History of OMAHA

The Okanagan Valley Minor Hockey Association was formed in November, 1952, with acceptance of a Constitution and the election of an Executive. The Okanagan Valley was a separate District within the confines of the BCAHA and was composed of Penticton, Vernon and Kelowna.

The first Executive consisted of:

The initiation fees were set at ten dollars ($10.00) and remain so today. The annual dues were set at sixteen ($16.00) and remained that until 1967.

In 1957, Summerland became the first addition to the Okanagan Valley Minor Hockey Association. In 1961, the Northern district was split with the Mainline being added to the Okanagan Valley, forming the Okanagan Mainline District. This added Merritt, Kamloops, North Kamloops, Salmon Arm and Revelstoke.

Lumby and Enderby joined the O.M.M.H.A. in 1968, followed by Oliver in 1969, Armstrong in 1971, and Brocklehurst in 1973. There were major changes in the Kamloops area in 1974 which saw the three associations in that area amalgamate to form what is now known as Kamloops Minor Hockey Association.

Osoyoos and Rutland became members of the O.M.M.H.A. in 1974 and in 1975 the Okanagan Mainline was extended to include the Clearwater area of the North Thompson which allowed Clearwater Minor Hockey to join, along with Winfield and Westside all in the same year. In 1977 Princeton Minor Hockey became a member, bringing the number to an eighteen member Association.

Logan Lake and Thompson-Cariboo applied for and were granted membership in 1979 and in 1981. The last association to gain membership in the O.M.M.H.A. was Sicamous, bringing the number to twenty-one associations. After that, the number of associations started to decline due to amalgamation. In 1982, Kelowna and Rutland joined together to form the Kelowna Minor Hockey Association, and the following year, 1983, Osoyoos and Oliver amalgamated to form the South Okanagan Minor Hockey Association.

In 1982, the O.M.M.H.A. registered with the Registrar of Companies under the Society Act and in 1984, the Okanagan Mainline Minor Hockey Association changed its name to the Okanagan Mainline Amateur Hockey Association so as to differentiate itself from its member associations.

In 1985, Vernon Minor Hockey Association disbanded and a new association was formed, to be known as Greater Vernon Minor Hockey Association.

The final association to join was Lillooet which was granted membership in 1988.

In 1991, Armstrong Minor Hockey and Enderby Minor Hockey amalgamated to form one new association under the name of North Okanagan Minor Hockey Association.

In 2000, Chase Minor Hockey Association became a member of OMAHA.