About Kelowna - home of the Myra-Canyon Ranch
- All about Kelowna
- History of Kelowna
- Legend of OGOPOGO
- Geography
- Climate
- Quick facts
- Pictures of Kelowna
ALL ABOUT KELOWNA
Cradled within a glorious range of mountains, is a sanctuary filled with pristine lakes, pine forests, abundant gardens, orchards and vineyards, sandy beaches, and superb amenities. Stretching from north to south for approximately 110 kms (68 miles) is beautiful Okanagan Lake. The lake sustains several diverse communities along this corridor known as the Okanagan Valley. The Okanagan Valley is located at the northern most end of the Sonora Desert and hence has a semi-arid climate, boasting long warm summers and short mild winters. The city of Kelowna, is the largest community and is located midway through the valley. It has a population of 107,000 and is the transportation, business and service hub of the valley.
Relatively undiscovered, Kelowna, is never too crowded despite playing host to visitors the world over. The Kelowna International Airport, the 10th busiest in Canada, easily connects to major North American cities. With daily flights, it’s just a 60-minute flight from Calgary or Vancouver and 70 minutes from Seattle. Daily direct flights to Toronto are also available. A variety of accommodations offer choices ranging from lakeside resorts to cozy B & B’s.
Kelowna has miles of beautiful parkland, and several sandy beaches which provide wonderful opportunities for boating, swimming, water-skiing, windsurfing and fishing. As well, you can hit the links at one of our many golf courses nine months out of the year. In cooler months, our snow-capped mountains and pine filled forests are a haven for skiers, boarders, snowmobilers and outdoor adventurists of all types and levels.
Orchards and vineyards thrive within a 10-minute drive from the downtown core and provide seasonal delights year round. You can pluck ripe cherries or juicy peaches from trees, or spend a delightful day sampling the award-winning wares of our internationally acclaimed wineries. The Spring, Summer and Fall Wine Festivals offer hundreds of activities focused on wine making, tasting and touring.
That’s not all. Kelowna’s growing Cultural District covers a six-block downtown area and features a concentration of galleries, museums, theatres, a casino, artists’ studios, fine dining, unique shops and a vibrant cultural life all year long. Prospera Place, a 6,000-seat multi-purpose facility that’s home to the Kelowna Rockets of the Western Hockey League, attracts major entertainers and events, and is also located in the heart of the city.
A trip to Kelowna would not be complete without taking the time to search for Ogopogo, the legendary lake monster that reputedly resides in Okanagan Lake. The myth dates back to the Interior Salish Native people who exchanged stories of a lake creature, or “N’ha-a-itk”, over 100 years ago. The creature later became known as Ogopogo and purported sightings over the years continue to strengthen the legend. To “see” Ogopogo for yourself, be sure to visit the statue of the creature found on Bernard Avenue near Kelowna’s City Park.
HISTORY OF KELOWNA
Fascinating from the start.
Artifacts suggest that hunters lived in the Kelowna area as far back as 2,000 years ago. However, the first European settlement took place in 1859 by three Oblate missionaries. Father Pandosy, Father Richard and Brother Surel set up a mission for the area’s natives, traders and new settlers. Three of the original buildings remain at the Father Pandosy Mission Provincial Heritage Site.
In 1893, Lord Aberdeen, Canada’s Governor General, bought huge tracts of land in the valley in recognition of Okanagan’s fruit growing potential. He also built Guisachan House, now a 2.4 acre heritage site.
Kelowna became a city in 1905 at a time when the population was 600. Its name comes from the story of August Gillard, an early settler who crawled from an underground shelter just as a group of Indians passed by. The Indians called out, “Kim-ach-touch”, meaning Brown Bear. Over time, this became Kelowna, meaning Grizzly Bear, which was easier to pronounce.
Today, the greater Kelowna area has a total population of 145,445. It also boasts a rich history. See fascinating exhibits in the Wine Museum, BC Orchard Industry Museum, the Kelowna Museum and the Military Museum.
LEGEND OF OGOPOGO
It’s a snake. It’s a horse. It’s a goat.
No, it’s Ogopogo.
Before the white man came to the Okanagan Valley, the Indians spoke of “N’ha-a-itk”, a fierce lake monster that resided at Squally Point, 20 kilometres south of Kelowna. In 1924, a little song was composed about the monster who was given the name, “Ogopogo”.
Over the generations, the legend gained credibility as more and more sightings were reported. Today, sightings are reported on an average of six times a year.
