Growers Supply Building/Rotary Centre

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Place Description

Elements of the original Growers Supply Building have been retained within the current Rotary Centre for the Arts. The visible remnants of the Growers Supply Building are located at the rear of the current building, including wooden structural and concrete elements.

Heritage Value

The Growers Supply Building is valued as an integral component of the Okanagan fruit industry and represents the history of agricultural development in the area. The fruit industry was an economic driver of the area’s prosperity and an important element in the economic, cultural and physical evolution of the region. The Growers Supply Building provided supplies to those in the industry including tools, soil and seed. Further value is attained through the Growers Supply Building’s location, at the centre of Kelowna’s one-time fruit packing industry, in close proximity to the Laurel Packinghouse and the Old Cannery Building.

The emergence of Growers Supply Co. Ltd. offers an example of a local response to an economic need as Kelowna’s tree fruit industry began to mature in the 1930s. Its development reflects a larger pattern of supply support in agricultural communities at the time. Incorporated on May 27, 1937, Growers Supply Co. Ltd. was formed because independent shippers did not have an adequate supply house for their growers and there was a feeling that much profit was being drained off due to this lack of service. In 1964, Growers Supply Co. Ltd. and the Kelowna Growers Exchange retail operation amalgamated, and purchased a site that had become available after a fire destroyed the existing buildings. A 12,000 square foot store and warehouse facility was built, designed by Kelowna architect John Woodworth.

Over time, the needs of the industry shifted and smaller packinghouses began to close. The City of Kelowna purchased the site in 1990, and Growers Supply Co. Ltd. moved to a more industrial location. An emerging Cultural Centre has since been established in the area around the former industrial site. The Rotary Centre for the Arts was completed in 2002, and utilized and redeveloped the Growers Supply Building as a community arts centre, incorporating original elements of the building into its design. This demonstrates the building’s evolution over time from industrial use to community use.

Character Defining Elements

Key elements that define the heritage character of the Growers Supply Building its:
- location within the original industrial centre of Kelowna, now part of the cultural precinct
- original sections of grey concrete block walls along alleyway with alternating rows of full and half size blocks
- original heavy timber posts and glulam structural beams visible at the rear of the building
- sections of the original concrete floor