Crew of the S.S. Penticton - Vernon, British Columbia - Murals on Waymarking.com

Captain Thomas Dolman Shorts was also known as the ‘Admiral of the Okanagan Ocean’. In 1889 he sold this land to raise money to build a ship called the SS Penticton. The ship was a steam powered vessel - a typical example of lake transportation at the time. Captain Shorts was an interesting character and was also seen sporting a cap or bowler hat, with a pipe or chewing tobacco in his mouth.

All the murals are well done paying tribute to the artist's talent and creativity for any passersby to enjoy.

The murals are numbered and we will showcase
#24 - Crew of the S.S. Penticton

Crew of the S.S. Penticton

3410 30th Avenue

Thomas Dolman Shorts was one of the early captains on Okanagan Lake located in the Penticton area; which is south of Vernon about 115 km.

Ruth Shorts was his first boat, named for his mother. The Ruth Shorts was a 22-foot-long rowboat that made a roundtrip form Penticton to Okanagan Landing in nine days.

She carried 2.5 tons of cargo and a few passengers. Occasionally, the boat would sport a sail if the weather permitted it. Captain Shorts did not keep a schedule; he left when he wanted or when there were enough people to make the trip worthwhile.

He would row during the day and when dusk fell he would row ashore and camp on land with his passengers for the night. He could row could row seventy-five miles per trip.

he mural depicts a technically advanced steam powered vessel and the crew from the S.S.Penticton, Short’s final vessel.

Lead Artist: Michelle Loughery

Contributing Artists:
Margarita Alejandre
Liz Allardice
Eric Fossi
Mandarine Funke
Nicky McEwan
Thomas McQuabbie
Brant Patton
Joe Sanders

The very first mural was created in the fall of 1998 and over the course of the next 15 years the lead artist, along with local youth, painted an additional 27 murals.

Downtown Vernon’s outdoor art gallery was made possible through funding from HRDC, investment by downtown businesses and local organizations, as well as the City of Vernon.

The Vernon Museum and Archives provided original content and photos.

The murals are visited by hundreds of people each year and continue to be a wonderful way to tell Vernon’s story.
From the Downtown Vernon Murals