History of The People Place

The People Place Society was established October 24, 1990, by an active group of business people in the Vernon area who saw the need for a place that could be accessible to all agencies, while providing them with the stability to run their programs.

It began as the dream of the late Agnes Sovereign, who envisioned a community office building that would house non-profit charities. At the time, many of these groups were scattered throughout the North Okanagan in often less-than-adequate office space. In some cases, clients needed services of several agencies, and getting from one to another wasn't always easy, particularly if they had limited financial or physical resources. In other instances, offices were located upstairs or in basements where senior clients or mothers with baby strollers would have great difficulty negotiating the flights of stairs.

Often, offices had walls so thin that privacy was not possible and there was nowhere safe for small children to wait with their parents.

Agnes Sovereign's dream became a reality after a very successful public fundraising campaign, when tenants began to move into People Place in June 1997 and the grand opening was held October 18, 1997.

Since People Place opened its doors, it has been able to deliver on its promise to the community: connecting families with the vital social work of our hard-working agencies.

Over the years, we've been able to continue with our vision, thanks to the guidance of our board, strong management and generous donations from the community. We want to ensure People Place can continue uniting agencies and families for years to come.