It was the climate, though, which gave rise to Kelowna and all other communities along the Okanagan Valley. The climate, as it turned out, was near perfect for the growing of fruit crops. Apples, pears, peaches, plums, cherries, grapes, even vegetable crops came to be grown in abundance in the Valley.
Kelowna, the largest city in the BC interior, pays homage to its humble beginnings with a great many works of art sprinkled throughout the city which are related to fruit and fruit growing. One type of art one will find in abundance are decorated utility boxes, each bearing pictures of one type of fruit or another. There are now very few utility boxes in the city which aren't decorated in this manner. Though there are a few which depict historic street scenes and other historic material, the vast majority have something to do with the fruit industry.
Many of the fruit covered utility boxes are historic in nature, too, some featuring the covers of old
Beautiful British Columbia Magazine. The reason that we know this photo of a mounted RCMP officer is from "Beautiful British Columbia" magazine is that we've seen others previously. Here, he is sharing the spotlight with a cornucopia of ripe red Okanagan cherries.
One may see a fairly comprehensive history of fruit growing in BC, and particulary the Okanagan,
HERE.
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