In discovering May 23 is, in fact, World Turtle Day, The Morning Star is highlighting a historical photo from the Museum and Archives of Vernon’s records involving our shelled friends.
A photo from 1920: showing “Turtle Head” and Cosens Bay on Kalamalka Lake as taken from the southwest 104 years ago, in 1920.
Turtle Head bears a very strong resemblance to what most North Okanagan residents know as Rattlesnake Point.
“I’ve lived here essentially all of my life and I can’t recall anybody ever referring to that landmark as anything beside Rattlesnake Point,” said Morning Star reporter Roger Knox, who showed the picture to fellow Vernonite, editor Jennifer Smith.
Knox asked her to identify the landmark.
“Rattlesnake Point,” said Smith without hesitation.
It’s possible, of course, that Smith and Knox weren’t around when the land was known as Turtle Head, and that at some point, a name change – official or otherwise – took place.
No matter which reptile is involved, it’s still a gorgeous piece of land to look at.
