A Bio Sketch of Samuel Polson: Preacher, Philosopher & Philanthropist of Vernon, B.C.

Polson.

If you live in the North Okanagan than you are most likely familiar with this name. There’s beautiful Polson Park in the centre of the city, the Polson Extended Care Unit, the Polson Place Mall and, most recently, the massive addition to our hospital -  the Polson Tower. So from whom do these places derive their name? The answer is an enigmatic preacher and real estate man originally from Winnipeg. His name was Samuel Polson.

Samuel Polson’s father and mother came over from Scotland with the Selkirk settlers and made a home in Manitoba. As a young man Sam delivered the mail from Winnipeg to Brandon and on to Rapid City. In the latter town he would eventually meet his bride, Elizabeth Sibbald, granddaughter of Captain Sinclair R.N. of Edinburgh, Scotland. They would go on to have a large family together.

At the age of 35, Sam travelled with the famous 19th century evangelist, D.L. Moody, singing in the choir and venturing as far as Chicago. Upon his return to Canada he felt the call of God on his life and entered Manitoba College where he was eventually ordained as a Methodist minister. He went on to be a choir leader and church planter in the Winnipeg area leaving a lasting legacy.

Later he entered into the real estate and insurance fields and it was on one of his business trips out west that he discovered Vernon and the surrounding area of the Okanagan. He wrote home simply: “Get ready to move. I have found the Garden of Eden.” After this move, Polson began purchasing many of the large ranches in the Vernon area including the renowned B.X. Ranch and the Tronson and Ellison estates.  Gertrude Peel reports that “With the arrival of the Polson family there was evidence of an increasing interest in civic and community affairs.” Elizabeth Polson was president of the Ladies Hospital Auxiliary and in the heart of Sam Polson there began stirring a passion to give of his land to benefit the community.

In 1908 Sam Polson donated a large mass of land to the City of Vernon – roughly 25 acres – part of which the Vernon Jubilee Hospital would be built on and part of which was promised to be used perpetually as a park for the citizens of Vernon and area. Polson also donated the land for the first Salvation Army Church in Vernon and gave many acres to the town of Enderby which also used it for a hospital and a park.

Sam was known for his avid bicycling around the area  and he also served as mayor of Enderby in two separate terms. Guy Bagnall says of Samuel Polson “he was a man of engaging personality; a poet and philosopher, he had established a number of small churches in Winnipeg and gave some time to preaching in this area. He had a warm heart, it was no great problem for him to envisage the benefit of his benefactions to the present and future generations.”

It wasn’t until September 3rd, 1970 that the park in Vernon that Samuel Polson donated and encouraged was finally named in his honour – due in large part to friends who had known him well and knew the honour was due. Some say that Samuel Polson gave too much as he was a poor man at the end of his life but perhaps he knew that his treasure was in Heaven. He died in Enderby in 1931 and “And like the works of many great men of the past which were not appreciated during their lifetime, Mr. Polson’s gifts… will forever be associated with a grand old gentleman who contributed most generously to the happiness of his fellow men.” 

“Now the LORD came and stood and called as at other times, “Samuel! Samuel!” And Samuel answered, “Speak, for Your servant hears.” 1 Samuel 3:10

“For what will it profit a man if he gains the whole world, and loses his own soul?” Mark 8:36

Sources & Further Reading:

Okanagan Historical Society Report Volume 20: 147-149

Okanagan Historical Society Report Volume 35: 111-112

City of Vernon website

Enderby Museum

Fintry, BC: 6 Fascinating Facts About Its History

#1 Okanagan Indian Band & Early History 

The creek which eventually enters Okanagan Lake at the Fintry Delta starts high in the hills west of Terrace Mountain. The slim amount of archeological evidence available suggests that the Fintry Delta was once used as a fishing camp and was also home to part of a system of very old Native Indian trails that would later become the Okanagan Brigade Trail which was later used largely by the fur trade. It is also home to much wildlife including the California Bighorn Sheep. 

As Stan Saurwein states in his book Fintry: Lives, Loves and Dreams the father of the famous Indian Chief N’kwala ( Nicola or Hwistesmexteqen) walked these lands with his people. “Pelkamulox’s people spent their summers roaming the plateau down to the Fintry delta and their winters at the village of Nkama’peleks, near the head of Lake Okanagan.” 

#2 Thomas Dolman-Shorts and His Commercial Rowboat

Eventually earning the reputation of “Captain” on Okanagan Lake, Thomas Dolman-Shorts was the first white man to settle on the Fintry Delta and lent his name to Shorts Creek. He began the first commercial boating operation on the lake with his trusty boat, “The Ruth Shorts”, named after his mother. He would carry products and people from Okanagan Landing near Vernon all the way to Penticton. 

“For three years in fair weather and in foul, he ran this boat and at last became so accustomed to the oars that he could row from morning until night without weariness.” 

