The Curious Traveller presents: The Vernon Cadet Camp Museum

Kayaking on Lake Okanagan, Photo by S. Arseneault

Well known for its hot summers and comparatively mild winters, stunning sun-glinted lakes, vast acres of abundant fruit orchards, world-class wineries, great camping, ample hiking and cycling trails, water sports in summer, and skiing and snowboarding in winter, BC’s Okanagan region has been a popular tourist destination for Canadians and foreign travellers for decades.

The Okanagan region enjoys a bit of a micro-climate of sorts, given its geographic location in BC’s Southern Interior. Interestingly, its topography, elevation, and latitude all combine to create a climate not unlike that of the Napa Valley region in California.

The City of Vernon, which is nestled in among three lakes in the picturesque North Okanagan, is a small city that is home to over 43,000 people (2019 census data). If you include Greater Vernon and Area, the population is slightly over 60,000. Established in 1892, The City of Vernon has a rich history that begins with the area being first discovered by the Okanagan peoples, a tribe of the Interior Salish a few hundred years ago. By the early nineteenth century, fur traders and white settlers began travelling to and living in the region (Wikipedia, 2020). In the 1890’s Vernon “grew at an accelerated pace…after the Canadian Pacific Railway (CPR) was opened in the Okanagan and Shuswap regions of the BC Interior” (Wikipedia, 2020).

The Vernon Cadet Camp Museum

VMC-VCTC Main Building, Photo by F. Arseneault. Used with permission.

One important aspect of Vernon’s history includes the establishment of the Vernon Military Camp facility, operated by the Department of National Defence (DND). According to the Vernon Military Camp site, troops first trained here in 1912 when the 30^th BC Horse Regiment was formed and a permanent annual district summer training camp for cavalry and infantry militia units was established. From 1940-42, virtually all of the buildings on the military grounds were constructed for Canadian Army training during the Second World War.

In 1949, the facility was made available during the summer months for young army, air, and sea cadets ages 12-18 from across Canada and abroad. Girls were invited to attend Vernon’s summer camp in 1974. Since it’s first year of operation, the Vernon Cadet Training Centre (VCTC) has welcomed over 85,000 cadets.

Francois Arseneault, who attended VCTC as an army cadet from 1978-1980, wanted to turn his vast knowledge of Canadian cadet history and fond memories of his formative years in the cadet program into something that people of all ages could enjoy. In 2013, he established the Vernon Cadet Camp Museum and became its curator. In 2018 he and a small team of enthusiastic and dedicated volunteers established the Vernon Military Historical Society, a non-profit organization.

The modestly-sized museum building was originally used as a post office by the Department of National Defence (DND) when the grounds were used as a military base and as a summer camp for youth. Recently, I had the opportunity to interview Francois Arseneault. Check out this short 4-minute-long video to learn more about the origins and future plans of the cadet museum.

A labour of love

The tiny museum has amassed approximately 11,000+ artifacts that have either been donated or are on-loan to the Society. Each artifact is carefully inspected, catalogued, and either prepared for display, or meticulously archived for storage.

“Due to space limitations, only a small fraction of the collection is currently on display,” says Francois.

Other challenges include the current COVID-19 pandemic. As a result, the youth summer camp program was cancelled in 2020 and depending on when a vaccine is available for the majority of Canadians, it remains unclear if the facility will be open in summer 2021.

Main display room of the museum. Photo by F. Arseneault. Used with permission.

“While these safety protocols are absolutely necessary, it obviously means that no-one is able to visit the museum,” says Francois. “The Society is therefore looking at new and innovative ways we can reach the public. Right now, we’re considering the development of a virtual tour experience. This solution would be worthwhile not just during COVID-19, but will benefit visitors from all over the world in the future. The issues we now face include being able to get back on-site to do the video capture, and of course, the cost of production.”

When asked what the big-picture goals and future plans are for this little museum, Francois says, “We at the VCCM want to ensure that this museum accurately reflects the rich history of the cadet program at VCTC and the Vernon Military Camp.”

Contact

Website: vernoncadetmuseum.com
Email: vernoncadetmuseum@gmail.com
Facebook: @cadetmuseum
Instagram: vernoncadetmuseum

Location

Note: The museum is closed due to the COVID-19 pandemic until further notice.
Vernon Cadet Training Centre
3100–15^th Avenue
Vernon, BC

Travel Media

The Curious Traveller presents: The Vernon Cadet Camp Museum