(see Dunworkin')

Dunworkin’ cottage was built in the early 20s at the request of my father, Alex McKay, his business partner, P.B. Willett, and Mr. Willett’s father-in-law, Elisha Bailey, who was Kelowna’s Post Master at the time. They owned it equally and never had trouble about sharing the use of it. The turn-off to the cabin was at the top of the first rise (you couldn’t call it a hill) from Mission Creek and the Joe Rich Creek ran through the property. I think the school was between the road and the cabin.

The name “Dunworkin’” definitely belonged to it as mother named it after her father’s cottage at Winnipeg Beach which had been built in 1907, a year before mother and dad were married and moved to Kelowna. Her father and brother built two cottages side by side on the lake front and called them Dunworkin’ and Loafin’. My brother George, who is 87, remembers as a young lad going down a path from our property to the road where it came out not far from Black’s cabin and where there was a tree with the name Dunworkin’ on a piece of wood pointing the way to the cabin. Maybe that is the reason for some of the present confusion between the Black’s cabin and Dunworkin’.

I remember having fresh caught trout for breakfast, cooked by my father – the only thing he ever cooked. I also remember that on the way up the valley having to honk the horn at every turn to warn oncoming traffic and father splitting wood for the huge fire-place. This was his exercise every day and I am sure it was with love as the finished stack was nothing but perfection.

Mr. Bailey left the partnership first and I am not sure whether he gave or sold his share to Mrs. Willits. Then, when dad decided to leave, he sold his share to Mrs. Willett. Rebe used the cottage a bit, but neither she nor Mary were really interested, so on Mrs. Willetts’ death I believe the property went to her sibling’s children. The only ones I know who are still around Kelowna are Dolly Munford’s (nee Elliot nee White) two sons Allen and Douglas. Allen lives in Rutland and was in real-estate. Doug in Oyama. After Dolly died a few years ago, I lost track of the boys. I don’t know what finally happened to the property.

 

 

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