Thomas never really focused on developing the land and eventually sold it to a pair of English gentleman for the handsome price of $4,000. The property went through various hands including the Gellatly family who would eventually move on to settle Gellatly Point near Westbank and begin a nut farm there. Eventually though the land ended up in the hands of an eccentric but brilliant Scotsman named James Cameron Dun-Waters. 

#3 Captain James Cameron Dun-Waters and His Family

Captain James Cameron Dun-Waters was a wealthy man who moved from his Scottish homeland at the age of 44 years. In 1909, he purchased the estate and named it Fintry after his home in Scotland ( Fintry, Scotland is just north of Glasgow). He and his beloved wife, Alice, moved there and immediately began building, planning, planting, and hunting. He would become known as “The Laird of Fintry”. 

His first estate manager was his cousin James who hired many Chinese and Japanese workers though he was not known for his fair treatment of them. It seems the Captain though judged a man more on his character than the color of his skin and eventually he would let James go as a direct result of this. Later, Angus Gray, would manage the estate and did so brilliantly.

Dun-Waters joined the British Army during WW1 and he and Alice built and ran a hospital for soldiers in Cairo, Egypt. They returned to Fintry and later in 1924 Dun-Waters’ wife died and the manor house he had built her burned down soon after. He rebuilt it and lived there with Alice’s companion Katie Stuart and her brother Geordie. Seven years later he married again – this time to Margaret Menzies, a secretary from Vancouver and recent Scottish immigrant. She was 30 years his junior. 

The Friends of Fintry website records that “In his 30 years at Fintry, Dun-Waters turned the undeveloped delta into a productive farm and impressive estate… He was a director of the C.P.R. and played strong roles in the B.C. Fruit Growers Association, the Armstrong Exhibition organization and curling clubs from Vernon to Vancouver.” 

#4 The Fintry Estate At Its Height

At its peak the Fintry Estate was a wonder of the Okanagan. Dun-Waters was a both a brilliant and somewhat unorthodox man who was not shy to build things bigger and better. At one time you could roam the property and come across the Manor house, other houses, an orchard, sawmill, an octagonal barn for his prize-winning Ayrshire cattle, a fruit packing house, a wharf for the C.P.R. sternwheelers to load up his produce and , o yes… a curling rink. 

Some notable innovations were his use of the waterfall on Shorts Creek to produce  … “ an elaborate irrigation system of flumes and pipes along with two suspension bridges to support the pipes were constructed not only to to supply water for the orchards but also to power an electric generator which provided power for the entire estate.” 

European engineers were stunned at the Laird’s system of sprinklers for his crops.  “With this gravity-fed water, Dun-Waters had 150 pounds per square inch pressure which was enough for him to install sprinklers and he became one of the earliest orchardists in the valley to use this method…”. And just to top it off he had a system of seven phones installed to communicate between the major buildings. 

#5 Fairbridge Farm Schools and the Orphans of England

With the onset of prostate cancer and the lack of an heir, Captain Dun-Waters began to seek a buyer for the Fintry estate, however buyers in the 30’s they were few and far between. Having learned of the Fairbridge Farm Schools, an organization whereby English orphans were trained to be farmers in the outer reaches of the Empire, he sold nearly his entire estate to them for the token amount  of $1. One year there were as many as 32 boys and girls attending the farm school and living at Fintry under the care of house mothers. 

As for the Laird,  “He expressed his pleasure more than once, at the fact that he had been spared to see the first group of young lads come to the new school institution that he had helped to found on Okanagan Lake.” 

He introduced the students to the Armstrong I.P.E. and at the National Hotel in Vernon he surprised them each with a dollop of ice cream which just happened to have a silver dollar hidden under it. 

Unfortunately the Fairbridge Farm had to shut down its operations in 1948 due in part to a decreasing number of students coming over from Britain because of the difficulty in crossing the submarine-laden Atlantic of WW2. Britain had also imposed restrictions on the exchange of its currency to dollars.

#6 Fintry Provincial Park

The Fintry Delta went through various hands through the next decades but it would be remiss to not mention Arthur Bailey and his family who put herculean efforts into upgrading and maintaining the property in hopes that it would one day become a resort. Although that did not end up happening it is said that the Baileys were pleased when, on April 30th, 1996, it was established as a provincial park. 

The park covers 360 hectares and the protected area covers 523 hectares of the Laird’s former estate. In 2000 the Friends of Fintry organization was formed and they have and continue to put much work into restoration of the estate. 

As the B.C. Parks website states: “The park offers two dramatically different topographical areas: a delta at the mouth of Shorts Creek dominated by old orchard trees and hay fields, and a forested area made up of mature ponderosa pine and Douglas-fir.” 

