Italian Family PICNICS

Kelowna’s early Italian families worked hard but, by the 1920s, they often used Sundays to take a break from their usual routine.  Their love of nature and foraging off the land were often combined when they would join other families for Sunday picnics. They would gather at the bocce lane at the Italian hall or at a family home. Fishing was also a favourite pass time on Sunday afternoons, in places such as Joe Rich and Canyon Creek.  Cars were scarce so most times they would jump aboard the back of a farm truck and make their way to Shuswap Falls, Polson Park in Vernon or the Summerland Experimental Station.  

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Some picnics were up in the hills where mushroom and berry picking were common activities while  fishing in the creeks. Families also found Joe Rich a favourite spot to picnic.

Other picnics were at the Italian Hall or at friends’ homes.

The Quirico family lived next door to the Italian Hall (corner Casorso Road and Gordon Drive).  On bocce tournament days, they would use both the hall lane and the lane at the Quirico house.

Probably the largest picnic gathering was in 1938 at the Italian Hall.

​Many of these picnicking families are featured in this year’s collection of First Family Stories.  They are the first generation descendants of Italian immigrants and they were all born between 1920 and 1939. 

Also in our collection are: our 2019 stories: Kelowna Families Arriving Before 1919, our 2020 stories: Families Arriving Before 1939, our 2021 stories: Families Arriving Before 1959 and our 2022 stories: The 1966 Founding Members of the Kelowna Canadian Italian Club.

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