Originally known to the First Nations of the Okanagan Valley as Khiluk, which was- and remains today revered as a sacred site producing therapeutic waters. During World War I the minerals of Spotted Lake were used in manufacturing ammunition. Later the area came under the control of the Ernest Smith Family, for a term of about 40 years. In 1979 Smith attempted to create interest in a spa at the lake. The First Nations responded with an effort to buy the lake; in October 2001 they finally struck a deal. First Nations arranged the purchase of 22 hectares of land for a total of $720,000, and contributed about 20% of the cost. The Indian Affairs Department paid the remainder.

“Kavadi Attam is a dance performed by the devotees during the ceremonial worship of Murugan, the Tamil God of War. It is often performed during the festival of Thaipusam and emphasizes debt bondage. The Kavadi itself is a physical burden through which the devotees implore for help from the God Murugan”. – Wikipedia

Photo: A devotee pulls his procession burden connected by hooks pierced in his back during the Thaipusam procession at Sri Srinivasa Perumal Temple on February 7, 2012 in Singapore. (Photo by Chris McGrath/Getty Images)

An immigrant from Mali rests at the Greek-Macedonian border before an attempt to flee to Macedonia May 13, 2015 village of Idomeni in Kilkis prefecture May 13, 2015. Hundreds of mostly Afghan, Syrian, and African immigrants cross daily from Greece into Macedonia on their way to northern European countries; most of them are turned back by Macedonian border guards. (Photo by Yannis Behrakis/Reuters)

Visitors walk past a train-shaped ice sculpture ahead of the 31st Harbin International Ice and Snow Festival in the northern city of Harbin, Heilongjiang province, January 4, 2015. The winter festival will be officially opened on January 5, 2015. (Photo by Kim Kyung-Hoon/Reuters)

An Indonesian worker carries a giant candle at a traditional Chinese candle maker for the upcoming Lunar New Year in Bogor, Indonesia, 27 January 2015. The Chinese Lunar New Year, known here as Imlek, is only three weeks away. The whole city is getting decked out to celebrate the event on 19 February 2015. (Photo by Adi Weda/EPA)

Newborn orangutan Rieke is presented during a press conference at Berlin Zoo, in Berlin, Germany, February 6, 2015. The baby was born on January 12, 2015 weighing 2,290 grams and is bottle-fed by keepers. (Photo by Ralf Hirschberger/EPA)

A contestant of the World Beard And Mustache Championships poses for a picture during the opening ceremony of the Championships 2015 on October 3, 2015 in Leogang, Austria. Over 300 contestants in teams from across the globe have come to compete in sixteen different categories in three groups: mustache, partial beard and full beard. The event takes place every few years at different locations worldwide. (Photo by Jan Hetfleisch/Getty Images)