Shorts Creek, which shaped so much of the history of Fintry,  comes flowing down from Terrace mountain and through a canyon where it drops over three falls – the most beautiful of which can be reached by a sturdy set of wooden stairs on a trail just past the famous octagonal dairy barn. The two kilometres of beaches and the views of Okanagan Lake are equally spectacular. At about the half-way point between Vernon and Kelowna on the West Side road, this park is well worth the visit for both the natural beauty and the stirring story of its past.  

"Jesus answered and said to her, “If you knew the gift of God, 

and who it is who says to you, ‘Give Me a drink,’ you would have asked Him, and He would have given you living water.”  John's Gospel 4:10

Sources & Further Reading: 

Fintry: Lives, Loves and Dreams / copyright 2000 Stan Sauerwein with Arthur Bailey

Friends of Fintry: Fintry.ca

B.C. Provincial Parks: Here

Wikipedia

5 Fascinating Facts about the Vancouver Millionaires: Celebrating the 100th Anniversary of Vancouver's Stanley Cup Win

As a lifelong Canucks fan and someone who was alive for all three of their Stanley Cup runs, it gives me some solace and excitement  to know that the city ( and thus the province) has indeed won a Stanley Cup – though it was long ago and with another team. March 2015 will mark the 100th anniversary of that Stanley Cup win by the legendary Vancouver Millionaires. To celebrate here are 5 fascinating facts:

#1 Team Origins

Frank and Patrick Lester had played for the Renfrew Millionaires in Ontario in 1910 but then moved out west to Nelson, BC where their father, Joe, had a successful lumber company. After the sale of that company in 1911, the brothers began talking about forming a professional ice hockey league in the North West – thus was the Pacific Coast Hockey Association born. 

The new league would eventually consist of the Victoria Cougars, the New Westminster Royals, the Seattle Metropolitans, the Portland Rosebuds (who replaced the Royals) and, of course, the Vancouver Millionaires. The Patricks began raiding the NHA, the main league in the East and the forerunner of the NHL, and ended up signing such notable players as Newsy Lalonde, Cyclone Taylor, Jack Adams and Didier Pitre. Eventually in 1914 the NHA agreed to a special agreement with the PCHA that would see the champions of each league play each other for the Stanley Cup – many called it “The World Series of Hockey”.

Lester Patrick

Frank Patrick

              

#2 The Players

Although hockey legends such as Newsy Lalonde and Jack Adams would at one time or another play for the Millionaires, the year they won the Stanley Cup their roster would include other legends:

Hugh Lehman (Goalie)
Si Griffiths (Captain & Defenseman)
Frank Patrick (Manager, Coach & Defenseman)
Lloyd Cook (Defenseman)
Cyclone Taylor (Rover)
Mickey MacKay (Centre)
Frank Nighbor (Right Wing)
Barney Stanley (Left Wing)
Ken Mallen (Spare)
Johnny Matz (Spare)
Jim Seaborn (Spare)
Lester Patrick ( non-playing Coach) 

Of these 11 great players and 1 coach no less than 8 would eventually be inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame! 

#3 The Arena

In the quest to form the PCHA, the Patrick brothers used their considerable fortune to build two indoor rinks; one in Victoria and one in Vancouver. The Denman Arena in Vancouver ( located at the corner of Denman and West Georgia) would seat 10,000 people and lay claim to the first artificial ice surface in Canada and one of the very largest indoor rinks in the world.  

The arena was the first place west of Winnipeg that had ever hosted a Stanley Cup series and would go on to host three more. It was later used as a military barracks during WW1, it hosted an address by Prime Minister William Lyon Mackenzie King and became home to the first radio broadcast of a hockey game in the province. Sadly, the Denman arena burned down in 1936. 

Inside Denman Arean

#4 The Games

The winner of the Stanley Cup would be determined by a best of 5 series between the Vancouver Millionaires and the NHA (Eastern) champion Ottawa Senators. Its important to understand that the West and the East had some significantly different rules for playing the game. Each game would be alternately played with a different set of rules, the western rules guiding the first game. First and foremost among the different rules was that the West still played with 7 men while the East had begun playing with only a 6 man roster (as it is today).  The West however had adopted the forward pass. The forward pass is something we take for granted today but for many years it could only be passed laterally or behind - similar to rugby. 

Si Griffiths would unfortunately miss the series with a broken ankle but the Millionaires were still a formidable force. The Senators were rather cocky, leaving the Stanley Cup behind in Ottawa ( not imagining they would lose) and refusing to sub their players during the series. It took only 3 games to decide the series played on March 22nd (score of 6-2) , 24th (score of 8-3) and 26th  (score of 12-3) . 

Senator’s coach Alf Smith complained of the forward pass as a “farce” but even under Eastern rules in the second game Ottawa was beaten by 5 goals! Vancouver author, Craig Bowlsby, credits the Patrick brothers for their strategy and also calls Cyclone Taylor the star of the series. 

