Princeton’s Dominion Day, 1924

One hundred years ago, Princeton celebrated Canada Day, or Dominion Day, as a big event in a small community. Baseball, tennis, foot and horse races were the highlight of the occasion, followed by a community dance at the International Order of Odd Fellows Hall.

Planning began May 22, 1924, with the meeting of the Princeton Athletic and Racing Association in the parish hall. The public were invited as “Dominion Day sports will be discussed.” [1]

On the day of the big event, as reported by the Similkameen Star, residents of Blakeburn, Coalmont and Hedley all motored to Princeton to take in the activities. Through some bit of miscommunication, by and large, the residents of Keremeos failed to participate. [2]

The July 3^rd, 1924 edition [3] of the Princeton Star devoted more than a full column in the newspaper in its reporting. The Star felt the celebrations were “the best that has been witnessed …for several years.”

TENNIS TOURNAMENT

Despite what was advertised, the tennis tournament actually led off the day’s events, and was held in the morning, presumably because of the expected intense heat. In the doubles competition, Keremeos won against Princeton in two straight sets. The singles competition between Smith of Princeton and Purvis of Keremeos was won “in a gruelling contest” by Purvis, 10-9. By afternoon, the newspaper reported, “both players reached a stage bordering on collapse.” The tennis courts were newly developed in 1923 and near the train station.[4]

BASEBALL

Baseball opened the afternoon at the Princeton Race Track with two local “feather-weight” teams. This recreation facility was located at the current airport grounds until the end of 1932. The older boys were up next and “some splendid baseball was dished up.”

The winning team: Captain & pitcher, Teddy Burr; Pitcher, Pete Pesut; 1st base, Clifford Avery; 2nd base, Everett French; 3rd base, Bill David; Short-stop, John Darragh; Outfielders, John Howarth, Tom Lindsay, and Harold David.

ATHLETIC SPORTS (a.k.a. FOOT RACES)

220 yards: Dave Shearer; 100 yards: J.B. McEvoy; Boys under 16: E. Popvitch; Girls under 16: M. Brown; Boys under 13: K. Garrison; Girls under 13: May David.

The “married ladies’ foot race” was won by Mrs. Similvanich of Blakeburn.

HORSE RACES

A string of horse were brought in for the horse-racing and this “created some lively competition.” The “Free for All” had five contestants. Four finished with Alf Gotterez, winning the $25.00 first-place prize. The quarter-mile had four entries. Miss Ferrol Sellers handily won by two-lengths on “Sleepy Jim” a horse  owned by George Allison.

The highlight of the racing, though, was the turnstake race. There were so many entries that it had to be run in three heats. Chrisman won, with Charters, and Woods in second and third place.

MUSIC

Music during the day’s events was provided by the Coalmont piper’s band.

DANCE

The dance was actually a fund-raising event for the Princeton General Hospital. It was held at the Oddfellow’s Hall in the evening. Music was supplied by a 4-piece orchestra “consisting of Harry Knighton on the piano, W. Daly on the violin. Albert Butler on the drums and George Almas, banjo.”

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Canada Day wasn’t always Canada Day. It has its origins in the British North America Act of July 1, 1867. A year later, the Governor General, Lord Monck, signed a proclamation (June 20, 1868) which requested all Her Majesty Queen Victoria’s subjects across Canada celebrate July 1.

It wasn’t a statutory holiday until Royal Assent was given on May 15, 1879 to “An Act to make the first day of July a Public Holiday by the name of Dominion Day.” Fast forward one hundred or so years and the annual celebratory event was renamed “Canada Day” by the Liberal government on October 27, 1982.

In recent years, questions have arisen regarding how July 1 should be marked, especially through a lens that explores Canada’s colonization and oppression of Indigenous people.