Handyman Connection in Vernon, BC

Handyman Connection in Vernon, BC Call 1-800-88- HANDY or 250-545-3130

Handyman Connection is in Vernon and covers surrounding areas in BC. We can help you to do all your fix-ups and renos. This includes kitchen and bathroom, fences and decks, drywall and painting, plumbing and electrical, flooring including wood, laminate and tile, fine carpentry and just about everything else. One number works all over the Okanagan. Call 1-800-88 HANDY (1-800-884-2639) or 250-545-3130

 

History 

In the early years, parts of the Okanagan Valley were occupied by the Interior Salish people. Fur traders first arrived in 1811. The earliest development occurred alongside Swan Lake. Growth occurred quite rapidly in the few decades following the first trading posts. Discoveries of gold in surrounding creeks generated a small rush of miners, which in turn drew cattle farmers. Native presence prompted Oblate missionaries. Father Durieu built a cabin near the junction of Swan Lake and Long Lake Creeks about 1863, joining Luc Girouard, a gold miner and the first white settler in the area. By 1890, a charter was granted for the construction of a branch line from Sicamous to Okanagan Landing. In the surrounding district, wheat growing had become an important industry, second only to cattle ranching. Fruit farming was introduced by Lord Aberdeen on the Coldstream Ranch lands, attracting many British families to this area.

New subdivisions on East Hill, Mission Hill, and other areas near the city core accommodated the rapid population growth of this period. By the early 1900s, Vernon was recognized as the economic hub of the Okanagan. This period of growth and development came to an end in 1913, when an economic depression slowed the movement of capital for land development, although the establishment of the military camp in Vernon in 1913 and the growing importance of the food packaging industry softened the economic blow.

During both World Wars, Vernon was an important training ground for Canadian troops. The military camp, #110 Canadian Army Basic Training Centre, trained thousands of soldiers from 1940-45. The 19th Infantry Brigade made its headquarters here, comprising of 3rd Battalion Irish Fusiliers (Vancouver Regiment), Winnipeg Light Infantry, Prince Albert Volunteers, 26th Field Company Royal Canadian Engineers, 25th Field Ambulance and various support units. Some 6 km to the east of the camp on the edge of the Coldstream Ranch was the Battle Drill School. This camp trained Canadian soldiers in advanced fighting skills from 1942-45. It was the first FIBUA (Fighting in Built up Areas) training centre in the world. To this day, unexploded artillery and mortar shells used in training are still turned up by the frost and development of the surrounding hills. Internment camps were also located in Vernon during the World Wars; in WWI for Ukrainian Canadians (this camp is now the site of a high school) and in WWII for people of Japanese descent (mostly from Vancouver).

After WWII, the camp was mothballed. In 1949 it was reopened and became an Army Cadet Training Centre for the Royal Canadian Army Cadets which it continues as to this day, Vernon Army Cadet Summer Training Centre. This training centre teaches approximately 1400 cadets: citizenship, leadership, orienteering and map using, canoeing, sports events, bushcraft, safe firearms handling and shooting, rock climbing, mountaineering, first aid training, drill each summer. The ACSTC (Army Cadet Summer Training Centre) is operational for 10 weeks with course cadets taking courses up to 6 weeks in duration. The cadets come from nearly all parts of Canada. During the balance of the year the training centre serves various reserve and cadet units on weekends or longer training. It is the oldest ACSTC in Canada. Other ACSTCs include: Rocky Mountain ACSTC (NW of Cochrane, Alberta), Whitehorse CSTC, (Whitehorse, Yukon), Blackdown ACSTC (Borden, Ontario), Connaught ACSTC (Ottawa, Ontario), Valcartier ACSTC (CFB Valcartier Quebec), Mont St-Sacrement CSTC, (St-Gabriel-de-Valcartier, Quebec) and Argonaut ACSTC (CFB Gagetown, New Brunswick). Approximately 75,000 young Canadians have attended Vernon ACTSC in the past 57 years. Vernon ACSTC will be celebrating its 60th Anniversary in the summer of 2009.