You know you're really from Kelowna when . . .

[featfan]

In May 1958 the Canadian Amateur Hockey Association selected the Kelowna Packers to represent Canada on an international hockey tour. The Kelowna Packers of the Okanagan-Mainline Senior Amateur Hockey League became the first western sports team to be allowed behind the Iron Curtain to play a series of exhibition games. Outside Kelowna, there were critics of this decision and some predicted that the Packers would return without so much as a single win.

But the team would play five games against Soviet Union teams and three in Sweden, and would tour for a period extending from November 9 to 30, 1958.

Previous to the Packers swing through the Soviet Union the team played three games in Sweden The Swedish National Team defeated the Packers 5-2, a loss that was attributed to the long trip just completed by the Kelowna team. The tables soon turned with the following games and the Packers emerged victorious winning 5-2 in both the second game and the final encounter.

The Packers lost their first game against the Russian Army team 4 to 3. They tied the next two games 1 - 1 against the Wings of Soviet and 2 - 2 against the Moscow Dynamos. Kelowna Packers coach, Jack OíReilly, a fiery and outspoken Irishman, guaranteed victories for the Canadians in the last two games of the tour.

In the fourth game, against the Soviet Juniors, the Packers did indeed secure a win 4-3. Their record stood at one win, two ties, and one loss. In the final match, they faced Russia's top team — the Moscow Selects. The Packers played well and won an overwhelming victory of 5-1 over the Selects. Jack O'Reilly had kept his promises. Despite the skepticism of their critics, the Packers returned to Kelowna as champions.

[Queen K]

We recently found a 1962 Kelowna Courier, completely intact, in Mr. QK's house. I fully plan to get into it and start publishing information from it at some point soon.

Should I make everyone sick and include RE prices?

[grammafreddy]

Of course

What's the date on your paper? I'll try to match it with one of the old Gazettes and Boundary News someone dropped off to me a couple weeks ago - a whole box full of history!!!

[garry1961]

We moved to Kelowna in 1964 from calgary ,my step father Larry Macneil started MacNeils auto on hwy 97 north across from mountain shadows golf course and next to Sids grocery .it was a quick walk through a small orchard for me to buy candy and if they didnt have what i wanted we could walk to the top hat which i still feel really bad about as i broke the gum machine out side (my mustang bike had no brakes) we were great friends with the owners of the peacock zoo and the ape (Mita)was always fun to watch I heard she died in the move to revelstoke but that was never confermed i never saw but my family talked about the day she went to sids and created quite the scene it was a fantasic place to grow up on a carlot with my old black lab named Charlie and the hikes to mission creek and the swinging bridge ,we also kept our horses at Flemmings farm which was at the ''T'' intersection of hwy 33 at the base of the mountain he was a cool old fella but as a young kid you didnt dare cross him I went to Benvolin school untill they closed it and had to go to A,S, Mathison all in all my days in Kelowna were great and the memories i have altho they are starting to fade still make me smile ,i have a great picture of the ogopogo that i love to show off the kids think im off my rocker when i do

[Queen K]

Garry, I truly believe you saw the best of Kelowna. It's impossible to explain isn't it?

[AnaAlicia]

I remember Cathy Cooper..and they lived right where you mentioned...I liked her alot..and her brothers I cant remember their names..but Cathy was born around 62'..yahh

[AnaAlicia]

Does anyone remember Billy and Laura Cooper? They lived somewhere on Lawson or Bernard between Ethel and Gordon (Sutherland). I think I heard that the family moved to the island near Ladysmith.

I remember CathY COoper..she would be born around 62' and I would love to see her again..she lived RIGHT where you said. :)

[PaulLew]

I know this is an old post, but I was googling the address for the old post office. From an old photo of the post office I have, pointing down Bernard ave. , it appears it was on the right side going towards the lake,it looks like it was on the corner of water st.

[PaulLew]

Just hoping it clears the discussion up, assuming we are talking about the same building, and the Paramount theatre is stillin the same spot.

[60-YEARS-in-Ktown]

That is NW corner of Ellis St.

[FSmith59]

That is NW corner of Ellis St.

Yes. Where Scotiabank is, now.

Quite the coinkydink. My mom sent me that pic about a week ago.

[PaulLew]

I was thinking maybe Pandosy at the most by counting the buildings, assuming there wasn't a street move as it has been know to happen in Kelowna from time to time. I have a picture of the old Scotiabank too before it was rebuilt in it's former-ish image,if it was always in that building.

[PaulLew]

Sorry, I was confusing BMO on Water st. with Scotiabank

[PaulLew]

I just went to Google street view, and in the same perspective, it looked like it should be beside BMO, but comparing photos, and another older one, sorry, it does look like you are correct-ish , the street may have moved,it's about halfway between Pandosy and Ellis.

[PaulLew]

HSBC is on the right side of the building on the right side of the previous picture, which is the corner of Pandosy, and it looks like it's about 4 buildings up from there, so my original estimation was about 2 blocks off, amazing how lenses can shrink perspective, so with that, I think you're spot on, amazing how well you can see the Paramount sign from my first post :)