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Page last updated March 18, 2008

© Michael Kluckner

The McFarlane Farm, with its distinctive tobacco barn, at 3139 Benvoulin Road, built c. 1900, sketched in 2001.

In the Benvoulin Road/Okanagan Mission area of Kelowna there is still, in spite of huge population growth and suburbanization, agreat collection of historic farm buildings. Most significant are the Mission itself and the Carsorso farm from the 1880s. The former is aprovincial heritage site, while the latter is privately owned--I don't know what its future prospects are.

Tobacco growing by the Oblate Fathers of Okanagan Mission was noted by travellers as early as 1863, and had its heyday around thebeginning of the 20th century. Perhaps someone can add details on the life of the McFarlane family and on this property, which is one of adisappearing number of large holdings in the Benvoulin area.

(Historical information from Kelowna Heritage Resource Inventory, 1983, "Early Settlement and LandUse" section]


Note from Eleanor Bayliss: Do you happen to know anything about an old house just down from the old tobacco farm on Benvoulin Road in Kelowna, BC?  It was just across from Ramponee's, a 3 story house, attached is a photo of it from around 1960.  I used to live there and am trying to find out some history on it.

From Mark Tanner, 2011:  Re: Eleanor Bayliss's note above: this link, http://www.kelowna.ca/iHeritage/Scripts/
is a list of Kelowna heritage protected properties that she should start at because you cannot link directly to the webpage. The house in question is 3420-3430 Benvoulin Road - Brookdale/Renwick House. It is the 23rd listing down.

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Artwork and text ©Michael Kluckner, 2001, 2002, 2003