Cyclone Taylor

#5 The Legacy of the Vancouver Millionaires 

The Vancouver Millionaires (they would later be called the Maroons)  would go on to appear in another three Stanley Cup finals but this would be there only win. It was decisive and historic. Craig Bowlsby comments, “This was a contest of the two best teams in the world, and one of those teams was far above the other” and back in 1915 the Toronto Star reported that “The Stanley Cup is going West… the Westerners have beaten them so decisively that they must accept defeat as gracefully as possible.”

Frank Patrick fathered 22 rules that have molded the game into what it is today. The epic Stanley Cup win by the Vancouver Millionaires had given such credibility to the style of the Western game that it would forever change hockey across the country.  Hockey blogger, Joe Pelletier, states that “…hockey as we know it today was cemented by the Vancouver Millionaires Stanley Cup win of 1915.”

On October 1, 2010 the parent company of the Vancouver Canucks purchased the rights to the Vancouver Millionaires logo and the NHL team has since worn the famed jerseys twice in regular season games including a 100 year celebration of the advent of the first professional hockey club in Vancouver. And maybe, just maybe, one day we will see the Cup come again to our beautiful province under the banner of the Canucks...

"Every athlete exercises self-control in all things. They do it to receive a perishable wreath, but we an imperishable". 1 Corinthians 9:25

Sources and Further Reading: 

Stanley Cup: 120 Years of Hockey Supremacy by Eric Zweig 

Vancouver Tourism "History"  Here

The Story of the Vancouver Millionaires, The Patrick Brothers, and their 1915 Stanley Cup Conquest Here

Vancouver Province Blog Here

Greatest Hockey Legends Here

7 Fascinating Facts About Mike Gartner: National Hockey League 700 Goal Scorer & Hall of Famer

Consistency. If you had to pick one word to describe NHL Right Winger Mike Gartner it would be consistency.  My dad often spoke highly of Mike Gartner and I sort of brushed it off as his own personal bias for the guy. But then I did some research and found out more about the man, on and off the ice. And so it is with great admiration that I contribute this blog post in honour of one of the most consistent – and respected -  men in hockey history. 

#1 Beginnings

Michael Alfred Gartner was born October 29th, 1959 in Ottawa, Ontario but soon moved with his family to the Toronto suburb of Mississauga. It was here he would learn to skate and play hockey eventually playing junior in the QMJHL and OHA for the Niagara Falls Flyers. Mike and his family had originally wanted to play for Roger Neilson in Peterborough where he knew people but Hap Emms drafted him for Niagara anyways. 

Mike represented Canada at the 1978 World Junior Championships where he notched 6 points in a Bronze medal winning effort. Perhaps an even fonder memory for Mike though was travelling to Moscow not long after the legendary 1972 Summit Series and playing a 5 game championship there. 

#2 WHA Career

What many may not know about Gartner is that he started out as an 18 year old in the World Hockey Association playing alongside teammate Mark Messier ( then 17) for the Cincinnati Stingers. Mike recalls, “The WHA was a very good league; probably not as good as the NHL but just a small step down…. It was a great experience for an 18 year old kid…”

Remarkably Mike finished as runner up to none other than Wayne Gretzky for the Rookie of the Year award. 

#3 NHL Career 

When the WHA merged with the NHL the next year Mike was drafted 4th overall by the Washington Capitals. He noted “ When I went there, hockey was in no way the number one sport. In fact, it wasn’t number two, three or four either!” No doubt his career with the Caps helped lift the awareness and love of hockey in that city. In fact, his number 11 was retired by the organization in 2008. It was also in Washington where he would meet his good friend and mentor, Jean Pronovost. A fellow right winger, he would help mold Mike into the hockey player and man he became. 

Mike experienced the turbulence of being traded a number of times. Before he retired in 1998, He had played for the Capitals, the Minnesota North Stars, the New York Rangers, his hometown Toronto Maple Leafs and finally the newly relocated Phoenix Coyotes. Mike played in the NHL All Star game 7 times including an MVP performance in 1993 and a record breaking “Fastest Skater” skills time of 13:38. A record not broken until 2012. 

#4 International Career 

If there was an upside to the Capitals being knocked out of the playoffs so often by the mighty Islanders or Flyers, it was that Gartner could play for Team Canada at the World Championships. Though we as Canadians don’t always put much stock in the WHC we always appreciate the player who is willing to continue his hockey season and put on the Maple Leaf for his country. He played in the WHC 4 times, scoring 21 points and winning 2 bronze medals.  

As was mentioned earlier Mike won a bronze for Canada in the 1978 World Junior Hockey League. He also earned the honour of playing on the 1984 and the famed 1987 Canada Cup team where he tallied 9 points and won both championships. Mike Gartner always answered the patriotic call of his country. 

