Okanagan Building & Trading Co. Factory
Place Description
The Okanagan Building & Trading Company Factory is situated on a large corner lot at Ellis Street and Coronation Avenue in the north end of downtown Kelowna, among other structures that recall the city’s industrial origins. Distinguishing features of this historic landmark include its board-formed concrete construction, a low-pitched, side-gabled roof with flanking lower roofs on either side of the building, and large double garage doors that denote the entrance to the shop. Other structures on the site support the industrial function.
Heritage Value
The Okanagan Building & Trading Company Factory is significant as a symbol of industrial activities in Kelowna. Constructed in 1920, this factory was built to accommodate the Okanagan Building & Trading Company, developed by the wood-working business of Butler & Small, who were previously located on Lawrence Avenue. Butler & Small remained active managers of the business, until 1928 when the factory was sold to Samuel T. Elliott, a local car and implement dealer. In 1941, the site was taken over by the Kelowna Machine Shop, formed in 1932 by George Sexsmith and Arthur Orphield Brunette to provide manufacturing services to local farms, sawmills and other industries. The name was subsequently changed to the Kelowna Machine Works around 1960 and then again in 1967 to the Monashee Manufacturing Corporation Ltd, which continues to exist and operate today.
The massive rectangular structure, with regular banks of fenestration and tall central height make this structure a landmark in downtown Kelowna. One of the largest industrial structures built in Kelowna, its prominence and size are a clear indication of the growth and prosperity of the local economy. The present site, with a number of additions and secondary structures, reflects growth over time, and represents a utilitarian response to commercial need.
Character Defining Elements
Key elements that define the heritage character of the Okanagan Building & Trading Company include its:
- prominent location at the corner of Ellis Street and Coronation Avenue in the north end of downtown Kelowna
- continuing industrial use
- industrial vernacular form, scale and massing as expressed by its: two-storey height with low pitched side gabled roof; flanking shed roof wings to the north and south; and rectangular, symmetrical plan
- board-formed concrete construction
- regular banks of fenestration
- exposed rafter elements
- large wood-panelled double doors that denote the entrance
