Penticton Aquatic Club
The Penticton Aquatic Club was a boathouse, social centre, and clubhouse for aquatic activities in Penticton, British Columbia. Built in 1913 at the foot of Winnipeg Street by Okanagan Lake, it became an important part of Penticton summer life. It was perhaps best known for its annual Aquatic Regatta Day, which featured a variety of activities including a war canoe race. The building was demolished in 1952. The Club's four war canoes are undergoing restoration: one of them is a display at the S.S. Sicamous Heritage Park.
Role
After the construction of the Incola Hotel in 1912, Penticton's beaches became increasingly attractive both to locals and to summer visitors. The Aquatic Club was built by Okanagan Lake in 1913 to cater for their appetite for enjoying summer activities by and in its waters. An ancillary clubhouse was erected on the beach of Skaha Lake. A notable member of the Club was John Power, a Penticton pioneer and an enthusiastic contributor to his community: he served as the Club's president, and organized many of its successful regattas.Events
During the year, the Aquatic Club often held teas and dances. In particular, the lawn tennis club held dances at the Aquatic Club in the summer. These were open to public for 50 cents admission, including refreshments and live music played by club members. As one member recounts, “Without doubt they enjoyed themselves fox-trotting, doing the Charleston or waltzing as the cool evening air wafted in from the lake.”The Aquatic Club’s most celebrated event was the annual Aquatic Regatta Day in July. The morning featured diving and swimming contests for boys and girls in different age groups, followed by diving, swimming, canoeing, sailing, tub and barrel racing, motor boat racing, and canoe jousting competitions for teens and adults in the afternoon. Other activities included a bathing beauty parade, decorated boat parade, surf boarding, and aquatic clown contests for men and women. However, the highlight of day was the War Canoe race. 15 people teams from Penticton, Kelowna, Summerland, and Peachland raced down Okanagan Lake, paddling in a 30-foot war canoe for about one kilometre to compete for the Robinson Cup. A band performed at 7:30pm, followed by dancing and live music from 9pm to morning.