The Journal of Lady Aberdeen: The Okanagan Valley in the Nineties

Joan McGrath is a Toronto Board of Education library consultant.

Robert Middleton’s keen interest in the Earl of Aberdeen, Canada’s governor-general between 1893 and 1898, and Lady Aberdeen, is more than historical. Middleton’s grandparents were persuaded by the Aberdeens to leave their native Scotland to settle in the Okanagan Valley. Middleton has extracted material about the Okanagan from Lady Aberdeen’s journal as well as other primary and secondary sources to produce this work.

During his term as governor-general, Lord and Lady Aberdeen retreated to their properties in the Okanagan, which they had acquired in the early 1890s. While they would spend only four months there during this period, Lady Aberdeen’s journal gives us glimpses into what life was like in Canada’s developing west. She writes vividly of the native peoples, who were hired to pick hops, of agricultural shows, of law enforcement, and of the hardships experienced by a young Scottish bride so ill-prepared for her new life in Canada. She tells us of their attempt to operate their properties profitably and their subsequent financial failure. The journal displays Lady Aberdeen’s highly developed social consciousness, fine sense of humour, and her appreciation for the natural beauty of the Canadian West.

The foreword to the text, written by Lady Aberdeen’s grandson, provides further insights into her character. An interesting selection of photographs depicts a developing landscape. Middleton states that he has not attempted to present a scholarly analysis, but rather to share Lady Aberdeen’s observations with a wider readership. While the volume may be slim, it is, nonetheless, a significant contribution to those interested in the Okanagan’s history, since primary sources on the subject are few.