Happy Valley

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2358.0029: Happy Valley, on slopes of Kootenay Columbia Mountain

Happy Valley, on slopes of Kootenay Columbia Mountain, circa 1939.

Happy Valley Orchard

Historical Name: Happy Valley Orchard
Common Name: Happy Valley Orchard
Location: below Kootenay Columbia Mountain, east of downtown Rossland
Date of Construction: circa 1910

 

The Rossland Progressive Association

The Rossland Progressive Association was formed in 1910 to promote the growth and stability of the City of Rossland and for “the purpose of assisting the City’s general welfare.” Among other things, it was successful in getting the Department of Agriculture to establish an experimental fruit orchard in Rossland. The remains of that orchard still exist on the north slope of the Happy Valley area.

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Rossland’s Happy Valley fruits were displayed and sampled at the 1907 London agricultural show and the 1910 Canadian National Apple Show. In the 21st century, the Happy Hills Farm in Happy Valley used to host an annual apple press event, a celebration of Rossland’s bountiful fruit trees and a community gathering to welcome in Autumn.

 

Jensen’s Dairy - Happy Valley Road

“My father, Eger Asle Palm JENSEN, came to Canada in 1927 followed a year later by my mother, Jenny Andrea, with my two older brothers Eger and Peter. My father worked as a carpenter building the “Ghost River Dam”, outside of Calgary and they lived in a tent until they moved to trail where my father took a job pulling zinc in the CM&S (Cominco) Tank Rooms.

The opportunity came up to buy a farm in Rossland and so my parents and Oly Haukaas and his family, moved to Rossland on the 5 1/2 Acre farm. Their plans were to grow potatoes but after one year the Haukaas’ moved and my parents began a dairy farm with the boys delivering milk from a canvass bag on their way to school.

The farm started with one cow, pigs, chickens and several fruit trees. They sold eggs,and the large orchard produced many varieties of apples, pears, cherries, plums, raspberries, strawberries with my parents taking orders up to a year in advance.”
— Written by Jean (Jensen) Gresley-Jones
The Rossland Miner - October 2nd, 1912

The Rossland Miner - October 2nd, 1912

Farms, Gardens, and Orchards

  • Peters Farm – north end of Reservoir (raspberries)

  • Chinese Gardens – south end in Rossland

  • Experimental Apple Orchard – north-east corner of Happy Valley

  • Mater Mis Hospital Orchard – Columbia Ave. & Georgia St.

  • Espenhain Nursery – Georgia Street, near hospital, c. 1930’s & 1940’s

  • Le Sargent Garden – below Thompson Avenue, c. 1930 & 1940

  • Lucin Garden – below Hwy. 3B on 2nd Avenue

Rossland Dairies

  • Alf Endersby Dairy –  present site of Mountain View Cemetery

  • Jensen Dairy – Happy Valley

  • Vetere Dairy – Happy Valley

  • Watson Dairy – Happy Valley

  • Berg/L’Ecluse/Longstaff/Doratti Dairy – Happy Valley

  • Ed Roach – lower Rossland

  • Plim Drake Dairy – Southbelt

  • Jack Drake Dairy – Southbelt

  • Spring/Dougan Dairy – Durham Addition

  • Millett/Glover Dairy – Durham Addition

  • French Dairy – Durham Addition

  • John Holm Dairy – Durham Addition

  • Letoria Dairy  – Paterson

  • Dimock Dairy - Paterson

  • Cox/Smith/Hooch-Antink Dairy – Paterson

 

For More Information:

 

Contribute your own memories/experiences of/in Happy Valley or with Rossland’s Dairies or Agricultural history:

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