Light Industry Archives | Page 4 of 4 | Applebox Belles: The Women of Lake Country’s Packinghouses

The packing line at the Vernon Fruit Union, Winfield, early 1940s

As each packer completed her pack she stamped her number on the end of the box. This formed the basis for payment.

Packing School Certificate

Certificate issued to M. Cochrane at the Vernon packing school, August 5, 1918.

The sorting line at the Vernon Fruit Union, Winfield, early 1940s

The belles normally worked ten hours a day. Sorters were paid by the hour, earning less than $15 per week.

Bluebird brand apple box label

The Bluebird brand was packed at the Seaton packinghouse in Winfield.

Winoka Cooperative Exchange packing box end and box stamp

The Okanagan Centre packinghouse was operated by the Winoka Cooperative Exchange from 1948 to the early 1960s.

Kelowna Farmer’s Exchange packing school, 1914

The first packing school available to local women ran a class in the winter of 1914 at the Kelowna Grower’s Exchange packinghouse. Packing schools operated in the Okanagan […]

Women at work in the Woodsdale packinghouse, 1944

Grandmothers Helping to Pack Fruit Crop Grandmothers, schoolgirls and housewives have joined forces at Kelowna to play a big role in this year’s bumper apple crop. Clad in […]

Okanagan Centre packinghouse, 1950

The Okanagan Centre packinghouse extended on pilings over Okanagan Lake, where apples were loaded directly onto barges.

The Okanagan Valley Land Company, 1910

The Okanagan Valley Land Company planted thousands of acres of orchards in Lake Country. The main office was located near the wharf in Okanagan Centre.

Winsome Winnie Winfield

Winnie Draper Heyworth Interview September 21st, 2015. Winnie Draper was born in Glenella, Manitoba July 27th, 1916. Her family moved to Winfield, British Columbia in 1926. Winnie began […]