A distance of 270 kilometres, this wasn't simply an afternoon walk in the sunshine. It took her 24 days to complete her journey, and luckily for the rest of the world, she kept a journal of her trip. Born in 1920, she was in her 60s when she took the notion to walk around
Okanagan Lake, and was 70 when the book, "
First Time Around", was published. The book is 136 pages, with lots of both Black & White and Colour photos of her epic journey.
Having lived there ourselves, we know that this is not an easy walk. The majority of it is wilderness, with mountains to climb, cliffs to scale, creeks to cross, and in places thick brush and undergrowth to traverse.
Born of farming parents, Sheila married Henry Paynter, also a fruit farmer, in 1946 and they ran a sizeable orchard together while raising six children. A graduate of the University of British Columbia in 1942 with degrees in Psychology and English, she taught kindergarten for several years. She has written three books about the Okanagan and continues to write regularly for a local Newspaper, the
Westside Weekly.
Sheila's family were pioneers in the Okanagan, with the first Paynters arriving in the early part of the 20th century and starting an orchard, growing many varieties of fruit. The Paynter family has been a fixture in Westbank, on the west side of Okanagan Lake, ever since, and have operated a large fruit stand in Westbank for over 60 years.