Land Acknowledgment
I acknowledge that I am gathering on the traditional, ancestral, and unceded territory of the syilx / Okanagan people, who have lived on this land since time immemorial. I also recognize the Sinixt people and their traditional lands. I honour the syilx / Okanagan people and the Sinixt people as the original stewards of this land, and I commit to learning from them and working towards reconciliation and decolonization.
This week, Automatticians around the world received an unusual and delightful assignment: visit a museum on company time, and if you find something cool, share it. The idea is that exposure to the best works and history of others helps us elevate our craft. I loved this assignment immediately—how often do you get paid to step away from your desk and explore? So yesterday, I headed to the Greater Vernon Museum & Archives , expecting to spend an hour or two browsing. What I found was something far richer: layered history, hidden stories, and a city with far more depth than I realized.
A Compact Journey Through Time
The museum sits at 3009 32nd Avenue in Vernon, and stepping inside felt like stepping into a different era. What struck me first was how much history is tucked into this relatively small space. Vernon has a story that spans from the Indigenous peoples who have inhabited this land for millennia to the diverse communities who shaped it into what it is today.
The Gold Spruce, Miners, and Settlers
I learned that gold discoveries in the 1860s brought miners to the region, and that early settlers like Luc Girouard (around 1861) established the foundation for what would become a thriving community. The ranching era was significant—names like Cornelius O’Keefe and Forbes Vernon left indelible marks on the landscape and the city’s trajectory. Watching that history unfold, I began to understand how deeply connected the land, the people, and the economy have always been here.
Chinatown: A Part of Vernon’s Past
One exhibit that caught my attention was about Vernon’s historic Chinatown. I had no idea that Vernon once had a Chinatown, as that it no longer exists. Learning about this piece of Vernon’s multicultural heritage—and acknowledging its absence—felt important. It’s a reminder that cities contain layers of stories, some visible and some hidden, some still standing and some only preserved in memory and archives.
Votes, Voices, Victory: Women’s Suffrage in the Okanagan
The temporary exhibit “Votes, Voices, Victory!” celebrating the lasting legacy of women’s suffrage in the Okanagan was particularly striking. It was fascinating to learn about the women who fought for their right to vote in this region, and how their efforts rippled through the community. This exhibit grounds a major social movement in the specific stories of local women—making history feel personal and urgent.
A Museum Doing Real Work
What impressed me most was the museum’s commitment to Indigenous repatriation. The Greater Vernon Museum & Archives holds over 1,200 Indigenous cultural objects and 1,500 archival documents. Rather than simply displaying these items, the museum is working to return them to the nations and peoples they belong to. They’ve signed on to the British Columbia Museum Association’s Call to Action and are drafting a repatriation policy. That’s the kind of work that honors the past while building a more just future.
Two Hours Well Spent
I came for a work assignment and left with a deeper understanding of Vernon’s past and the people who made it. The museum does thoughtful, important work in preserving history while also being honest about difficult chapters and committed to making things right with Indigenous communities.
If you’re looking for something to do in Vernon, the museum is a great option. And if you’re local, it’s worth revisiting—there’s more there than you might expect.
Helena artmann - life coach 
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