Summer at the Kelowna Aquatic
I have many fond memories about my time at the Aquatic . . . the busiest place in Kelowna during the summer.
Alice de Pfyffer Lundy
Summer, when I was young living in Kelowna, it was warm, actually very sunny and hot. So what did we do all summer long? I was fortunate. I was able to spend my time at the Aquatic, learning to swim and then going on to teach lifeguarding and synchronized swimming.
Starting in August of 1909, the first “amateur” Regatta was held. There was $750 in cups and prizes. By the 1940s and ’50s, the Regatta had grown to over 50 trophies in the diving, swimming, rowing, war canoe and hydroplane events.
Ribbons were given for first, second, and third in each event.
Competitors came from all over Canada and the Pacific northwest to enter in the swimming, diving, rowing and war canoe events put on during the day.
In 1931, the first Lady of the Lake competition of the local bathing beauties took place.
By the 1940s, an evening pageant show was held.
Mrs. Logie was one of the ladies who wrote and directed a few of these pageants.
Unfortunately, these pageants went by the wayside after the Aquatic burned down.
They still have the Lady of Lake competitions, but it is not the same as they are held away from the lake and at different venues.
In 1947, Bolinda Tylor started a synchronized swim group of eight girls. I felt very privileged to be asked to join this group of girls.
In 1949, Margaret Hutton came up from California to teach synchronized swimming.
Margaret had been teaching the synchronized swimming to the likes of Ester Williams for the movies. The first year we had a group of 24 girls.
In 1951, the Regatta went from two days to three days and then eventually to four days.
The Aquatic during those years was a very lively place indeed. Swim races, diving exhibitions, boat races, war canoe races, rowing races, entertainment by out-oftown bands, and of course the local clown divers and apple box races.
For many years, Jim Panton, one of the announcers, kept the crown abreast of what was going on in the pool and in the open water.
The nightly shows were spectacular — Lady of the Lake pageant the first night and local entertainment and synchronized swimming on the second, third, and fourth nights.
At one time, our Regatta was considered the biggest fresh water show in B.C. and probably Canada.
As a lifeguard, we put on a mini aquacade every Tuesday evening. This included swim races, war canoe and rowing races, water skiing, diving and clown diving and other entertainment.
George Athens and his wife, Irene, came to Kelowna in 1950 and in 1951 the Athens Tower was built.
George was a British Empire games diving champion and several diving athletes came to Kelowna to train under him.
In 1954, the British Empire Games were held in Vancouver and Dr. Athens was able to convince some of the divers to come to Kelowna and perform in our Tuesday night aquacade.
In August, we had the Junior Regatta for competitors from the Okanagan. At this event, we even had a Man of the Lake competition.
Generally the competitors who entered the competition had to put on a skit and the best skit won the competitions.
I don’t remember, but I think at one time there was a trophy presented to the winners.
I can remember one of the skits put on by the war canoe club was of a king being carried in on a bed with his entourage spraying the spectators with perfumed water.
If I remember correctly, my brother Bob was the one with the garden spray bottle.
Summer time for me as a young person was a gift to be able to enjoy and also work at the Aquatic.
I have many fond memories about my time at the Aquatic — swimming, teaching, Regatta, Junior Regatta and the many other events that took place while I was involved at the busiest place in Kelowna during the summer. Alice de Pfyffer Lundy was born and raised in Kelowna. She was a member of the first kindergarten class of the Immaculate Catholic Church. She attended elementary and high school in Kelowna and graduated from (KHS) Kelowna High School in 1953. Lundy has been instrumental in organizing their six school reunions, lunches and annual picnics. She was on the committee that published Kelowna Street Names and their origins.
This article is part of a series, submitted by the Kelowna Branch, Okanagan Historical Society.