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History of Salmon Arm Salmon Arm officially began in 1890, when residents successfully petitioned the federal government for a post office. That year the province sent a man to oversee construction of a road from the Valley to the CPR station and a bridge over the Salmon River. Salmon Arm attracted serious attention as a fruit-growing city as early as 1904, when the farmers’ institute sponsored well received exhibits at both Kamloops and New Westminster. Hudson’s Bay Company capped the effort by displaying the entire local display in the windows of its Vancouver store. Formal local government came May 15,1905 with the proclamation of Salmon Arm Municipality, after a majority of residents signed a petition advocating incorporation. The following year Mrs. Agnes McGuire created the first townsite subdivision on 12 acres. In the summer of 1945 the province conducted a survey, which resulted in a suggestion that local domestic and irrigation interests merge. The 1950s saw lumber and plywood manufacturing take up some slack in the local economy, as former fruitlands yielded to small holdings and residential subdivisions. Tourism was starting to take off and Salmon Arm was becoming known as a desirable retirement centre. The school distract also emerged as a major employer. |
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