Times-Chronicle Staff

It’s hard to imagine the bank manager of CIBC in Fairview often waking up to a blanket of snow on his bed because of large cracks in the wall.

Those were the old days in 1920 when the bank was first established in the Oliver community.

Now the banking institution is 100 years old and celebrating a century of service here.

According to bank archives, the CIBC was the only bank between Penticton and Oroville, WA.

First located across the Okanagan River, it was moved once a site for the Town of Oliver was determined. It was a small but cozy building, with one small bedroom, a large living room, a manager’s office and the banking quarters.

Apparently, there was no outer door to the living room, but access through the window was quite common.

The building seemed to have the ability to attract and retain heat during the summer; temperatures often climbed higher inside than out.

Sand blown in through the many cracks would cover open books and quickly dry uncovered ink wells.

 

CIBC’s first manager in 1920 was J.M. Kent.
(Photo contributed)

Icy cold air would whistle in during the winter, and the banker would often wake to find a fine blanket of snow across his bed.

There was no plumbing of any kind, not even an outhouse.

Gerald Ledger, a teller (or “bank boy” as recognized by the locals) recalled some ablutions (act of washing oneself) were performed thanks to a free-standing water tap about half-way along the block to the south. But “mercifully” facilities were available at the Oliver Hotel.

Back in those days, according to Ledger, the branch’s equipment included two revolvers and a supply of ammunition (to protect against robbers). The standing instructions were to keep the firearms clean and operational, and the ammunition fresh.

Occasionally, Ledger would go camping up Mclntrye Creek to ensure the good working order of this equipment.

In 1936 the bank building was sold and moved in several pieces to the Acre Lots where it became someone’s home.

Four months later the new bank opened for business. The modern architecture took a bit to adjust to but was considered neat in appearance and style.

A well-equipped vault and a staff room suitable for the accommodation of two officers were among the noteworthy improvements.

Special consideration went into insulating the building to keep out the windy winters, and more particularly, the intense heat of the summer.

The rest, as they say, is history.