Cherry Creek/Savona

Cherry Creek is located west of the Kamloops city centre, located off the intersection of the Coquihalla Highway (#1 HWY). It encompases an area between the intersection and stretches as far as the Tobiano region. The area mostly consists of homes on small to large acreages but there is a large manufactured home park in the area.  Within the Cherry Creek area, New Gold’s, New Afton mine is located just minutes off the highway but separated a distance away from the residential areas.

The Tobiano Golf Course, an award winning course  is located within the stretch of area along with a number of walking, horseback, and off roading trails.

Savona is a small community, approximately halfway between Kamloops and Cache Creek  located at the west end of Kamloops Lake.  The Savona area is the traditional territory of the Skeetchestn Indian Band. Their main reserve, Skeetchestn Indian Reserve, is located on the north side of the Thompson River west of Savona, and reaching up the valley of the Deadman River

A number of properties that are located in Savona are situated on large parcels of land, parts of Savona are located within the Agricultural Land Reserve. ALR land is specifically defined as land designated for agriculture uses.

Within the community itself, there are many small to medium sized single family homes and mobile homes on freehold land as well as within mobile home parks.

HISTORY

Savona was originally located on the North side of Kamloops Lake. It was the end of the stagecoach line from Cache Creek to the Cariboo Wagon Road. Passengers who were continuing on to the gold fields had to take a steam boat up the lake to Kamloops. A man named, Savona started a ferry across the Thompson River at this location where the steam boat ended.

In 1884 Savona was designated under contract for building of the Canadian Pacific Railway. As the railway was built on the south side of the river, most of the houses were pulled across the lake on the ice, moving the community to where it is today. Some buildings that were moved across the lake include the General Store. In 1915, the Canadian Northern Pacific Railway, now part of Canadian National Railway, was built along the north side of Kamloops Lake.