The World Wars may have taken place on the other side of the world, but they affected everyone here as well. The Government set in place rules about what you could and could not do. Conscription of able bodied men, rationing of goods, a list of women and children able to assist, and collection of re-usable goods, all took place to assist in the war effort.
Mostly what is remembered from the War times is the number of able bodied men who left their homes and families to fight for their Country. Many, sadly, never returned, and those who did were often never the same. Names of those who died are remembered on War Memorials across the Country.
The men were brought from many places throughout the Province by train (when possible) and by the SS Sicamous from Penticton to Vernon to attend the Vernon Military Camp for training. In existence since 1912, it has served Canada through both World Wars and the Korean War as a Central Mobilization Camp and Battle Field Training centre. By 1917 there were more than 7000 men training at the camp. Over the years since the World Wars, the camp has been used for the Canadian Army Pacific Force training base, Army Cadet training, 1st Battalion P.P.C.L.I., BC Dragoons A Squadron, and others. The training focus changed with the times and today the emphasis is on leadership, adventure training, and fitness, all with a military flavour. Reserve and Regular forces personnel are still trained at and tasked to the camp. For local information the Okanagan Military Museum at the Kelowna Museum is a good starting point. www.kelownamuseums.ca/museum/okanagan-military-museum/ as well as the Vernon Cadet Museum
Vernon Museum also has information on Valley members who served in the wars, with a section on how women contributed, either through military service or through work in the community that had traditionally been held by men. https://vernonmuseum.ca/vernon-serves/
The Canadian Film Board has some excellent films on the part played by Women, Indigenous, and Chinese in the wars. They are interesting shorts well worth watching. You can find them through this link https://blog.nfb.ca/blog/2023/11/03/edu-revealing-hidden-stories-on-remembrance-day/ .
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