Descriptions vary, but certain characteristics have been repeated through the decades: Ogopogo is green with a snakelike body about 25 meters long. Some say its head looks like a horse, while others say that it’s reptilian or goat-like. Many even claim to have photographed is Ogopogo. But the pictures – like those of the Loch Ness Monster - have always been inconclusive.
Is it real or not? Be sure to see for yourself. Look for our resident friendly monster in the Lake or simply visit the Ogopogo statue in City Park.
GEOGRAPHY
Forged through the ages, an undiscovered gem.
The Columbia Mountains, comprised the Purcells, Selkirks, Monashees and Cariboos, were uplifted between one and two million years ago, and include impressive peaks more than 3,000 metres high.
West of the Columbia Mountains is the Interior Plateau, which covers much of Interior B.C. and is home to the Okanagan Valley. A plateau, like a mountain, is an uplifted section of Earth's crust, which has not been subject to folding or carving. As with all uplifted areas, however, these relatively flat expanses are subject to erosion. For example, the region's rolling terrain has been moulded by river action.
A small portion of the Cascade Mountains extend into Canada just west of the Okanagan Valley. The rest stretches down to California. Making up the B.C. Cascades, from east to west are the Okanagan, Hozameen and Skagit ranges.
The Okanagan Valley was formed by glacier activity during the Tertiary and Quaternary periods. Mile-thick ice layers retreated 10,000 years ago, scraping the surface and leaving behind valuable sedimentary deposits along its borders. Additional mountain river erosion and flooding left behind nutrient and mineral rich soils which have accumulated into deltas.
The system of oblong lakes in the Okanagan Valley is a remnant of the glacial retreat. Okanagan Lake, the largest , is 111 kilometres long and ranges from about 3.2 to 6.4 kilometres wide. East of Okanagan Lake are Swan, Kalamalka (a Salish word meaning lake of many colours) and Wood lakes. To the south are Skaha, Vaseux and Osoyoos lakes. The system drains south into the Okanagan River, crosses the border into Washington, and joins the Columbia River. The Columbia then veers west and carves a path through the Cascade and Coast Mountain ranges to drain into the Pacific Ocean.
Climate
A climate you can live with.
Kelowna weather is so mild, it’s one of the reasons why many of our visitors become residents. Warm summers are characterized by low humidity, along with relatively mild winters.
Kelowna lies in the rainshadow of the Cascade Mountain Range at the northern most tip of the Sonora Desert. This results in a dry, semi-arid steppe climate.
Monthly Temperatures |
High |
Low |
January |
0 C/32 F |
-7 C/19 F |
February |
3 C/37 F |
-5 C/23 F |
March |
9 C/48 F |
-2 C/28 F |
April |
15 C/59 F |
1 C/34 F |
May |
20 C/68 F |
5 C/41 F |
June |
24 C/75 F |
8 C/46 F |
July |
28 C/82F |
10 C/50 F |
August |
27 C/81 F |
10 C/50 F |
September |
21 C/70 F |
5 C/41 F |
October |
14 C/57 F |
1 C/34 F |
November |
5 C/41 F |
-2 C/28 F |
December |
0 C/32 F |
-6 C/21 F |
Quick Facts:
- Kelowna is home to 109,000 people.
- The Central Okanagan Regional District has a population of 167,000.
- Kelowna is well known for its hot summers and temperate winters.
- The average daytime high during July and August is 27.4 C (81.32 F).
The average daytime high during December and January is -0.3 C (31.46 F). The average low is -7.7 C (18.14 F).
Kelowna receives over 2,000 hours of sunshine annually and 28 cm. (11 inches) of rain.
- T
otal annual precipitation is 366.4 mm. (280.7 mm. of rain and 105.5 cm. of snow).
Okanagan Lake is 110 km. (68 miles) long.
Okanagan Lake Bridge (built in 1958) is the only floating bridge in Canada, with a floating section of 640 m. (2100 feet)
A new five-lane bridge is to be in operation in 2008.
Kelowna encompasses 262 square km. (101 square miles)
Kelowna is 344 m. (1,129 feet) above sea level.
Kelowna General Hospital is the largest and most comprehensive in the southern interior of B.C. with a full treatment cancer clinic.
Kelowna is home to several local theatre groups, a symphony orchestra, museums and numerous art galleries.
Okanagan College offers university and transfer programs, as well as a wide range of adult education and trades courses.
- UBC Okanagan opened September 2005.
Text from the official website 'Tourism Kelowna')
