[Bcma-l] News Release: History of the K.L.O. Benches

[bcma-l@museumsassn.bc.ca]

-------- Original Message --------
Subject: 	News Release:
Date: 	Thu, 5 Mar 2009 15:49:17 -0800
From: 	Risti Nykiforuk <RNykiforuk@kelownamuseums.ca>



*news release*

_For Immediate Release_

March 5, 2009

*New Book on the History of the K. L. O. Benches Published by the 
Kelowna Museums with a BC150 Heritage Legacy Fund Grant*

*- Public Book Launch on Saturday, March 21*

In 1910, Thomas Leslie (T. L.) Gillespie left his prairie law practice 
and moved to Kelowna to become an orchardist. For the next roughly 
twenty years he grew tree fruit for the expanding Canadian and British 
markets – one year of his Mac apples took first prize for the British 
Empire. When he sold his orchard on the K. L. O. Benches in the late 
1920s and returned to Britain, he wrote a wonderful reminiscence of his 
times in Kelowna’s pioneer days.

/History of the K. L. O. Benches: Their Tragedies and Comedies/ is T. L. 
Gillespie’s typescript and it has been edited and introduced by Wayne 
Wilson, Executive Director of the Kelowna Museums. Wilson comments: 
“This insightful and sensitive (and sometimes humourous) look at pioneer 
life lets every reader share Gillespie’s keen sense of observation on 
topics as varied as Ogopogo, irrigation development, early fruit 
marketing efforts, hunting and much more. Throughout the text, 
Gillespie’s wonderful writing style shows a sharp eye and reveals his 
love of Kelowna’s K. L. O. Benches and its pioneer personalities.”

The Kelowna Museums Society received funding to publish Gillespie’s 
memoir chronicling the history of the K.L.O. Benches, thanks to a BC150 
Heritage Legacy Fund Grant. Two thousand copies will be published for 
distribution in museums and book stores

There will be two book launch events. On Thursday, March 19 there will 
be a private, invitation-only book launch at the Ridge Restaurant at 
Kelowna Land & Orchard followed by a public book launch on Saturday at 
McCulloch Station Pub. Several copies of /History of the K. L. O. 
Benches/ will be given away during the public book launch event.

/History of the K. L. O. Benches: Their Tragedies and Comedies/

Public Book Launch

Saturday, March 21, 2009

McCulloch Station Pub, 2789 K.L. O. Road

1:00 p.m. – 3:00 p.m.

Copies of /History of the K. L. O. Benches/ will be available for 
purchase at the public book launch and afterwards at the Okanagan 
Heritage Museum gift shop for $12.95.

For more information please call 250-763-2417 or visit 
www.KelownaMuseums.ca <http://www.kelownamuseums.ca/>.

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Contact:

Risti Nykiforuk

Marketing & Special Events Coordinator

Kelowna Museums

250-763-2417 ext 22

Events@KelownaMuseums.ca <mailto:Events@KelownaMuseums.ca>