A Brief History of Kalamalka Lake and Its Colours

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. 

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 "acyuʔc̕us" (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)

The Isthmus or “Railroad”: Vintage Postcard

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.

As was mentioned, the First Nations name for this lake was originally “Chilutsus”. By 1871 though, the White settlers were referring to the northern lake as Long Lake and the southern one was once known as Pelmewash Lake. The name of Pelmewash Lake was later changed to Wood Lake in honour of Thomas Wood, an Eastern Canadian who moved from Vernon and settled there. Today the old highway that runs along Wood Lake has been named “Pelmewash Parkway” to honour the indigenous name. It wasn’t until the early 1950’s that the name “Kalamalka” was officially adopted for the northern lake.

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.

Jade Bay depicting some of the colours of Kalamalka Lake

If you liked this blog check out Kalamalka Lake: A Historic Timeline 

"He makes me to lie down in green pastures;

He leads me beside the still waters.

He restores my soul..." 

Psalm 23

A Brief History of Kaloya Regional Park (On Kalamalka Lake)

Kaloya Regional Park is a beautiful little promontory of land extending out into the many-coloured waters of Kalamalka Lake. It has a beautiful trail loop, splendid beaches and a new playground for young children (it also has washrooms!).

Often used by the Okanagan Indians throughout history, one of the first recorded mentions of the land is that of Albert Geer buying it in 1904. Eventually Egbert and Annie Trask bought it in 1908. The Trask’s named it “Iris Point”  (aka Trask Point) and it was known as such for many years.

The Trasks had moved from Nova Scotia to Washington State and eventually came to the Oyama area. They became entranced with the southern end of Kalamalka Lake, planted an orchard on their new property and soon became active citizens in Oyama. Annie was, in fact, one of the founding members of the Kalamalka Women’s Institute and its chairperson. The KWI was a community organization that would prove especially helpful during the Great War when “convalescent soldiers were entertained by members of the Institute at the President‟s home,—“Iris Point”.” (Tweedsmuir’s History of Lake Country p.7)

There is now a cairn where the Trask house used to be. It reads:

"This cairn honours Mrs. Annie L. Trask. 

Outstanding pioneer woman who founded the Kalamalka Women's Institute in Oyama B.C., February 26th, 1914. The cairn rests on the footings of the original Trask home built in 1908. It also commemorates the 75th anniversary of the K.W.I. , 1914-1989, and recognizes their continued service for "Home and Country". 

In the Okanagan Historical Society Report of 1967 (p.190) there is listed a Dr. James McAnulty living at “Kaloya pt”. The land that now hosts Kaloya Regional Park was purchased by Al Harrison of the Regional District of the Central Okanagan in 1975. Mr. Harrison was responsible for acquiring the land for many of the parks in the RDCO including Reiswig Park, Kopje Park, and the Fintry Estates.

According to the Lake Country Museum: “Kaloya Regional Park was one of the earliest parks purchased by the RDCO. It was purchased on January 10th, 1975 for $200,000 from Overseas Diamond Sales Ltd, a development company.” (December 1, 2012 blog by Carol Thompson)

It is presumed that the name “Kaloya” is derived from a combination of “Kalamalka” and Oyama” although I have yet to find a source to confirm this…

"He makes me to lie down in green pastures;

He leads me beside the still waters.

He restores my soul..." 

Psalm 23


For more Kalamalka history check out our booklet and Facebook page: "Kalamalka: A History"

A Brief History of the Kalamalka Hotel (Vernon, BC)

The Kalamalka Hotel was one of the first hotels to be built in Vernon and is certainly the longest lasting as it still exists today in the form of a sports-themed restaurant known as “The Kal”. It was completed in 1892, the same year that Vernon was incorporated as a city and that the Shuswap & Okanagan Railway reached Vernon and Okanagan Landing and connected them to the great transcontinental railway. 

The OHSR of 1935 (p.163) records: “When the new hotel was built in 1892 by T. E.  Crowel and J. Holland for the townsite company, the Okanagan  Land and Development Company, it was suggested that a suitable  name for it would be Kalamalka, the name of an Indian living on  what was then the Indian Reserve at the end of Long Lake and of  the range bordering the lake. The name then was frequently pronounced, Tanamalka.”

Vintage postcard of the early Kalamalka Hotel

Thus the hotel was named “Kalamalka” long before the lake itself. In fact some think that it was some clever marketing by the Hotel, or perhaps just its local notoriety, that influenced the re-naming of Long Lake (as it was then known) to Kalamalka. The locals were already calling it “Kalamalka” in the mid 1930’s and as one person of that day wrote: “…as there are now twenty-four other Long  Lakes in British Columbia, it is to be hoped the new name for the  lake will be adopted.” (OHSR 1935, p.165). The lake was officially re-named Kalamalka in the early 1950’s. 