#5 Stats, Records & The Hall of Fame

In 2001 Mike Gartner was inducted into the NHL Hall of Fame. There are a few who still question if he was worthy of this honour. After a look at his stats, his speed, his consistency, his all-star and international appearances and his reputation there seems to be no doubt that he does indeed belong and that comfortably.

Gartner’s career stats are 708 goals and 627 assists for a total of 1,335 points in 1,432 regular season games. He is of course renowned for being a member of the NHL’s exclusive 700 goal club – occupied by only 6 other players in history. What is perhaps even more amazing is his 15 consecutive 30+ goal seasons, a record he now shares with Jaromir Jagr. It is significant, however, to note that his streak was interrupted only by a strike shortened season. After that season he had another two 30 + goal seasons which would essentially, and in all likelihood, put him at 18 consecutive 30 + goal seasons with 5 different teams. Even for the high scoring era in which that was accomplished it is utterly remarkable. 

Though Gartner never won a Stanley Cup (one of the biggest criticisms) it is rather gut-wrenching to realize that he was traded from the New York Rangers the very year they won the Stanley Cup in 1994.

#6 Off the Ice

After his retirement at the conclusion of the 1997-98 season Mike would become increasingly more involved in the NHLPA eventually becoming its president. He held position on numerous boards and committees in the NHLPA including chairman of the Goals and Dreams Fund – a hockey initiative that has given millions to grassroots hockey all over the North America. He also volunteered heavily in many youth hockey camps. 

It is worth noting that Mike’s personal priorities and worldview led him to retire even though he was only 10 goals shy of passing Phil Esposito on the all-time NHL goals list and only 23 short of passing Marcel Dionne. Since then Brett Hull has reached a formidable 741 goals but at the time Gartner could have secured his name in a trio with Wayne Gretzky and Gordie Howe – pretty elite company. However, Mike put faith and family over personal glory and has never regretted it. 

#7 Faith 

To quote Mike directly, “ Professional hockey players are in the limelight because of the level at which we compete. However, after the glaring arena lights shut down and we’ve left the ice, we face the same challenges and questions and have the same needs and desires as anyone else.” 

It was in 1980 that Jean Pronovost joined the Washington Capitals and soon became friends with Mike Gartner. Jean and his wife, Diane, eventually invited Mike, along with some other Caps players ( such as Ryan Walter and Wes Jarvis) , to their house for informal Bible studies. During a road trip on which Mike had a particularly insightful discussion with Pronovost, he recalls that “In the quietness of my hotel room, I got on my knees and said. ‘ Lord if you are real, come into my life now and change me’.” 

He goes on to say, “ I found...a peace that profoundly impacted the rest of my life…. My faith (in Jesus) helped me to handle the highs and lows of the game – the injuries and trades, the scoring sprees and the slumps… I knew that God had a plan for my life.”
Mike summed it up nicely when he said, “I came to realize that God is not necessarily interested in the outcome of sports – He is interested in people who play sports.” 

In concluding, Kevin Shea, Editor for the Hockey Hall of Fame said this of Gartner:  “An outstanding performer on the ice and as trusted as anyone in hockey off the ice, Mike Gartner employed blazing speed, outstanding skill and great intelligence into a remarkably consistent and productive Hall of Fame career.”  The Hall of Fame website also calls him “…perhaps the most consistent and unnoticed scorer the game has ever seen.”



Sources:

Kevin Shea, Hockey Hall of Fame
 http://www.hhof.com/htmlSpotlight/spot_oneononep200102.shtml

Legends of Hockey   http://www.legendsofhockey.net/LegendsOfHockey/jsp/LegendsMember.jsp?mem=p200102&type=Player&page=bio&list=

The Edge by Sigmund Brouwer / Countryman Publishers

Toward the Goal by Cathy Ellis / Hockey Ministries International

Wikipedia  http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mike_Gartner

A Bio-Sketch of Maurice of Thebes: The Legionnaire Who Died for Christ

The pleasure seekers and jet setters that visit the Swiss resort town of St Moritz, Switzerland are most likely unaware of its namesake – an Egyptian-born Legionnaire of the Roman Army. 

St. Moritz or rather, Maurice, was born in A.D. 250 in Thebes, an ancient Egyptian city. He joined the Roman army and was eventually made leader of what was known as the Thebian Legion ( that is 6,600 soldiers). The thing that was different about Maurice was that he was a known Christian in what was then a decidedly non-Christian society under Diocletian. It is even said that his entire legion were Christians. 

A statue of St. Maurice placed next to the grave of Otto I of Germany

According to the letter of Eucherius to Salvius, a fellow bishop, Maurice’s legion was eventually summoned by Maximian one of the Tetrarch Roman Emperors under Diocletian. His orders were to travel to Gaul in order to help squash an uprising of the bagaudae ( a group of peasant insurgents) - and this is where the story really begins. Although there is some debate as to the particulars, it seems clear that it was on their way to Gaul, near the present site of St. Moritz, that Maurice was martyred for his adherence to his faith in Christ.

