Selby Park in Penticton, British Columbia, was named in honour of Eric Selby, who by the luck of a draw was the first veteran to choose a lot in West Bench, Penticton in 1952. With the naming, the tribute included a new wheelchair accessible ramp and stairs to Selby Park, sculptures, pathways and tables, and a map of the original Veterans’ Land Act subdivision of 1952 and 1957. There are bronze plaques in the area that list the approximately 180 names of Veterans of the Second World War who settled in the West Bench community. The community overlooking Penticton was created under the VLA to provide housing and a source of agricultural income to those coming home from the war.
In the park there is a bright yellow sculpture that depicts a soldier holding a gun in one hand and his wife’s hand in the other. The soldier is also shown with a piece missing from his midsection. The sculpture is meant to make people think and consider what life was like for Second World War veterans who settled there with assistance provided under the Veterans’ Land Act.
Sue Gibbons, the daughter of the late Navy veteran Bob Jenkins, set the wheels in motion in 2009 to provide the recognition. She approached the Area F Parks Commission and the Regional District of Okanagan-Similkameen. In 2010, the RDOS applied for and received $18,000 in federal matching grants for park upgrades. The Veterans; Tribute in Selby Park came into being thanks to a grant from Veterans’ Affairs Canada. The park designers were architect Chris Allen, and Cal Meiklejohn. The RDOS received a maximum of $24,520 through the Community War Memorial Program.
