Kelowna (2001 population 96,288, metropolitan population 147,739) is a city on Okanagan Lake in the interior of British Columbia, Canada. It is the seat of the Regional District of Central Okanagan, and the third-largest metropolitan area in British Columbia (aside from Vancouver and Victoria .
First settled by missionaries in 1859, Kelowna was officially incorporated in 1905. Neighbouring towns include Westbank to the west, Peachland to the southwest, Vernon to the north and Penticton south of Peachland.
The service industry employs the most people in Kelowna, the largest city in the tourist-oriented Okanagan Valley. In summer, boating is popular and in winter, Alpine skiing at the nearby Big White Ski Resort.
Kelowna is well known for producing many varieties of fine wines. You will find this region is full of wonderful vineyards. The most captivating is the Mission Hill winery which sits atop a hill overlooking the lake.
Kelowna was home to the late Premier of British Columbia, W.A.C. Bennett and the birthplace of his son, William R. Bennett, who would also become Premier of the province.
Major League Baseball player, Jeff Zimmerman of the Texas Rangers was born here. The city is also home to The Grapes of Wrath, one of Canada's most popular rock bands in the 1980s and early 1990s.
How To Get Here
For years, only one road major highway passed through the city of Kelowna: Highway 97. The road itself is good, but its connections to all points east and west in the province were only managed by using the slow, curving Trans Canada Highway and the Crowsnest Highway.
As the Okanagan Valley is a popular getaway for residents in Vancouver, a new freeway was built into the BC interior in 1986, shaving off over two hours of travel time between the two major destinations. This freeway, starting in Hope is known as the Coquihalla Highway (Hwy 5), and terminates in Kamloops. The southern half is a toll highway, costing $10 Canadian each way.
A spur route (The Okanagan Connector, or Hwy 97C) was later added in 1989; it connects in Merritt, and heads eastward to Peachland, about twenty minutes south of Kelowna.
This new freeway system makes the drive from Vancouver to Kelowna just under four hours, at 425 km in distance.
Kelowna is connected to Westbank by a three-lane floating bridge and links Highway 97 south. The floating bridge is slated for replacement as it has outlived its usefulness and is incapable of supporting the current traffic levels. A new bridge will be built in the near future.
Highway 33, which connects with Highway 97 in Rutland, provides an alternate way to enter and exit the city, towards the southeast.
Kelowna has an International Airport north of the city in Winfield, with regular flights to and from Vancouver, Calgary, Toronto, and Seattle.
Education
Rutland Senior School
Kelowna Secondary
Mount Boucherie Secondary
UBC Okanagan
Sports Teams
Events of Significance
- In August 2003, a nearby wildfire destroyed over 200 homes and forced the temporary evacuation of approximately 30,000 residents.
- During the 2003 fire, many trestles of the historic Kettle Valley Railway were destroyed. One of the trestles, Trestle 18, has been rebuilt, and other trestles are planned to be reconstructed as well.
Irrelevancy
- In the Sci-Fi seriens Stargate SG-1, Jonas Quinn comes from another planet, from a nation named Kelowna. Later in the series, the country amalgamates with two others to form the Langara Federation.
External links