Eucherius tells us that when Maurice and his legion were ordered to persecute some Christians in the area they steadfastly refused and were thus “decimated”, a Roman military punishment that involved the killing of every tenth man. As they continued to disobey the order, eventually all were killed.

This letter may contain some exaggeration as decimation had not been practiced for centuries. Other accounts record only a small portion of the Thebian Legion being killed which may be more accurate. It is worth noting Donald F. O’Reilly’s work pointing to four main pieces of historical evidence though to confirm that the Thebian Legion did exist and that its leader was Maurice. See Wikipedia’s summary of this.  

Maurice was often depicted as a Black man in art. If accurate, this would make him the first Black saint
 canonized by the Roman Catholic Church.

In his book “How Shall We Then Live” renowned Christian theologian and philosopher, Francis A. Schaeffer, uses the events at St. Moritz as an example of how a Christian should balance their loyalties to Church and State. 

“During the persecutions of the Christians under the Roman emperors, the action of the Roman military commander Maurice is a good example of a possible response. When he received an order to direct a persecution of Christians, he handed his insignia to his assistant in order to join the Christians and be killed as a fellow believer.” 

It is noteworthy and admirable that Maurice did not fight back and war “in the name of Christ”, as a soldier might and as some countries erroneously have, but rather laid down the proverbial sword and followed the example of his Saviour only centuries earlier. 

“And suddenly, one of those who were with Jesus stretched out his hand and drew his sword, struck the servant of the high priest, and cut off his ear. But Jesus said to him, “Put your sword in its place, for all who take the sword will perish by the sword.” Or do you think that I cannot now pray to My Father, and He will provide Me with more than twelve legions of angels?” Matthew 26:51

Ours is truly a spiritual battle that will one day end in perfect peace, not a physical or political one to be fought over and over again to no end - and Maurice understood that. 

5 Historical Facts about St. Nicholas of Myra ( The Origins of of Santa Claus)

Was He Real?

Although the man and the myth have often been intermingled through the centuries there is some growing evidence for the historicity of Nicholas. In an interview with Christianity Today Adam C. English, author of The Saint Who Would Be Santa Clause: The True Life and Trials of Nicholas of Myra and professor at Campbell University, has this to say: 

“The three most important Nicholas experts of the 20th century expressed grave doubts about Nicholas's existence…. Many people even now think of him as only legendary. But when you study the documents and the evidence, it's surprising to find there's a wealth of evidence that attests to his deeds and his existence.” 

During his research, English visited an archive library in Bari, Italy and found significant primary sources on this 4th century Bishop. Nicholas was Bishop of Myra ( now Demre) in Lycia in present day Turkey and later his remains were moved to Bari, Italy where there is now a basilica with all of the usual Roman Catholic Trappings. 

What was he like?

With written evidence and tradition we can began to piece together the life and character of this man who would unwittingly inspire the modern day Santa Claus. 

According to tradition Nicholas was known as a gift giver (obviously one of Santa’s most notable traits). The most famous story in regards to this is when Nicholas gave money for dowries to three sisters who were in desperate poverty thus saving them from a life of likely prostitution. He does it quietly and anonymously provoking Professor English to remark, “You don't find anything like it in the stories of contemporary saints of the time, nor in other folklore.”

Bishop Nicholas by all accounts seems to have a deep and sincere love of Christ. He was imprisoned for his faith under the Roman Emperor Diocletian and likely bore the scars of the persecuted. He also stood against the Arian heresy which attacked the deity of Christ at the Council of Nicaea. 

St. Nicholas and Santa Claus

To quote a 2013 National Geographic article, “The modern American Santa was born in the Mediterranean, evolved across northern Europe, and finally assumed his now-familiar form on the shores of the New World.” 

This refers, of course, first to Nicholas of Myra then to characters such as the Dutch SinterKlass (directly inspired by Nicholas) and the English Father Christmas as well as some Germanic and Scandinavian folklore.  Finally all of these entities were blended together in the New World in what we now know (at least in North America) as Santa Claus.  Early 19th century American poems like “The Children’s Friend” and “Twas the Night Before Christmas” were integral in constructing today’s secular Santa. 

St. Nicholas’ Day is actually December 6th ( and many children in Europe still receive gifts that day) but through the Reformation the date of Christmas gift giving was eventually changed to the 25th of December. 

Criticism: 

The Puritans were highly critical of the notion of Santa Claus and Christmas altogether. They related it only to Roman Catholicism and Paganism. During the Reformation a more Biblical view of “saints” was taken and their veneration was highly discouraged. Martin Luther tried to introduce a new gift giver into the mix -  “Christkindl” or the Christ Child - however the name became pronounced Kris Kringle and, ironically, was later associated with Santa Claus. 

