  The hot days of summer were upon us and the sun shone down on all those shiny vehicles to show us their best.
cars and trucks in the A&W parking lot after completing their poker run
2012 Poker Run ends at the A&W in Kamloops, BC
The weekend event began with the Friday night Poker Run and there were over 120 participants.  They began at the Plaza Heritage Hotel and finished at the A&W on Lansdowne Street, the host who offered a fun evening for the whole family.  The sun was setting and the weather was great, a perfect way to end the Poker Run 2012.
view of the street with the crowd of people looking at the cars of the show
Crowds line the street for the Hot Nites Show 'n Shine in Kamloops, BC
The Show ‘n Shine had a great turnout coming to see all the cars and trucks lining up most of the streets in downtown Kamloops.  Young and old alike seem to enjoy the beauty of these cars that are also young and old!
yellow, orange and red chevy's in a row on the street
'57 Chevys at Hot Nites in the City in Kamloops, BC
No car show would be complete without some ’57 Chevys to show (or is there a’56 in there?).  This has always been a favorite one of ours and brings back some old memories of driving up and down Victoria Street on any given Friday night in the 60’s!  Remember the days!!   
The band Blue Scarlett sing and the crowd enjoys their music during the car show
Blue Scarlett entertains the crowds
The music was great while we wandered along the street, good dancing music and free, as was the whole car show! This band is Blue Scarlett and not local but maybe we will see them back again.  There was another great performer down the street as well as a DJ on First Avenue who were all keeping the crowd moving.  Amazing how many times you see someone singing along with those ‘oldies’.
The 1929 Ford sits on the corner of the street in the car show
1929 Model A Ford Delivery
There is no way I can show all the great cars and trucks that were lining the streets but here are a few of the over 300 in the show.  This 1929 Model A Ford Delivery catches the eyes with the bright turquoise color.  The original color used was black for these but this street rod looks pretty nice now.
The bright orange and black paint job makes the car stand out
1937 Ford Humpback
The 1937 Ford Humpback is from Chilliwack and one of the many who have come from out of town to participate in the Hot Nites Show ‘n Shine.  The cars and trucks come from all over the western provinces and states to be here which also says a lot about our Kamloops Hot Nites in the City Show ‘n Shine.
 
The car is on display as part of the car show
1940 Graham Hollywood
The 1940 Graham Hollywood is not familiar but a beautiful old car and the paint color was amazing.  I learned that this four door model was one of 1,859 made and has suicide doors where the front doors open to the front of the car and are not often seen.  No wonder it wasn’t a familiar model, there cannot be many still around after 72 years. 
A collage of 4 vehicles in the car show
Several entrants in the Show 'n Shine car show in Kamloops, BC
The variety of cars and trucks are displayed from the unfinished 1931 Ford A with the wooden box to the old 1926 Star that hasn’t been refurbished yet.  The 1927 Ford Model T Coup was first sold for $520 and was owned by the same person for over 58 years.  The deluxe of this group is the 1927 Pierce Arrow and status symbol of its day and owned locally.  

This beautiful car is also part of the car show in downtown Kamloops, BC
A classic Bentley in Hot Nites in the City in Kamloops, BC
I likely wouldn’t turn down a chance to ride in any of the old classics but who wouldn’t like to enjoy a ride in this beautiful Bentley, a vision of class and elegance in the car world and one that we’ve likely seen in old movies with the rich and famous many times.

Another job well done by the Hot Nite in the City Society as well as all our great Kamloopsians who come out in numbers every year to support this great annual show.

This is just another reason why there is no place like home.