This is an archived event from Culture Days 2022.
Images
Moving Mountains: Conflict & Construction at Edgewood
Digital
Tour Self-guided History & heritageDate and time
This activity runs the duration of Culture Days.
Location
Virtual
Edgewood, BC
Access
Free.
Offered in English.
About
Nestled just above the shores of Lower Arrow Lake is the rural community of Edgewood, British Columbia. The most direct route to Edgewood Highway 6, which winds through the mountains from Vernon to Edgewood and takes a little under two hours to drive.
It may come as a surprise to learn that this scenic highway was built by men interned by the Canadian government during the First World War. The men mostly came from various parts of the Austro-Hungarian Empire, and were forced to labour under armed guard not for any crime they'd committed, but only because of the nation of their birth. While they worked they lived at an internment camp that was once located where Edgewood's baseball diamond is today. They were surrounded by barbed wire, abused and neglected by their captors, and threatened with a bullet in the back if they tried to escape.
This tour will cover the former Edgewood internment camp and explores the experiences of both those who suffered the hardship in the camp, and of the many who avoided internment only to face a grim reality outside the confines of the fence.
**Route**
The tour begins at the tri-lingual plaque at the entrance to the ball diamond just off of Killarney Crescent. To reach the ball diamond, take the small dirt road leading east off of Killarney Crescent about 30 meters south of where Killarney intersects with Granby Drive. From the plaque, the next six stops are contained in the baseball diamond. To reach Stop 8, return to Killarney Crescent and walk or drive north until you hit Cemetery Road. Take the next right onto Edgewood Road, where you will find the last four stops of the tour.
Links
- Website onthisspot.ca
- Download App apps.apple.com
Organizer
On This Spot
The On This Spot app takes people on guided walking tours through the history that surrounds them.
At each stop on their journey users will find themselves standing on the spot a historic photo was taken. They can view a then and now photo comparison, use the built in camera to create their own, and read about local history and how it ties into the broader human experience.
Based in Vancouver, On This Spot is working with heritage, tourism, and business organizations across Canada to expand the app's coverage.