The City of Penticton has an approximate population of 34,000 with steady increases expected. Penticton is located in the Okanagan Valley where hot summers, warm winters and adventure await the recreational enthusiast, especially water related activities. Penticton borders the beautiful Okanagan Lake and is a gateway to many local wineries. The abundance of fruit and vegetables grown by local farms makes the area particularly appealing to locals and tourist alike.
Were it not for glacial action in the past, there would not be a Penticton. The area would, instead, be lake bed. The city occupies the entirety of a deposit of glacial till which separates Okanagan Lake from Skaha Lake. As a result Penticton has lakes and beaches at each of its north and south ends, making it one of just two cities in the world situated between two lakes.
The Kettle Valley Railway (KVR) Division of the Canadian Pacific Railway was begun in 1910 as a "Coast to Kootenays" railway, completion of the line coming about in 1915. The initial station in Penticton was built near the waterfront for easy connections with the paddlewheelers which plied the waters of Okanagan Lake at the time. Due to its central location on the line, as well as its location on Okanagan Lake, Penticton became the headquarters of the KVR. Ultimately, though, progress (highways and airlines) as well as the challenges of Mother Nature (major snow in the Coquihalla) took their toll – so that by 1964, passenger service had ceased and in 1989, the last freight train rode the rails. The entirety of the KVR is now a Rails to Trails hiking and biking trail, connecting at each end with the Trans Canada Trail.