A year ago, I realized that an obscure piece of local architecture had one of the oddest characteristics to be found in this area. Discussed on the main website on a page about Curiosities, it is our local whispering gallery.
The structure is actually a long–abandoned, century–old, swimming pool that is an easily overlooked feature of Kokanee Creek Provincial Park. It is accessed by going about 600 metres up the Kokanee Glacier Road and taking a short path into the woods on the north side of the road.
What I realized was that the empty pool’s elliptical shape enabled it to function as a whispering gallery: a person located at one of the two foci could hold a quiet conversation with someone at the other.
Yesterday, I showed it to visitors. One person knelt at each focus: about 80 centemetres from each end of the twelve–metre axis. The two people were easily able to whisper back and forth despite the fact that, standing halfway between, I could hear neither. Really neat.
Trying out Kokanee Creek Park’s strangest feature: a whispering pool.