And, of course, the mass commercialism we see today is often a deterrent to the notion of Santa Claus – but let’s remember we aren’t talking about Santa Claus – we’re talking about Nicholas of Myra, the historic man. It should also be noted that even through the rightful downplay of saints during the Reformation, Nicholas lasted as a simple example of Christ-likeness. 

How Christians Should Acknowledge Him

This has always been a bit controversial and I have no intention on glorifying Santa Claus. However, I believe there is a way to look at the original Nicholas and see the light of Jesus Christ reflected – to give Jesus glory. 

C.S. Lewis inserted a Santa Claus type character into his Chronicles of Narnia not as a competitor to Aslan but as one subservient to Him. And Adam English feels there is some benefit to be gained by learning about the bishop:

“But at Christmas, we have an opportunity to highlight a core Christian value, which is loving our neighbors. By highlighting St. Nicholas, we can recover an alternative to commercialization and greed, celebrating the life of a true Christian example, who gave of his own, who helped the less fortunate, and who shared the love of Christ.”

Whatever traditions we incorporate into our Christmas celebrations this year let them all be to the glory of the Lord Jesus – the One whose birth we honour and rejoice in. It is His unfathomable condescension from Heaven’s throne into this dark and broken world that gives us hope and that gave Nicholas hope. It was Jesus to whom Nicholas bowed down, whom he loved and whom he lived his life for. Jesus Christ was nothing less to Nicholas than Lord and Saviour. 

As Pastor Kevin DeYoung says, “So this Christmas, give gifts if you like. We will in our family. Receive them all with thanksgiving.  But do not forget what we need most–salvation through substitution. This is one gift the real St. Nicholas would not have overlooked.”

“And she will bring forth a Son, and you shall call His name JESUS, for He will save His people from their sins.” Matthew 1:21







Sources for this article:

"Was the Real St. Nick Better than Santa Claus"  An interview with Adam C. English in Christianity Today  http://www.christianitytoday.com/ct/2012/december/better-than-santa.html

Wikipedia

"St. Nicholas to Santa: The Surprising Origins of Mr. Claus" Brian Handwerk, National Geographic

Who Was St. Nicholas?"  Kevin Deyoung, The Gospel Coalition  http://www.thegospelcoalition.org/blogs/kevindeyoung/2012/12/14/who-was-st-nicholas/

7 Fascinating Facts About Okanagan Landing, B.C.: Gateway To the Okanagan

“You can compare (Okanagan Landing) to the Kelowna International Airport of the time” Ron Candy, Greater Vernon Museum curator (from Vernon MorningStar) 


The first place that my wife and I rented as a couple was on Garnet Street overlooking Okanagan Landing. For two people who had grown up in the north we could not believe our luck as we were able to wake up every morning and see Okanagan Lake and then the amazing sunsets. We fell in love with the area – especially Kin Beach and Paddle Wheel Park and though we now live in downtown Vernon we still enjoy the Landing immensely with our 3 year old daughter. 

As I began reading about the history of the Vernon area and especially when I first went to visit the Okanagan Landing Station House Museum located on the site of Paddle Wheel Park I was blown away by the immense importance and industry of this beautiful place. Now there are many people who know more about the Landing than I do (like the wonderful folks at the museum) but I wanted to write this little blog with these basic facts to grab the attention of local residents and others who may visit the area and to encourage them to find out even more about the rather illustrious history in our own back yard! 

#1 Some Geo-political Background

One geographical definition of Okanagan Landing, according to the Okanagan Mainline Real Estate Board, is “The northeast flank of the Ellison Ridge along the east shore of Okanagan Lake including Ellison Provincial Park and Okanagan Landing to the southwest boundary of the old city of Vernon.” 

In 1949 the Okanagan Landing and District Community Association was created “to promote social, recreational, educational, and cultural activities among its members; to improve the conditions of and advance in every way community life and affairs in the Landing area; and to provide suitable buildings and grounds for the furtherance of such objectives.”  

Later in 1965 this port area was known as Electoral Area A under the Regional District of North Okanagan and then in 1993 the community was annexed into the city of Vernon though it maintains its distinct cultural identity. 

#2 The Railway

Perhaps the most important thing to understand about Okanagan Landing is that it was quite literally the gateway to the entire Okanagan Valley and was much of the reason that the Valley populated and flourished throughout the late part of the 19th century and the early part of the 20th.  This was due to two powerful and romantic forms of transportation – the train and the steam ship.

In 1885 the Transcontinental Rail Way was completed at Craigellachie, some 99 kilometres northeast of Vernon. In 1887 Forbes Vernon (for whom the town is named) and Francis Barnard ( of BX Express fame) co-founded a syndicate that eventually brought a spur line , The Shuswap & Okanagan Railway, from Sicamous to Okanagan Landing in 1892. 

