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Snapshots	Past stories Avalon Peninsula Cape Breton Islands Cypress Hills Northern Ontario Okanagan Valley

Regional Map

Contents: Location Geology First Nations European Contact Flora and Fauna Agriculture Tourism and Leisure Cities Contacts

Vernon (pop: 32,000)
Vernon's original Salish name is hun-cul-deep-moose chin which means "jumping over place." Located at the junction of highways 6 and 97, Vernon lies among three lakes: Swan, Okanagan and Kalamalka.

During the fur trade, Vernon was a camp on the Okanagan Valley trail. Initial missionary settlements were established in the 1840s, and in 1860 Cornelius O'Keef started the first cattle ranch. In 1887 the town was named for Forbes George Vernon, a city pioneer and chief commissioner of B.C. lands and works.

During the 1890s the town was connected to the Canadian Pacific Railway when a branch was constructed from Vernon to Sicamous. This opened up the previously inaccessibile region and resulted in population growth and increased development. During the First World War, Vernon became the largest military camp in B.C.

Today, Vernon is the Okanagan's most populated northern city, with forestry, stockbreeding and tourism as main industries.

Kelowna (pop: 95,000)
Kelowna is derived from a Salish word meaning "grizzly bear." Midway between Vernon and Penticton, Kelowna is located on Highway 97 along the shores of Okanagan Lake. Established in 1892, it is now the most populated city in the valley.

The first fruit trees were planted here by missionaries in 1862 and fruit production grew to become one of the area's biggest industries. Wine-making, fruit-packing, processing and tourism are the city's other mainstays.

Kelowna's theatre company, symphony orchestra and galleries attract many visitors and its beaches are just minutes from the city centre. For the more energetic, Knox Mountain provides hiking trails and excellent views of Okanagan Lake. In 1958, a 1,400-metre-long floating bridge was built to connect Kelowna and Westbank, and remains the longest of its kind in Canada.

Kelowna is also home of the elusive "Ogopogo" lake monster, a statue of which stands in the city and resembles a long serpent with a head like a goat or horse. A Salish legend describes a lake monster, N'ha-a-tik, that lived in a cave in Squally Point near Kelowna. The beast received its current name in 1924. There have been sporadic reports of sightings over the years, and the fever has resulted in suggestions that the Ogopogo is a cousin of "Nessie," Scotland's Loch Ness Monster.

Penticton (pop: 33,000)
Penticton's Salish name was Phthauntac, or "ideal meeting place." It then became Pen-tak-tin, or "place to stay forever." In the southern Okanagan, Penticton lies near the junction of highways 3 and 97, between Okanagan and Skaha Lakes. It is a half-day drive from Vancouver and a full day from Calgary.

Like Vernon and Kelowna, Penticton was settled along the trail used by the Hudson's Bay Company fur brigade until 1847. In 1890 Penticton's first orchards were established, and fruit production became the main livelihood after irrigation systems were implemented in 1905. In 1915 Kettle Valley Railway connected Penticton with Hope and Nelson, opening up the southern Interior. The railway was later abandoned due to harsh conditions but now provides an excellent historical foot and bike trail.

Boasting a daily average of ten hours of sunshine during the summer, the city has become a tourism and fruit-growing mecca. Skaha Bluff rock, Apex Ski Resort, various beaches, campgrounds, museums, galleries and vineyards provide visitors with leisure activities. Major annual festivals and events in Penticton include: Highland Games (mid-July), Peach Festival (end of July to end of August), Square Dancers Jamboree (early August to mid-August), Iron Man Canada (August), and Air Fair (August).