1948 downtown Kelowna picture (with zoom)

[Iamsomeone]

This is a fantastic picture of downtown Kelowna. The picture shows a lot of detail of what it was like in 1948. You can use your mouse to zoom in and get a clearer shot.

http://vintageairphotos.com/bo-48-3567/

So I was looking for my house but can't figure out exactly where the picture was taken from and what roads are shown. I know Memorial Arena was built in 1945 but I don't see it in the pic. So that's throwing me off.

Here's what I'm thinking so far and pardon the rough drawing :)

1 - Water Street ?
2 - Thought it might be St. Paul but then where is Ellis?
3 -
4 - Thought it might be Doyle but can't find the arena
5 -

Hopefully someone will find their house or see a landmark they recognize. I'm really curious about where this is.

[GordonH]

What you need is 1 fixed point as reference
So zoom into the upper left of the picture you see building with the stack that intersection is Ethel & Clement, then just work out from there.

How can to that is building on the corner look very much like that used item place recently

[GenesisGT]

This might help naming the streets, using the railway dock as reference

http://www.okanagan.net/ocarc/hamrail.htm

[GordonH]

Here's what I'm thinking so far and pardon the rough drawing :)

1 - Water Street ? That is Water St
2 - Thought it might be St. Paul but then where is Ellis? This is Ellis
3 - This is St Paul
4 - Thought it might be Doyle but can't find the arena This is Cawston
5 - This is Doyle Ave... Memorial arena is half cutoff

[WalterWhite]

Great photo resource. The arena is on the far right side of the photo - just to the right of where you marked #2.

[60-YEARS-in-Ktown]

I worked in the triangular cold storage building, laurel Co-op. The laurel Museum is to the left of it, the rail linre went between the buildings..
The car and parts to right of the boat dock in lower right. That is where all th car parts got dug up when they started the excavating for the present Yacht Club.. I got pics but they are trapped in my wont start up Playbook.

[Iamsomeone]

This might help naming the streets, using the railway dock as reference

The attachment caststr.JPG is no longer available

http://www.okanagan.net/ocarc/hamrail.htm

That's an interesting site you linked to Genesis. Thank you.

Well now that Gordon and Walter have pointed out Memorial Arena on the picture, I feel a bit foolish for not seeing it earlier. Don't know how I missed it but thanks for pointing it out.

Here's another photo for you. I may look foolish again but I'm not finding Memorial Arena in this shot either. The pic was taken in 1946. I think the 3 roads I marked are (from left to right) Bernard Ave, Doyle Ave and Smith Ave. But where is the arena?

link to zoomable photo: http://vintageairphotos.com/bo-46-374/

[GordonH]

That's an interesting site you linked to Genesis. Thank you.

Well now that Gordon and Walter have pointed out Memorial Arena on the picture, I feel a bit foolish for not seeing it earlier. Don't know how I missed it but thanks for pointing it out.

Here's another photo for you. I may look foolish again but I'm not finding Memorial Arena in this shot either. The pic was taken in 1946. I think the 3 roads I marked are (from left to right) Bernard Ave, Doyle Ave and Smith Ave. But where is the arena?

link to zoomable photo: http://vintageairphotos.com/bo-46-374/

InkedBO-46-374_600-300x227_LI.jpg

In this picture Sawmill appears to shutdown/winding down operations (large empty looking area left & little down rail docks), bottom right corner is were Memorial Arena will be built.

Added: so that sawmill is what is called Simpson Covenant future home of City Hall etc... etc

[OldIslander]

That is a great link and photo, OP.

A ( ...probably dumb ... ) question? Why would Kelowna still have such a prominent dock for barging rail cars? Wasn't the city a prominent hub in the Kettle Valley Railway? It seems a time consuming exercise, barging rail cars down to Penticton or up to Vernon, when rail lines were in place.

[LTD]

That's an interesting site you linked to Genesis. Thank you.

Well now that Gordon and Walter have pointed out Memorial Arena on the picture, I feel a bit foolish for not seeing it earlier. Don't know how I missed it but thanks for pointing it out.

Here's another photo for you. I may look foolish again but I'm not finding Memorial Arena in this shot either. The pic was taken in 1946. I think the 3 roads I marked are (from left to right) Bernard Ave, Doyle Ave and Smith Ave. But where is the arena?

link to zoomable photo: http://vintageairphotos.com/bo-46-374/

InkedBO-46-374_600-300x227_LI.jpg

In this picture Sawmill appears to shutdown/winding down operations (large empty looking area left & little down rail docks), bottom right corner is were Memorial Arena will be built.

Added: so that sawmill is what is called Simpson Covenant future home of City Hall etc... etc

the memorial arena is already built in that pic

[60-YEARS-in-Ktown]

The KVR ran from Beaverdell thru to Penticton up on the south slopes , then continued thru Summerland toward the coast.
We got rail service by 1925from the North, and connected to the KVR from here using Lake barges. The bridge went up twice a day for the barge.. Bridge shut down fir around ten minutes.
Not sure when arena was completed but could not have been before summer of 46.

[60-YEARS-in-Ktown]

I dont see arena in above pic, see a large building where the library is, arena would be to left of that.

[LTD]

is that not it on the right two thirds up only half in the picture ?

[60-YEARS-in-Ktown]

You can clearly see Doyle betwwen the two right hand blue marks in the posted pic
The dark rectangle, arena would be in lower right of black rectangle. Seeing as Doyle continues straight to Water, i think the current road is on the right hand edge of black rectangle..... Does that make sense ?

[Iamsomeone]

The city's website says the arena was built in 1945 so maybe the date of the picture is wrong.

I dont see arena in above pic, see a large building where the library is, arena would be to left of that.

I think that large building is actually where the parkade sits now (at the end of Smith Ave). To the right of that large building would now be the health unit building and beside that the Laurel Packinghouse?

I still think it's Smith Ave. we see, not Doyle (at least comparing this picture).

You can see Queensway (blue) and the bend in the road where it turns into Mill Street. I wonder if Doyle (yellow) didn't go all the way through to Water St. back then and was pushed through when the mill shut down and they built the arena. Smith Ave (green) was cut off from a through street when they built the parkade beside the library. Ellis St. is red.

If the green road was Doyle, I think there would be too much land between Doyle and Queensway for just City Hall and the parking lot beside it.