How Ogopogo got its name?

The "sea serpent" of Okanagan Lake, now known all over the world as Ogopogo, has rivals in Caddy and Amy of Victoria and the "monster" of Loch Ness, Scotland.

The Province occasionally receives enquiries as to the origin of "Ogopogo". Readers ask if the word is of Indian derivation and how the name came to be applied.

It is a simple story, mates!

Years ago, in a London musical show -Pellessier's Follies, some say- there was a catchy ditty called "I'm Looking for the Ogopogo". It had a swinging tune, an easily-remembered chorus. It had its brief vogue and disappeared. But an Englishman who took up residence in the Okanagan had a copy of the song and on Monday, August 23, 1926 sang it at a Rotary lunch at Vernon, tendered delegates of the Vancouver Board of Trade, who were touring the Okanagan Valley.

The Vancouver men liked the song, and the suggestion was made that "Ogopogo" should be the official name of the lake monster. And so it came to pass.

On Tuesday, August 24, 1926, The Daily Province staff correspondent who was accompanying the Vancouver Board of Trade delegation on that organization's tour of the Okanagan Valley, wired the following.

"The official name of the now-famous Okanagan sea serpent has been discovered. It was revealed to the Vancouver Board of Trade delegation now touring the wonderful Valley at the luncheon tendered by the Vernon Rotarians, before the Coast men were turned over to the thoughtful care of the Kelowna citizens."

"The name of the lake monster is the "Ogopogo". It was thus stated musically by Rotarian Brimblecombe of Vernon in a rollicking ditty which the Vancouver party is bringing home. The chorus thus describes the finny mystery which has now attracted world attention, for Punch had a reference to it in a recent issue":

"I'm looking for the Ogopogo, the funny little Ogopogo,
His mother was an earwig, his father was a whale;
I'm going to put a little bit of salt upon his tail,
I want to find the Ogopogo while playing on his old banjo.
The Lord Mayor of London, the Lord Mayor of London, The Lord Mayor of London, wants to put him in
The Lord Mayors show!"

So the Vancouver Board of Trade must take the bow for spreading the name and fame of Ogopogo.