Welcome to the Kalamalka Lake blog post! Here we have 7 Fascinating Facts for you about this gorgeous and historic lake. However, there are also many links scattered throughout the post to further information on specific topics related to the history and geography of Kalamalka. So read a little or read a lot!
Also please follow our Facebook page Kalamalka Chronicles for weekly blurbs and photos of the lake!
#1 One Lake Becomes Many
Kalamalka Lake is a glacial lake which remained after the immense Lake Penticton (which covered most of the Okanagan Valley) receded. A study of glacial history in the Okanagan Valley by Hugh Nasmith reveals that:
“Lake Penticton formed a continuous sheet of water extending from north of Vernon to Okanagan Falls… When the level of Lake Penticton in the vicinity of Vernon fell to about 1400 feet, the chain of Kalamalka, Wood, and Ellison Lakes formed a single body of water separated from the main body of Lake Penticton.” (Late Glacial History and Surficial Deposits of the Okanagan Valley, British Columbia 1962 p.35 by Hugh Nasmith)
Today, Kalamalka’s maximum depth has been measured at 142 metres and it is roughly 16 kilometres in length reaching from Coldstream in the north to Oyama in the south where an isthmus separates it from the neighbouring Wood Lake.
#2 One Lake Becomes Two
At one time, however, Kalamalka Lake and Wood Lake were known as a single lake referred to by the Okanagan First Nations as “Chilutsus” (Chil-loot-sus) meaning “long lake cut in the middle”. The Lake Country Museum records for us that: “Until the late eighteenth century, the Okanagan People hunted and fished over a wide territory, including Okanagan Lake, Kalamalka Lake and Wood Lake. Heavy goods such as loads of dried venison, fish and berries were transported there from as far away as the Coldstream valley and Silver Star mountain.” (Carol Thomson, Lake Country Museum Blog Sept. 1, 2017)
The isthmus separating the two was called "acyuÊ”c̕us" (Ac yutz oos) by the Okanagan People and it meant “a narrow crossing with thickly entwined willows (or anything closely intertwined)”. The Indigenous hunters would have to cross this land barrier with their canoes and this is probably why on early colonial maps the isthmus was known as “The Railroad” which “…likely referred to a rail (corduroy) road made by the Okanagan people by cutting and laying down closely intertwined poles or willows to facilitate their crossing of the isthmus.” (Carol Thomson, Lake Country Museum Blog Sept. 1, 2017)
We recognize this land strip today as part of Oyama with Oyama Road running alongside the shore of Wood Lake and Kaloya Regional Park shoring the Kalamalka side. There was once a creek joining the two lakes until 1908 when a navigational canal was built between the two bodies of water and still exists today. It is said that Wood Lake dropped by four feet when the canal was made until it was finally level with Kalamalka Lake.
#3 The Colours of the Lake
Kalamalka Lake is “one of a handful of unique bodies of water known as marl lakes” (BC Parks). In the summer as the lake warms, calcium carbonate, or limestone (left by past glaciers), forms crystals that reflect sunlight. This results in a breathtaking array of blue, green and turquoise colours.
When the lake cools in the winter the crystals dissolve and the normal blue colour returns. The ever changing colours and hues on the lake, along with its remarkable history and geography, truly solidify it as one of the Okanagan’s most cherished treasures.
We know that Kalamalka was an indigenous chief that resided at the head of what is now Kalamalka Lake or “N’Inkamuplux” (Head of the Small Lake) roughly where Kal Beach is now located. Q’sapi also tells us that: “The name Kalamalka was a prominent surname of the Okanagan Band before the turn of the century. Although now extinct, the name is well recognized and remains at Head of the Lake (Okanagan Lake) through … present surnames …” (Q’sapi p.135).
Although there are no known birth or death records for the indigenous chief known as Kalamalka, the records we do have definitely indicate not only his existence but also his profound influence on the history of the North Okanagan Valley. Historical writings also tell us that he was a man of noble reputation among both the Indigenous Peoples of the Okanagan Valley and of the early European settlers.
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| Goestamana, son of Chief Kalamalka, with Ellen Ellison. Photo Credit FlyOK.ca |
In a 1979 interview with Jimmy Antoine (a descendant of Kalamalka) in the Vernon Morningstar (January 25th, 1990) Judy Gosselin records: "… (Jimmy) stated that the lake was named after an area chief, by the white people. Speaking through an interpreter in his native language the 90 year old Antoine said that his great grandfather, whose name sounded like “Kalamalka”, served as guardian to the head of the lake area and was leader of the people there.”
For more info please see:
#5 Origin of the Name
So why is the northern lake – the one which we all love so much – now called Kalamalka Lake? Kalamalka (possibly a form of Kenamaska) was first the name of the Chief (see above). In 1892, the main hotel in Vernon was renamed in the Chief’s honour and it seems that there was a push by some business men to have Long Lake renamed as Kalamalka as well. The local radio station even began referring to it as Kalamalka Lake. The name change was made official in the early 1950's.