An interesting story is told of how two teenage girls whose father once owned the hotel became responsible for the modern day spelling of “Kalamalka”: 

“The name, however, as it appeared on the hotel stationery after the hotel was opened was, Kalemalka, pronounced by some, Kaleem-  alka, and this was the name the hotel went by for some years.  After George R. Raymond took over the management of it he had the sign painted and put up which is still on the hotel. While it was being prepared his daughters, two charming young girls of about 15 and 16 years of age, the eldest, Ethel… and the younger, Elvie, … took a hand in what was going forward  and insisted that the name was improperly spelled; that the "e"  should be changed to an "a".  

Their father at first rather demurred, and the two girls invoking alliteration's artful aid, appealed to the  old-timers, or rather to as many of them as they knew, to know if  they were not right in their contention. Truth compels us to state that the old-timers went over in a body onto the side of the girls, and the girls carried the day, and the new form of the word soon came into general use.” (OHSR 1935, p.163-164)

The Kalamalka Hotel c.1913

The Kalamalka Hotel was a centre of social and business activity in early Vernon with many of the most prominent citizens either patronizing the hotel or even living there. All types of community events, entertainment shows and official banquets were held there. Lord Aberdeen, the Governor General of Canada and one time owner of the Coldstream Ranch, was known to patronize the hotel and the story is told of his brother-in-law, Dudley Coutts Majoribanks, would ride his horse up the stairs and into the lounge when he wished to get a drink. 

The Kalamalka Hotel was originally a grand place for this small western town costing the princely sum of $16,000 when it was built. However, as one history lover commented in 1980: “The Kalamalka Hotel downtown lost its two top floors this year to "progress." The hotel has now been deprived of its original beauty and has become just another of the plain square buildings which comprise most of the downtown area.” (OHSR 1980, p48)

Thankfully, in spite of the changes, this integral piece of Okanagan history still exists.

For more historical information please check out our booklet 

and Facebook page: "Kalamalka: A History" 

The Lake of Many Colors (Commonly called Kalamalka): Poem by A.V. Despard and Possible Origin of the Moniker

This poem by A.C. Despard (published in 1944) appears to be the first mention of the term "Lake of Many Colours" to refer to Kalamalka Lake. Since there is no evidence that the origin of the name "Kalamalka" means "Lake of Many Colours"*, then perhaps this is where we first got that particular nickname for the lake. 

There was a popular local song by Paul Malysh and Eric J. Hopkins entitled "The Kalamalka Calls (Lake of Many Colours)" written in 1958 and an orchestral piece composed by Jean Coulthard named "Kalamalka - Lake of Many Colours" but that was not published until 1974. There is no mention of the nickname in the Okanagan Historical Society Reports (that I can find) before a reference to Jean's composition in the 1977 issue. 

I will continue my research into the nickname "Lake of Many Colours" but if you have any information I've missed please contact me. Meanwhile enjoy this beautiful old poem about our lake! 

The Lake of Many Colors

(Commonly called Kalamalka)

O Lake of Many Colors,

Thou has found out how the pearl,

Though living in seclusion

Beneath the ocean swirl

From its opalescent matrix

Can gather all the hues

That make it queen of jewels

Above all that one could choose

Thou hast found out how the diamond

Though bedded deep in earth,

For aeons without number,

Can reveal its polished worth

When taken to the sunlight

Or brought to its baptism 

Of fire, by brightly flashing

All the colors of the prism

Rattlesnake Point/ PC: Joe Harder 

In every mood of nature,

So long as there is light

Thy colored surface changes,

To fresh beauties in our sight.

More vivid in the sunshine,

More subfusc* in the rain.

Thy scheme of color always

Is there – it doth remain.

When misty clouds descending,

Or smoke of forest fire

Obscure the sky, thy beauty

Only seems to mount the higher,

As the shadows grow more pallid,

As the mystery grows more deep;

As the calm comes o’er thy features

Half hidden, as in sleep.

When storm clouds gather darkly,

Mid the thunder, or the hail

Beats fiercely o’er thy bosom;

When the spindrift** lifts the veil

From thy glorious naked beauty,

Thy colors still are there,

Though frowning and more murky,

And perhaps not quite so fair.

In thy workshop grimly working

With a cunning all thine own

On silica, aluminium

And chromium, thou hast shown

To every rapt beholder

How refracted may be seen

From thy valley – beds the emerald’s

Incomparable green.

A.V. Despard  

From "Songs Of Kalamalka" 1944

• *Subfusc: dull; gloomy. “the light was subfusc and aqueous”
• ** Spindrift: spray blown from the crests of waves by the wind.

* "One problem with the name Kalamalka is that it has no known or remembered N'syilxcen (Okanagan language) meaning." Dr. Duane Thomson, Lake Country Museum blogs, comments section, Aug 21 2015).

For more historical info on Kalamalka please visit our Facebook Page - Kalamalka: A History ! 

Ogopogo in Kalamalka Lake?

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?


 

(An image purportedly showing Ogopogo in Okanagan Lake - Photo Credit: Penticton Herald Article)

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)

From the booklet: "Kalamalka: A History"