Over 100 years ago the area known as Paddlewheel Park was the site of CPR shipbuilding and a bustling centre of commerce. It was here that the sternwheel steamships Aberdeen, Okanagan, Sicamous and tugboat Naramata were constructed. The Canadian Pacific Railway line from Sicamous terminated at Okanagan Landing, transferring passengers and freight into the sternwheelers connecting to points south on Okanagan Lake, the final stop being Penticton and terminus with the Kettle Valley Railway Line. As transportation systems improved the need for the movement of people and material by water diminished and in 1936 the last sternwheeler was retired. Today the Sicamous and Naramata can be found at Penticton where the Kettle Valley railway Historical Society is restoring them.

For over 100 years the Station House, which now comprises one wing of our new Community Facility, served the Okanagan Landing in a number of ways. When the CPR provided the only transportation from Vernon to the south Okanagan, fruit, vegetables, goods and people passed through its doors to board the Sternwheelers which plied this route. When the railroad withdrew its services in 1836, the Station House passed into private hands. It was renovated to serve and apartment house until it was donated to the Landing Association by Wes and Kay Whitehead in 1982. Since its restoration has long been a dream of the Association, it seemed appropriate to incorporate it into our new facility and mirror its architectural features in the New Hall Wing. Now we are ready to put this heritage building into use again serving our community as a repository for historical memorabilia and photos from our colourful past.

In 1971, the Association purchased the decommissioned lands and buildings from Marathon Realty. Attention was then given to cleaning up the large CPR workshop that was used for building and maintaining the lake boats. Through government grants and volunteer labour the workshop was transformed into the Community Hall.

Concurrently, Landing residents were committed to providing a park. Volunteers carried their trees to the park and planted them with great ceremony. Today, some of those trees are providing shade to the hundreds of users of Paddlewheel Park. One of the most prestigious events is the annual Regatta held intermittently since 1910 and still celebrated annually to this day. Today, the Greater Vernon Parks and Recreation Department leases a portion of the lands and maintains the park for user’s enjoyment.

In February, 1999, a fire destroyed the Community Hall. However, the Association Board of Directors immediately made plans to reconstruct the Hall. Community members rallied behind the project, contributing time, energy, and talents. By 2000, Phase 1 of the new Okanagan Landing and District Community Hall was completed. Phase 2 - restoring the Station House - is now in process.