On-line Archive material at:
Phone: 250 546 - 8318
Open May 2 to December 30th, 2024 Tuesday to Saturday, 10:00 - 4:00 (Except Statutory Holidays) If you are coming a distance please call to ensure we have not had to close for unseen circumstances.
Monday 9:30 - 3:00 PM and Tuesday 9:30 - 12:00 PM
To make an appointment to meet with one of our archivists please call and leave a message or send an email by clicking on our contact button
We continue to accept books, puzzles, DVDs and CDs. They can be dropped off Tuesday to Saturday 10:00-4:00. Our Christmas Book Sale will begin Friday, November 29th and will run all of December.
Presents
The First World War’s 172nd Battalion Rocky Mountain Rangers (1916-1919)
Dates: Friday, June 17, 2022
Saturday, June 18, 2022
Time: 10:00 – 4:00 PM
Place: Armstrong Spallumcheen Museum & Gallery
3415 Pleasant Valley Road, Armstrong
Book Price: $20.00
Abstract
The 172nd Battalion (Bn.) of the Rocky Mountain Rangers was composed of volunteers, mainly drawn from the Okanagan-Mainline area. Their hope was that they would fight as what would much later be termed a “Band of Brothers”. Instead, the Bn. was dissolved when it reached England and the men were used as reinforcements. Well over 600 (more than a third of the total complement) were posted to four front-line battalions. More than fifty made their contribution in the forestry corps, while others served with the machine gun brigade, railway troops, pioneer battalions, and service corps or staff appointments.
The book tells their story, all-in-all, a microcosm of the Canadian Expeditionary Force.
In the early 1970’s residents of Armstrong found themselves powerless to save an historic building from being demolished. This event was the spark that led to the creation of the Armstrong Spallumcheen Historical Society, incorporated in 1974. In the beginning, the Society’s collection consisted mainly of historical photographs. Almost a decade later the City of Armstrong offered the Society space in part of a machine storage building. The Society opened a museum to the public in 1983. In 1988, with the help of a gift from Rusty Freeze, they expanded into the rest of the building and added an Art Gallery. At this time the name of the Society changed to the Armstrong Spallumcheen Museum and Arts Society. The museum and art gallery are the result of the dedication of the many volunteers from the community who continue to be active in it’s operation.
THE Armstrong Spallumcheen Museum and Art Gallery is located in historic downtown Armstrong. The first building on this site was moved from Lansdowne circa 1892 when most of that community relocated to Armstrong. In 1905 F.A. Clayton bought the existing blacksmith business. Over time he expanded the building. The business was later operated by his sons and gradually changed into a machine shop. It has also served as a storage facility, automobile garage and gas station. Since becoming a museum, the facility has been upgraded many times, Our renovations in 2011 included fresh paint, new signage, a timber frame entrance and a colonnade. We now have a brand new, but still historic, look for a favourite old building.
What we do at the Armstrong Spallumcheen Museum and Art Gallery:
Administrator: Lark Lindholm
Some items from our Archives are available at:
Tourist Information available at the Chamber of Commerce next door.
Annual Used Book Sale
Books accepted year around for our Sale. Drop books off whenever we are open or next door at the Chamber of Commerce during their business hours.
Affiliated Accomodation: hotelscombined.ca
