I like to collect a few vintage postcards of the North Okanagan region of B.C. One of my favourites is Kalamalka Lake. Kalamalka used to be known as "Long Lake" and it is thus referenced in the below postcards. The lake further south in the pictures was known as Pelmewash Lake and is now known as Wood Lake. The two lakes were once thought of by the Indigenous peoples as one lake and they called it “Chilutsus” (Chil-loot-sus) meaning “long lake cut in the middle”.
The isthmus separating the two was called “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.” The top card refers to this "railroad" where the town of Oyama is now located.
The two postcards are taken from a remarkably similar vantage point. The older one (on top) is post-dated 1920 from Lavington ( just outside of Vernon) while the other seems to be from a later unknown date ( probably c. 1930's).
If one looks closely at the top card they can see in the distance (and to the right) what appears to be one of the buildings that is shown closer up in the lower card. The main house shown in the lower card does not seem to be built yet in the older card.
For more information on the history of Kalamalka Lake please click here.
Here is another view point of the isthmus:
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