7 miles north of Vernon
“And our eyes feasted on the long stretch of prairies…” wrote A.I. Fortune, first settler in this fertile valley, in June 1866. The natural meadows, rippling in tall grasses, were ideal pastures for cattle and sheep. Later, grain replaced livestock. Despite many decades of use, 'Spil-a-mi-shine' of the Indians remains ever bountiful, ever beautiful.
Spallumcheen Valley takes its name from the Shuswap word spalmtsin meaning "flat area along edge” Containing 40,000 acres of prime agricultural land, the valley has been well known for the quality of its produce: cattle, poultry, swine, grain, vegetables and fruit. It supplied the Canadian Pacific Railway diners and hotels across the country with vegetables. Nearby Armstrong was known as "celery" town, and gave its name to a famous type of celery.
The climate of the valley is very comfortable, with short winters and sunny, hot summers. The name "Spallumucheen" was first given to a post office in 1881, six miles south of present-day Enderby. The township of Spallumcheen was incorporated in 1892, the first rural municipality in the interior of British Columbia. When the Shuswap and Okanagan Railway was completed, the town of Lansdowne, containing the Spallumcheen post office, was moved two miles to the present site of Armstrong on the railway.
For many years the Shuswap River which flows into Mara Lake was known as Spallumcheen River.
Resources:
Spallumcheen Indian Band
» www.splatsin.ca
Township of Spallumcheen
» www.spallumcheenwp.bc.ca
Armstrong Spallumcheen Museum and Arts Society
» www.asmas.ca
