House built by Osoyoos B.C. pioneer in 1882 being demolished
Two-storey, 10-room log home was built on the east side of Osoyoos Lake by John Carmichael Haynes in 1882
The South Okanagan is losing a piece of its history as the new owner of the Haynes home on Lakeshore Drive in Osoyoos is demolishing the 134-year-old house.
In 1878, South Okanagan pioneer John Carmichael Haynes started constructing the 2-storey, 10-room house on the east side of Osoyoos Lake, according to Osoyoos Museum executive director Kara Burton.
"Material had to be transported from the Postill sawmill north of present-day Kelowna to Penticton, then made into a raft on Skaha Lake, portaged around Okanagan Falls and brought down the Okanagan River to Osoyoos Lake," Burton said.
The home was completed in 1882 and featured a wide veranda wrapping around the entire structure.
Osoyoos resident George Fraser grew up in the home. His grandfather purchased the Haynes house and surrounding orchard in 1917 and Fraser moved into the home with his parents in 1945.
"As I was growing up, I remembered it as just an ordinary farm house," he said. "I wasn't aware of its uniqueness until many years later when I started to get interested in the history of the place."
Fraser's family sold the house in the 1990s.
The structure was never designated a heritage home, although Fraser tried unsuccessfully to have it removed from it from the Agriculture Land Reserve so that it could be preserved separately as a museum.
The property was recently purchased by a new owner, who is demolishing the house.
"I think it is a shame." said Fraser. "History disappears when you destroy buildings like that. We are a young country and if we keep destroying our history, I think we lose a bit of our own identity."
CBC news was not able to reach the new owner of the property.
