Its history?
Well, the
Okanagan First Nations people had been there for several thousand years when the first white settler, Father Charles Pandosy, built a Catholic Mission on the flats of East Kelowna in 1859. Prior to his arrival, beginning in about 1811,
Pacific Fur Company traders had passed through the area many times to trade with the natives, but no permanent settlements existed north of the border.
In the Gold Rush years of the 1850s and 60s small amounts of gold and other metals were found in the valley, giving rise to a small mining industry. Some people from this industry stayed on and began to farm in the area. The first attempt at apple growing was made in 1892, but transportation became a problem, partially solved with the introduction of paddlewheelers to Okanagan Lake. As early as 1893 the first paddlewheeler, the S.S. Aberdeen, was chugging up and down the lake. Later, when more boats were put on the lake, many landing places became villages, then towns, and some cities. Today the major settlements are, from north to south:
Vernon, Oyama, Winfield, Kelowna, Westbank (NOT West Kelowna), Peachland, Summerland and Penticton. South of Okanagan Lake are Okanagan Falls, Oliver and Osoyoos, on the border.
Its Geology?
It seems that the Okanagan Valley was, for the most part, formed by glaciers during the ice ages. After scouring out the valley, a plug of material was left where Penticton now stands, separating Okanagan Lake from Skaha Lake, to its south. South of Skaha Lake the Okanagan River continues south, interrupted only by Vaseaux Lake, until it empties into the Columbia River not far south of the Canada-US border. There is a high rock cliff west of the highway just south of Vaseaux Lake which still shows the scars caused by glaciers inching their way past, pushing slowly southward.
Its Topography?
Well, it's a narrow valley, possibly 5 miles wide at its widest point, with a lake or three running down its centre and low, weathered mountains on either side. The Okanagan River rises in the northern end of the valley and runs 115 mi (185 km) southward to the Columbia.
What's the weather like?
In the summer it's hot (up to 38°C[100+°F]) and dry with very little rain. Summers are long, often hitting with a vengeance in May, with up to 180 consecutive frost free days in some years. April showers in this area occur mainly in June. Winters are moderate, with temperatures usually hovering around the freezing level, and highly variable in terms of snowfall amounts, with some winters seeing 3 or 4 feet of snow and some seeing 3 or 4 inches. Winters are usually dreary with cloud hanging over the valley for months on end. When fall begins it can often drag on until Late December. I once picked tomatoes from my garden on Christmas Eve - but don't expect that to happen often.
What's happening there now?
There's a lot of grape growing and wine making going on there now, with old apple and soft fruit orchards still being replaced by grapes. It's simply a matter of economics - the world seems to value wine more highly than fruit, so that's what farmers produce. There are over 70 wineries in the valley, with the concentration becoming heavier as one travels south. Oliver for example, near the US border, fancies itself as the Wine Capital of Canada.
Make no mistake, they make some fine wines there with many having garnered gold medals at world wine festivals.
What can one find to do there?
In the summer one can just lie on one of the many beaches, hike or bike the world class Kettle Valley Rail Trail, which runs from Kelowna east to Midway, BC and west to Hope, BC. The Myra Canyon area, just south of Kelowna, is the most spectacular section, with 18 wooden trestles of dizzying height, and two tunnels to explore. There are dozens of winery tours available, orchards from which to pick your own apples, pears, peaches, plums, apricots, and cherries, amusement parks and dozens of great golf courses. One can fish in Okanagan Lake or any one of a number of small fishing lakes or streams in the area, pan for gold in some of the gold bearing streams, go rock hounding, or just explore the many communities, large and small, in the area. Let's not forget winter, and all the winter sports available. The Okanagan has become a winter ski destination with three major ski hills, Silver Star at Vernon, Big White at Kelowna, and Apex Mountain at Penticton, as well as several smaller hills scattered about.
Then there's the food. Pick your dish of choice, check the restaurant reviews, then head out and chow down. Somewhere, whether it be in a corner bistro or a winery restaurant, there's something to satisfy any and every palate.
Want to know more? Try this.