Glimpses of the Past: October 22, 2026
By James Janzen, Museum Assistant, Revelstoke Museum & Archives
Pianist performs during a private concert at Piano Keep, 1992. Revelstoke Museum & Archives Collection.
130 years ago: Kootenay Mail, October 24, 1896
The Buchanan Company entertained Revelstoke all week, providing large audiences with much amusement. The playbill changed nightly, which the patrons evidently appreciated, as shown by the attendance at each performance. The repertoire of the company was said to be very well-chosen, apart from an apparently poorly done Irish accent during one show.
120 years ago: Revelstoke Mail-Herald, October 20, 1906
A well-attended Thanksgiving Supper was held by the Ladies’ Auxiliary of Knox Church at the Opera House. The harvest dinner saw many guests between the hours of 6 and 8 p.m., where long tables were set with a banquet “fit for the Gods”. The newspaper editor praised the ladies for their excellent cooking and noted that the candy and flowers stalls were a highlight for many.
110 years ago: Revelstoke Mail-Herald, October 21, 1916
At a meeting at City Hall, the “Woman’s Forum” was formed. The intention of this association was to discuss matters affecting the City of Revelstoke and to work for the betterment of the city. This decision came after the conclusion of a lecture on “Women’s Rights and Duties in Municipal Affairs”, where the speaker reminded women of their right to vote in municipal elections by the revised bylaw of 1915. He also reiterated women’s duty to be involved in public affairs, placing an emphasis on those relating to the home and children’s education.
100 years ago: Revelstoke Review, October 20, 1926
The first annual “Y” dance was held and was said to be a popular and pleasant social affair. Several hands of Progressive Whit began the evening, and the dance itself started at 10 p.m. to the music of Mr. Hugh Barbour’s orchestra. Supper was served at midnight, after which dancing continued until 2 a.m., when the “Home Waltz” was played, ending the evening’s festivities.
90 years ago: Revelstoke Review, October 23, 1936
After much consideration, the city’s Parks Board decided to disband as an organization, and a committee was appointed to put the matter of future parks management up to city council. The board had functioned to improve the children’s playgrounds and equipment but had suffered from a lack of financial support and public interest in the last few years.
80 years ago: Revelstoke Review, October 24, 1946
Plans for the annual Halloween “Shell-Out”, arranged by the Kinsmen Organization, were well underway, as households in Revelstoke received tickets in the mail this week. This year, the child to collect the most tickets would receive a mantel radio! Other prizes being given away this year included deer dolls, rabbit dolls, bingo games, harmonicas, knives, and pencil sets.
70 years ago: Revelstoke Review, October 18, 1956
This week, the newspaper reported on the failure of the National Parks Department to provide access to the Nels Nelson Hill in advance of a major ski tournament to be held during the coming winter. The old approaches to the hill had to be removed while the new road to Mount Revelstoke National Park was built, but the ski club was assured that a new means of access would be available. This new road had not yet been provided.
60 years ago: Revelstoke Review, October 19, 1966
A public seminar was planned to answer questions about the establishment of the Okanagan Regional College. The aim of the panel was to provide information on both the cost of the college and the curriculum that would be offered. At the same time, the newspaper reported the appointment of an administrative assistant to the president of the college, who had recently assumed his duties. Part of his role was to determine what kind of college programs were to be recommended.
50 years ago: Revelstoke Mail-Herald, October 20, 1976
The Okanagan Regional Library had been loaned 100 books in German and Ukrainian for a period of one year. This loan featured several children’s books, courtesy of the National Library’s Multilingual Biblioservice and the cooperation of the BC Library Development Commission. The service provided similar loans to libraries across all of Canada.
40 years ago: Revelstoke Review, October 22, 1986
The St. Francis Fall Bazaar was held on the Sunday prior and was well-received by the large crowd in attendance. The event boasted many different booths, ranging from tea tables and culinary delights, to children’s booths and raffles. New this year, and a fan favourite, was “The Olde Christmas Shoppe” featuring Christmas decorations and gifts. Keeping on theme, Santa himself also dropped in to visit with the children. He must have had an early day off!
30 years ago: Revelstoke Times Review, October 23, 1996
The Revelstoke Community Futures Development Corporation was looking into two new projects after the success of the Railway Museum. One was a novel heritage tourism project that would include the development of a piano museum, working with the owner and operator of Piano Keep. The other was a channel-marking project to mark shoals and other river hazards up to the Columbia River bridge with buoys from Shelter Bay. This program was granted funding by BC Hydro, who agreed to provide the money while Community Futures looked after the administration and labour.
20 years ago: Revelstoke Times Review, October 18, 2006
The Revelstoke Museum and Archives was set to host its second annual benefit dinner “A Tradition of Elegance”. The event featured a wine-masters’ dinner, including three courses of food, bottles from three wineries, and three venues. This year’s dinner was to begin at the museum with wine from Gray Monk Estate Winery of Okanagan Centre and hors d’oeuvres, then move to Woolsey Creek Restaurant for appetizers and wine from the House of Rose Winery of Kelowna, before finishing at Hillcrest Coast Resort dining room for the entrée and wines from Hillside Estate Winery of Penticton.