It is July and as my thoughts turned to the cherry harvest this year and I immediately remembered the town of Keremeos, the fruit stand capital of BC.
Located on Highway 3 in South Central BC, 40 minutes south of Penticton, Keremeos has an approximate population of 1200. This delightful little village is a wonderful place to visit and another good place to pick up your annual canning supplies. Keremeos was originally the site of the Hudson Bay Company, which in 1860 transferred its stock and personnel from the American Territory. In 1870, the post was closed and the Keremeos Post Office opened in 1879. Although originally inhabited by hopeful gold-miners, the miners moved east towards Hedley where there were valuable gold claims. However, Keremeos possessed another kind of treasure, rich soil which eventually led farmers to grow apples and soft fruit in abundance.
While in Keremeos, one should take the time to visit the Keremeos Grist Mill and gardens. Originally built in 1877, the mill was used to grind the grain of those travelling the Dewdney Trail. Recently, the original building and mill have been carefully restored and have become part of the British Columbia Heritage Trust. A visit includes a tour and demonstrations of the mill given by guides in period costume. Another heritage building in Keremeos that is worth visiting is the Similkameen Museum. The building was originally a BC Provincial Police station and jail. The jail cell is still there to see as well as household and mining equipment a photo display and maps of the area. Each year the Ashnola Pow-Wow is held. Bringing together many people from the US and Canada, visitors are encouraged to take part and view the many cultural exhibits, food and craft displays. While researching this article, I discovered a great little website for garlic lovers everywhere! KeremeosGarlic.com provides a bunch of great garlic recipes and also is a source of seeds and garlic plants. Of course no article about British Columbia is complete without some information about nearby parks and wilderness areas. Surrounding Keremeos are four provincial parks and two "protected areas". Cathedral Lakes Provincial Park, lies within the alpine meadows and peaks of the Okanagan Range of the Cascade Mountains. One has to hike in but it is worth it for the scenery alone. Closer to the road is
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