Description of Historic Place

Laitinen Farm is comprised of two rural properties totalling 28 hectares (70 acres) in area and is located on the west side of 50 Street NW in the Gleneden area of Salmon Arm, British Columbia. The farm is bisected by Palmer Creek and contains active grazing land, some of the original barns and a relatively new residence. The farm is visible from the road. The historic place includes the site and the barns.

Heritage Value

Established in 1897, Laitinen Farm is valued for its historic, social and cultural significance within the community.

Laitinen Farm is valued for its association with Kusta Laitinen, the settler who obtained the letters patent for the land. Kusta Laitinen settled in Gleneden because it reminded him of Finland. The resemblance of Gleneden to Finland may have contributed to additional Finnish settlement in the area. Kusta Laitinen established the farm as an orchard, growing 22 varieties of apples, and constructed a packing house on the property, which provided local employment. The driveway through the centre of the property is believed to have been an unofficial road called Gus Laitinen Hill after Kusta Laitinen’s son Gus.

As one of the original orchards and farms in Gleneden, the enduring agricultural use of Laitinen Farm embodies the importance agriculture has played in the development of Salmon Arm and the continued role it will play in the future. Laitinen Farm received its Century Farm Award in 1999 in recognition of its more than 100 years of active farming. It is significant that some of the original barns are standing and are still used today.

Source: City Hall, City of Salmon Arm

Character-Defining Elements

Key elements that define the heritage character of Laitinen Farm include its:

Site:
- Location, thought to resemble landscapes in Finland
- Active grazing land
- Century Farm Award, 1999

Buildings:
- Original barns still used for agricultural purposes