Next Event

The Rockfellers and Their Legacy: The Hidden Influence of One Wealthy Family with Dawn Johnson

The Rockefellers are an American industrial, political and banking family who own one of the world’s largest fortunes. Their fortune was made in the petroleum industry (Standard Oil) in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. They had a long association with and control of Chase Manhattan Bank. The Rockefellers are considered one of the most powerful families in American history. In this presentation Dawn Johnson will explore the degree to which Rockefeller power and wealth reverberate until today.

Admission by donation

Light refreshments will be available.

Upcoming Events

June 1

Building the Kettle Valley Railway: The Moilers and the Toilers with Maurice Williams

"The Most Difficult of Our Camps" : Vernon Internment Camp 1914-1920 with Don McNair

The Battle of Vimy Ridge with Yasmin John-Thorpe

September 6

October 5

The Kettle Valley Railway played a vital role in developing the southern interior of British Columbia. It is closely associated with one of Canada’s greatest railway engineers, Andrew McCulloch. But who really built the KVR? This talk focuses on the unsung navvies who performed the arduous work of leveling the grades, digging the foundations, and pounding the spikes. Their work enabled the KVR to link the Kootenays to the Pacific coast, transporting its resources and people to the wider world.

This research project of the Vernon & District Family History Society uncovered a vast amount of information concerning the internment of "enemy aliens" in BC's interior after the outbreak of hostilities in 1914. Ukrainians, Poles, Croatians, and other subjects of the Austro-Hungarian Empire predominated, but Vernon Internment Camp focused on the detention of Germans, mostly young men but also several families. They formed an isolated, contentious, and despised enclave at the north end of Vernon, a town that profited by hosting a military training camp at the south end as well. A rich photo collection enables the story to be told with plenty of human details of the prisoners and the troops that guarded them.

Award-winning author Yasmin John-Thorpe has written a book for middle grade readers entitled Grandpa's Gift. The book tells a story through a grandpa’s eyes to his grandson of an historical battle won by Canadians during WWI on the 100th anniversary. Winning Vimy Ridge from the Germans was instrumental in placing the young nation of Canada on the world map. Many Canadian lost their lives fighting to give the Allies a win after so many losses. During this presentaton