Three recently installed city plaques offer an historical view of Salmon Arm landmarks.
Through the Community Heritage Commission plaque program, they city recently installed plaques at Fletcher Park, the Salmon Arm Fairgrounds and Mount Ida Cemetery. The plaques include information explaining the historical significance of each location as well as photos.
The Fletcher Park/City Hall plaque is located at the north entrance of Fletcher Park. Once the site of the Central School, the park has been a community gathering place for more than 100 years. Included on the plaque is an image from 2005 of the former and current city halls taken before the latter was demolished.
Prior to 1915, the park was used for hockey in the winter and softball and lawn bowling in the summer. In 1952, a wading pool was added, followed by a swimming pool five years later. In 1985, the pool was drained and filled with earth. Later, a skatepark that existed at the south end of the park was filled in and a playground at the north end was removed, with the current playground installed at the south end.
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The Central School was recently added to the city’s Community Heritage Register.
The Fairgrounds plaque is located at the entrance of the north fairgrounds along 5th Avenue SW. The first Fall Fair was held in 1897 and the plaque showcases the importance of the Salmon Arm and Shuswap Lake Agricultural Association to the community.
The Mt. Ida Cemetery plaque is located centrally by the old section of the cemetery. The plaque recognizes the cemetery as the last resting place of some of Salmon Arm’s earliest settlers.
The plaque program was created in 2013 to promote public awareness of the value of heritage resources in the community.
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