After months of work and organization Homecoming 2014 burst into life on Friday with at least 1,500 people gathering to meet old friends, stroll nostalgically through the city and enjoy the first day’s events.
But why tell you about it, when we can show you what the first day of the weekend-event was like:
Karen Bennison of Kelowna and Laura Rooney of Revelstoke register as official Homecoming guests with Sheryl Wolgram as Bonnie Teed (back) looks on. Hundreds of people registered on Friday and more are expected to officially register their presence on Saturday, August 16. David F. Rooney photoFraser MacKay, Robbie Moore, Heather Duchman and Dennis Holdener were all ready for the nine-hold tournament at the Golf Club on Friday. David F. Rooney photoRobbie Moore tees off as his foursome partners look on. Moore and MacKay’s fathers were friends who served in the Second World War and later became a dentist and a doctor in post-war Revelstoke. David F. Rooney photoFriends met and yakked up a storm at the Social Tea held at the Seniors’ Centre on Friday afternoon. David F. Rooney photoRuth Boettger proudly shows off her home-made quilt that incorporated portraits of some of her ancestors. He can trace her line back to early 16th century England. David F. Rooney photoGertie Smith and Rosemary Tracy sleuthed out secrets of their families’ past. Genealoga is a pastime that many people enjoy. “It tells you who you are and where you came from,” Gertie said. David F. Rooney photoLisa Fik (center) tells Angela Waterson what she liked most about Angela’s special Homecoming-themed window display at Escape Within. “I’ve received a lot of comments about it,” Angela said. Lisa was most enthusiastic about the wedding photos of local newlyweds taken back in the 1920s and ’30s. David F. Rooney photoPat McMechan of the Forest Workers Society inspects the frame for the log-birling tank that he and other birling competitors will become very familiar with during Saturday’s Timber Days events at Centennial Park. Birling, if you’re unfamiliar with the term, is also called log-rolling or log-dancing. David F. Rooney photoRevelstoke Museum & Archives’ Curator Cathy English (left) welcomes visitors to the opening of the museum’s small First World War exhibit about the men who went off to fight for their king and empire. Most of us have probably seen the names of Revelstoke’s dead on the plaque unveiled at the Provincial Courthouse by then-Prince Edward in 1919, but Cathy’s husband Ken burrowed through ancient newspaper microfiche spools and other documents to create a human portrait of those long-dead men. David F. Rooney photoKen English poses with the Book of Remembrance he created to breathe new life into the shades of the city’s First World War dead. David F. Rooney photoMayor David Raven welcomes visitors to the museum who attended to hear Ken English talk about the men who enlisted to serve in the First World War. They thought it would be a brief and glorious affair with few casualties, but rapidly learned that modern war is brutal, mechanistic and absolutely indifferent to the individual outcomes of people. Almost 20 million people died in the four-year conflict, including 67,000 here in Canada. In some countries an entire generation of young men was wiped out. France alone, for instance, lost 2 million men. David’s grandfather was one of those boys who lied to enlist at the age of 16 but the military took him anyway. “It was very clear from his enlistment papers that he had lied,” he said. They boy came back a man who had not only been been shot and wounded five times in his face, shoulder, arm, leg and hand but one who had seen far too much death. David F. Rooney photoKen English (right) gave a very interesting talk about Revelstoke’s contribution to the war. Our city was the third most important centre in the Interior after Kamloops and Nelson. It was never the same afterwards. Twenty percent of the City’s male population went off to fight. Many died, some survived and 25 disappeared completely. Ken’s meticulous research introduces us to the men who were sent off by huge crowds and who were forever changed by their experiences. David F. Rooney photoHappy toddler Maggie Johnston spent the first day of Homecoming with her mom, Gwen, welcoming people who wandered into Castle Joe Books and Art Supplies. David F. Rooney photoIt’s very early in the evening of Homecoming’s first evening and Mackenzie Avenue was jammed with people from Victoria Road to Second Street. David F. Rooney photoThe Vintage Car Club’s Homecoming Show ‘n’ Shine attracted a lot of people downtown. David F. Rooney photoMaritime Kitchen Party’ Steve Smith, Shannon Sternloff and Trevor Wallach kept the crowd mightily entertained at Grizzly Plaza on Friday. David F. Rooney photoOld friends meet up in front of The Roxy. Renewing life-long friendships and acquaintances is one of the most valuable and enchanting aspects of Homecoming. David F. Rooney photoMarilyn Parkin smiles as she is caught on camera waiting for husband Andy who has just ambled off to get an ice cream cone. David F. Rooney photoParks Canada’s Michelle Cole (left) and Hailey Christie-Hoyle created some nifty temporary tattoos for children at Grizzly Plaza as the next youngsters in line watched the process intently. David F. Rooney photoKip Holloway gazes upon the gleaming engine of this car as he heeds the owner’s admonition to “Look But Don’t Touch!” David F. Rooney photoBrian Sumner (left) offered up the old-style comfort of a fireside chat at the BC Interior Forestry Museum for those who didn’t want to deal with the downtown crowds. David F. Rooney photoWalsh and Eldyn Pauls toast marshmallows at the fire pit under their mom’s watchful eye. David F. Rooney photoMusic at the beer garden was provided by the 45 Minutes Band, who performed not for just three-quarters of an hour but from 9 until midnight. David F. Rooney photoThe Rotary Club beer garden saw a lot of action on Friday evening. No doubt many of the people in this image were feeling a tad blurry. David F. Rooney photo