With the building of the spur line came a boom of construction at the Landing (mainly by the CPR) and the hustle and bustle of moving passengers and goods throughout Okanagan Lake communities with the final stop being in Penticton. New settlers would come through the Landing and famous Okanagan fruit, among other goods, would go out. The Landing would become home to a shipbuilding yard, a station house, a massive pier complete with rails and, among other things, a hotel named the Strand (There is a current development there whose name is taken from this hotel). 

The Shuswap & Okanagan Railway: Enderby & District Museum

#3 The Steam Ships

It was Captain Thomas Dolman Shorts who first offered commercial transportation on Okanagan Lake– first on a row boat and then on a steam driven vessel carrying 5 passengers. However, it was when the CPR arrived that the big Stern Wheelers began to be built and to ply the waters of Okanagan Lake. 

The beautiful ships SS Aberdeen, SS Okanagan and SS Sicamous, along with the tug boat Naramata were all built at the Landing. To the residents of the Okanagan Valley these ships were a lifeline. They provided the mail and necessary items for survival as well as a social aspect of visiting and sometimes even a family vacation on a round trip of the lake. 
The SS Sicamous and the Naramata tug were relocated and restored on the north beach of Penticton where they can (and should!) now be visited as part of the museum at The Stern Wheeler and Heritage Park. A walk through the old sternwheeler is rather spellbinding and well worth the time. 

The SS Sicamous 

#4 Ellison Provincial Park

Ellison Provincial Park is one of my favourite places to visit in the Okanagan. It is 219 hectares situated near the very end of Okanagan Landing/ Eastside Road on the east side of the lake and boasts biking and hiking trails, beautiful rock cliffs , camping sites and two beautiful beaches. 

Before the park was established in 1962 it was known as Otter Bay Camp for Girl Guides and Boy Scouts. It was named after Price Ellison, a very prominent figure in local history and an MLA and Cabinet Minister for Richard McBride’s provincial government. Born in Manchester, England, Ellison arrived in the Okanagan in 1876 as a blacksmith and ended up owning land on East Hill and the Landing and “at one time owned or controlled 80% of the property in the area.” 

       

#5 Allan Brooks

A well-known resident of Okanagan Landing was the renowned ornithologist and painter Allan Brooks. His works can be seen at the Allan Brooks gallery located in the Greater Vernon Museum and his namesake is also honoured at the Allan Brooks Nature Centre at the top of Mission Hill. 

Allan Brooks was born in India in 1869 and after many travels he eventually decided to call Okanagan Landing home in 1905. A sniper in WW1, Brooks interest in birds and their habitat and his wonderful talent for art later resulted in the contribution of sketches for such publications as The Audubon society and National Geographic. His acre of land in the Landing  “ became a sanctuary and nesting site for over 34 species of small birds”.  No less than Robert Bateman has credited Allan Brooks with being an inspiration to his work as an artist. 

#6 Paddlewheel Park

A little known fact is that Paddlewheel Park is actually the property of the Okanagan Landing & District Community Association and is available for public use through their generosity. It’s a wonderful little park with leafy trees (many hand-planted by residents) and a great sandy beach. It is home to a community hall (which was the old CPR workshop until it burned down and was rebuilt in 1999) and the old CPR stationhouse which was almost destroyed but for some valiant efforts of local advocates. The annual Landing Regatta is an event that has been held in this area intermittently since 1910.

In 1971, the OLDCA, led by Alan Hill and other local residents, was able to purchase the decommissioned lands of the CPR and through a massive community effort the vision of Paddlewheel Park eventually came to fruition and now serves the entire North Okanagan. The children’s playground takes the form of a sternwheeler paying homage to the rich history of the area.

#7 The Okanagan Landing Station Museum 

In June of 2014, a long anticipated dream came to life as the Okanagan Landing Stationhouse Museum and Art Gallery was officially opened. It is located in the old stationhouse which had been moved closer to the community hall sometime back. 

Although small in size, it is rich in history and very impressive with its crowning achievement being the 20’ long diorama displaying in minute detail the area as it was in 1914. The North Okanagan Model Railway Association built this magnificent model to precise scale and it is worth going to the museum just to see it. One truly feels like they have stepped back in time and are able to see the vast panoramic that was Okanagan Landing in the early 20th century. A tremendous part of the heritage of all of the Okanagan Valley has been preserved here. 

"He maketh me to lie down in green pastures: he leadeth me beside the still waters..." Psalm 23:2


Sources:

A Brief History of Okanagan Landing & District Community Association,  2002 Miriam Jayne

Okanaganlanding.com

www.vernonmuseum.ca

www.lakecountrymuseum.com

The Vernon Morning Star: http://www.vernonmorningstar.com/news/261708141.html

The British Garden of Eden, Paul M. Koroscil

Wikipedia