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 Armstrong Station Park - Armstrong, BC Posted by:  T0SHEA
N 50° 26.894 W 119° 11.550
11U E 344342 N 5590766
Armstrong Station Park is a replica train platform located in downtown Armstrong, BC at the site of the old railway loading docks on Pleasant Valley Boulevard.
Waymark Code: WMNEFT
Location: British Columbia, Canada
Date Posted: 02/28/2015
Views: 2
This park is a BC Spirit Square project sited within the CP Rail right-of-way on Pleasant Valley Boulevard across from the Legion. Armstrong Station Park serves as a hub for small outdoor community events and has already provided the setting for a very successful Spirit of BC Street Dance, celebrated on BC’s 150th birthday, November 19th, 2008. This is just one of hundreds of Spirit Squares built in communities throughout BC to commemorate the 150th anniversary of BC's becoming a British Crown Colony.
The park, in its entirety, consists of the station platform replica, which is a large open pavilion, and landscaping stretching out on each side. On the day we visited Armstrong was hosting their annual "Show N Shine" while the park was the site of the live music being provided through the day.
Within the replica train platform which is the park (or most of it) are a series of signs outlining the history of Armstrong and area from the 1870s to the present.
ARMSTRONG HISTORY
1870sEarly Pioneers began to settle the area, such as; B.F. Young, Donald Matheson, Henry Ehmke, George Parkinson, Henry Swanson, Donald Graham, A.L. Fortune, Catherine and Auguste Schubert, Frank Hassard and Robert Wood.
1892 Incorporation of the Township of Spallumcheen.
1892Shuswap & Okanagan Railway arrived --- taken over by the Canadian Pacific Railway a short time later.
1890sRapid development of Armstrong, as numerous buildings from nearby Lansdowne were moved to the railway townsite.
1900First Armstrong Agricultural Fair, which grew steadily to become the Interior Provincial Exhibition & Stampede and is now a major event in British Columbia.
1913City of Armstrong incorporated in the centre of the Township of Spailumcheen.
1914-18More than 300 men went to World War One and 60 were killed or died as a result of the War.
1921First Consolidated School and School Bus system in British Columbia.
1925 Canadian National Railway came to Armstrong.
1920s & 1930sChinese Market Gardeners successfully grow celery crops and along with the Pea Growers Assoc., send their products to market by train.
1930sDepression - hard times, but the logging industry provided materials for housing and agriculture provided food.
1938Armstrong Cheese Co-operative was formed.
1939-45More than 400 local people went to World War Two. All those who served from Armstrong Spallumcheen in both World Wars are memorialized in Memorial Park.
1956Tolko Industries Ltd. (Tolko) is a private, Canadian-owned forest products company based in Vernon, British Columbia. Since 1956 Tolo has grown from a small sawmill in Lavington to become a company diversified by geography and product. The company manufactures lumber, specialty kraft papers, panel products, and engineered wood in its operations across Western Canada for world markets. Tolko continues to be led by the same progressive business practices and traditional values established by its founder, Harold Thorlakson. Tolko celebrated its 50th Anniversary in 2006.
Tolko is committed to the well-being of future generations through responsible environmental performance and sustainable forestland management. The company appreciates the contribution toward its success of its employees and their home communities. In return, Tolko strives to play an active and constructive role in the communities in which it operates and where its employees live.
1970s-1980s Water and sewer systems modernized to ensure a strong future for the City of Armstrong. Housing developments and industry able to expand. Downtown beautification projects show community pride.
1990s-2000s Improved streets and amenities like the new Armstrong Sports Centre and a variety of housing choices. As the beauty and climate of the Okanagan has been discovered, Armstrong has continued to infill its small geographic area.
The Tree in the Park and First Nations People
This tree, which was cut from Memorial Park in Armstrong, B.C., began its life around the year 1730. For its first 150 years, the tree looked out on wilderness. Much of the surrounding area was marshlands and swamp, so the only humans in view would have been the First Nations people travelling through the vicinity. In the 1870's, more human activities such as farming, logging and commercial developments arrived with the early pioneers.
Group that erected the marker: City of Armstrong
URL of a web site with more information about the history mentioned on the sign: [Web Link]
Address of where the marker is located. Approximate if necessary:
Pleasant Valley Boulevard
Armstrong, BC Canada
V0E 1B0
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