There is also a significant theory that Kalamalka may be a Hawaiian word and that one of the Kanakas (workers brought over from the Hawaiian Islands by the Hudson’s Bay Company) was father to the Chief and named him this after himself or in honour of his Hawaiian heritage. The Polynesian form of the word apparently means “The Sun of America”. By the way, there is no evidence to suggest that the name "Kalamalka" means “lake of many colours” - although that nickname certainly fits.
For more info please see:
#6 Winter on the Lake
#7 The Parks
We all know about the wide range of summer activities on
Kalamalka Lake and even some recent ice skating near Kal Beach but did you know
that the entire lake would sometimes freeze over? “During some particularly cold winters Kalamalka Lake
freezes over. Harold Thomson, who was raised in Oyama, said that in his
experience Kalamalka Lake froze once every ten years and the adjoining Wood
Lake froze nine out of ten years.” (Lake Country Museum blogs | Feb 12, 2016)
Roger Stephen remembers skating Kal Lake from the Oyama end
to Kal Beach in the 1960’s. He recalls: “Kal Lake has all those different
colours at the waters edge, and that showed up through the ice in the
wintertime too…” (Infotel News article, by Charlotte Helston, January 09, 2017)
In addition to the many ice skaters, folks also hauled logs
across the lake with teams of horses (Although one team tragically broke
through the ice in 1923). There were also many games of curling, sleigh rides
and even “…fancy dress skating carnivals on Kalamalka Lake.” (OHSR 1965 p. 143)
#7 The Parks
The first provincial park established on the lake was Kalamalka Lake Provincial Park founded in 1975 on what was formerly land belonging to the Coldstream Ranch. Its mission was to “provide opportunities of regional, provincial and national significance, for access to outstanding natural features and significant outdoor recreation opportunities” (Public Advisory Committee 1984). Kal Park, as it is known locally, is home to Ponderosa Pine and Douglas Fir as well as 432 varieties of vascular plants. It also holds an abundance of wildlife from Western Rattlesnakes to the occasional bear or cougar. Kal Park now encompasses the Kalamalka Lake Protected Area (formed in 2001) and the Cougar Canyon Ecological Reserve (formed in 1981) and comprises 4209 hectares of land alongside Kalamalka Lake. Kal Park is a local hotspot for hiking, swimming, beach-going and cliff diving.
For more info please see:
Kekuli Bay Provincial Park was established in 1990 on the west side of the lake. It is named for a Indigenous dwelling place called a kekuli. These kekulis were subterranean homes (pit houses) with log roofs. There is archaeological evidence of these and other Okanagan Indian artifacts in both provincial parks. Kal Lake and its parks were also used for combat practice during WW2. “During the war amphibious assaults were practiced on Kalamalka Lake, with the ships launching from Keluli Bay. Guns would be firing as they approached Cosens Bay.”
For more info please see:
Bonus Ogopogo Trivia
There have been many reported sightings of the Ogopogo ('N’ha-a-tik' in Syilx) in Okanagan Lake but did you know that in 1956 a group of 25-30 American tourists claimed to have seen the Ogopogo in Kalamalka Lake?
In an almost facetious sounding newspaper report the Mayor at the time reported it to his City Council. He , “… told aldermen at a city council meeting here that the legendary landlocked sea serpent has returned to Kalamalka lake.” The article also suggested that it probably came to Kalamalaka through the creek that ran through Polson Park! (Source: Nanaimo Daily Free Press June 20, 1956, p.3)
"The LORD is my shepherd; I shall not want.
He maketh me to lie down in green pastures: he leadeth me beside the still waters.
He restoreth my soul: he leadeth me in the paths of righteousness for his name's sake."
Psalm 23:1-3
Sources & Further Reading:
Dr. Duane Thomson’s article on this topic has been extremely helpful and I encourage you to read it on the Lake Country Museum’s website. I was also graciously given a copy of “Q’Sapi: A History of Okanagan People as Told by Okanagan Families” to help further expand the indigenous perspective on Kalamalka. Many thanks also to the Greater Vernon Museum and Archives and the Lake Country Museum for the invaluable help and information.
I have also personally written a self-published book that compiles all of this information and more - "Kalamalka: A Collection of History & Photography". You can preview it here.
Greater Vernon Museum and Archives
Lake Country Museum
Kalamalka Name Re-visited: Blog by Dr. Duane Thompson for the Lake Country Museum.
“Q’Sapi: A History of Okanagan People as Told by Okanagan Families” Copyright 2002, 2008 Shirley Louis, Theytus Books
"Kanaka: The Untold Story of Hawaiian Pioneers in British Columbia and the Pacific Northwest" Copyright 1995 by Tom Koppel, Whitecap Books
Wow these lakes are so picture perfect. It will make stand up paddleboaring activity more pleasant . SUP Red Deer
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