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Page last updated May 17, 2010

"Tranquille" is the old King Edward VII tuberculosis sanatorium on the north side of Kamloops Lake west of Kamloops. It is a fascinating collection of buildings, established, I think, in 1911 by the provincial government--the same McBride government, with Henry Esson Young as minister of health, that created the mental hospital Essondale, now known as Riverview, in Coquitlam). It was very much a self-contained agrarian community, with its own power-generating system, in its early years. The dozens of buildings dotted around it are in the styles typical of government architecture from the 1910s through the 1950s. The CNR mainline crosses in the foreground. 2004: The property has been sold, as I understand it, to Ed Nielsen who is exploring redevelopment/resort/retention opportunities. 2009: Ed Nielsen has been dead for a number of years now. Proper contact info would be directed to Troy Blysma at 250-318-6500 or Tim McLeod at 403-709-0032 or at the official website at http://www.tranquille.ca/ Notes from Marilyn Bueckert in Ashcroft [2008] about researching former Tranquille residents: First of all, Darie Collins in the Cemetery Department in Kamloops is a very helpful lady as is Elizabeth Duckworth at the Kamloops Museum. The Cemetery was moved from the Provincial Home site (Tranquille) in the early 1960s.  Unfortunately the provincial government was not that careful with its records. The bodies were reburied in two long trenches in their coffins in the adjoining Old Mans' Cemetery at 6th and Douglas in Kamloops.  That is the northwest corner of the cemetery.  This was apparently for the poor and unclaimed persons.  Not very nice, is it?  Individual graves are not marked and there is no record of who is buried actually, in each spot.  The city is planning to build a memorial wall at some point and for $400 you can put the person's name on a memorial plaque. An intriguing set of photos about Tranquille: www.urbantekniques.com:80/tranquil.htm A search link that will help to connect with official Tranquille correspondence: http://search.bcarchives.gov.bc.ca/ Note from Lynn Gilderdale-Turmel, 2010: I found your site very interesting. I would like to tour around the TranQuille centre and will one day. My brother went to the TranQuille centre for the mentally handicap, Wally Gilderdale. My grandfather was a prospector on TranQuille creek (Fredrick Gilderdale) Rattlesnake claim. He then supposedly went to the Old Man's Home in Kamloops. He died and was buried on the hill in Kamloops BC. My grandfather Harry Seymour Stumbles had claims near Graigmont mines (Merritt BC) I've been searching information on my grandfathers and have found interesting stuff. Connecting my heritage. Note from Gary S.A. Haslam, 2009: I wanted to thank you immensely for the article you did on Tranquille - King George VII TB Sanatorium. I had relatives that were institutionalized there for many years, including my grandfather, Victor George Haslam, back about early 1920s. He was my father's father. I am still trying to confirm the dates he was there.   Also, my great-grandfather, E. Hugh McMillan, died in the "Provincial Home" in Kamloops on September 18, 1919 (1919-09-252533), which I though was just a home for seniors who were down and out, poor and homeless, mostly former pioneers and prospectors. Now I read that the Provincial Home Cemetery was actually Tranquille. Hugh McMillan was my father's mother's father (Victor's father-in-law). Now I am left thinking that perhaps Hugh had TB too. They all lived together in Agassiz and Harrison Hot Springs.   It is most regrettable, unfortunate, annoying, and disgraceful that "no" records of any kind have survived. That is no records regarding the patients at Tranquille/King George Sanatorium or the Provincial Home, or for the funeral home that handled the burials in the Provincial Home Cemetery, or for the Provincial Government who were supposed to manage and oversee the Cemetery Records as it was operated by the Province, and the local Kamloops Government that was responsible for the bodies that were desecrated and relocated. I think they just dug up a bunch of bones and threw them all into a long pit, and said that was that, all in the absence of any records or documentation. Can you tell such disregard for the elderly, fellow human beings, frustrates me?   I would be eager to learn of any other articles you may have done on this subject matter, or good resources for information. Thank you for doing the story and caring about this matter.   Note from Melody George, 2009: I'm wondering if you have come across any records for a Bud Anderton (Anderson?) who died of tuberculosis in Tranquille sometime in the forties. His wife's name was Florence Anna, maiden name Van Atter (my mother) Any information you might have would be appreciated. I believe he was a First Nations man. Note from Lindsay Harris, Barriere, 2008: I am a descendent of the Cooneys who once lived out at Tranquille.  Do you have any information about the Cooneys?  The most I have been able to find was a book written by Eric Norfolk called "Cooney and his Clan"  My Grandmother used to have a binder full of information on the Cooneys but unfortunatly it was destroyed when her house burnt down in the 2003 wildfires that occured in our area.  Apparently we were descended from one of Cooneys sons and a native women from the Lilloet area.  They were probably never married legally and there is no records of her that we have ever been able to find.  Any help or information that you could provide would be great.  My spouse is from a very strong scottish culture and his family heritage has inspired me to research mine as not much is known about it. Note from Tina M. Allen re: Thomas George Kingcote, 2008: The above party, my great-grandfather, was a patient off and on (mostly on) from 1918 or 1919 until just before his death in 1935.  I also am looking for old photographs of the sanitorium and in particular any of the patients, hoping that he may be in one of them.  He left Ireland in 1907 and was the postmaster at Little Fort from 1913 to 1918. I have not seen any pictures of him newer than 1900.  His son, my grandfather, John Kingscote, was the stationary engineer there, while his wife, Christine May Kingscote was a patient, I think in the early '30's.  If there is a website or message board on previous patients that you are aware of, would you please let me know. Note from Melinda Iverson: I am wondering if you have any idea how I would get OLD information on my deceased ancestory who (according to my information) spent 12 years at Tranquille, ending in 1941. His name was Frederick "Fred" Maxwell GRIFFIN b. April 15 1890 d. March 1941 He passed away in March of 1941 and is my great grandfather, his son and my grandfather (Edward Joseph GRIFFIN) has also passed away and my mother Madeleine Melanie Myrtle GRIFFIN, does not know very much information that can help me. We do know that he was in a Sanatarium that had an extensive farming facility and "practically ran the farm...". I guess he had a gift for farming. Do you know who I could contact to access the archives of Tranquille and confirm his admittance and attain copies of his medical records???

A Gowen-Sutton postcard from c. 1915. Thanks to Rob Skinner of Pescadero, California, for sending it along.

The King Edward VII sanatorium at Tranquille--photo from British Columbia Magazine, June 1912

2010: Roy Christopherson sent in this photo of Tranquille from his collection. It must be a very early part of the sanatorium, or else one of the secondary buildings.