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41-538: Okanagan Landing was an unincorporated settlement and steamboat port at the north end of Okanagan Lake in the Southern Interior of British Columbia . Located southwest of the city of Vernon , it was the terminus station for the Shuswap and Okanagan Railway and served as the port and shipyard for steamboats operating to the south, as well as a transfer barge slip. Okanagan Landing was developed in 1892 when

82-587: A decade afterward. In 1859, the first European settlement was established when Father Charles Pandosy led the making of an Oblate mission at Okanagan Mission , now a neighbourhood of Kelowna. The Fraser Canyon Gold Rush of 1858 eventually encouraged more settlement as some prospectors from the United States took the Okanagan Trail route on their way to the Fraser Canyon , although at

123-491: A popular destination for vacationers and retirees. The area also attracts seasonal fruit-picking labourers, primarily from Quebec and Mexico . The population of the region was 403,950 as of the 2021 Canadian census . The three regional districts within the Okanagan and their populations were: Central Okanagan (222,162), North Okanagan (91,610) and Okanagan-Similkameen (90,178). The statistical figures below are based on

164-710: A recent shift in focus to vineyards and wine . The region stretches northwards via the Spallumcheen Valley to Sicamous in the Shuswap Country , and reaches south of the Canada–United States border , where it continues as Okanogan County . The Okanagan as a region is sometimes described as including the Boundary , Similkameen , and Shuswap regions, though this is because of proximity and historic and commercial ties with those areas. The name

205-781: A subsidiary of the Canadian Pacific Railway , linking the Southern Mainline with the original transcontinental mainline at Sicamous: the SS Aberdeen from 1886 and then the SS Sicamous and SS Naramata from 1914, and others. The Sicamous and Naramata survive as a tourist attraction on Okanagan Beach on the north side of Penticton , the Sicamous serving both as a museum and also an event facility. Other steamboats operated on Skaha Lake to

246-409: Is 362,258. The largest populated cities are Kelowna , Penticton , Vernon , and West Kelowna . The region is known for its sunny climate, dry landscapes and lakeshore communities and particular lifestyle. The economy is retirement and commercial-recreation based, with outdoor activities such as boating and watersports, skiing and hiking. Agriculture has been focused primarily on fruit orchards, with

287-719: Is about 15.0 °C (59.0 °F), which is the warmest in Canada. The average annual precipitation in this region is also the second driest in Canada outside of the Arctic , the driest being the Thompson River Valley west of Kamloops . The southern Okanagan is dominated by northern reach of the Columbia Plateau ecoregion and is the only xeric shrubland ecosystem in Canada. Dry forests of ponderosa pine and low grasses can be found at higher elevations to

328-477: Is called a fjord lake as it has been carved out by repeated glaciations. Although the lake contains numerous lacustrine terraces , it is not uncommon for the lake to be 100 metres (328 ft) deep only 10 metres (11 yd) offshore. Major inflows include Mission , Vernon , Trout, Penticton , Equesis, Kelowna , Peachland and Powers Creeks. The lake is drained by the Okanagan River , which exits

369-604: Is derived from the Okanagan-language place name ukʷnaqín . An alternative explanation from Washington is ‘People living where you can see the top’, ostensibly of Chopaka Peak in the Lower Similkameen. The area was occupied by Pleistocene glaciation , and a widespread mantle of glacial drift covers the underlying bedrock. At the end of the Pleistocene, marginal lakes formed along the sides of

410-574: Is home to the Syilx , commonly known as the Okanagan people, an Interior Salish people who live in the valley from the head of Okanagan Lake downstream to near the river's confluence with the Columbia River in present-day Washington , as well as in the neighbouring Similkameen Valley and the Upper Nicola to the north of that, though the whole of their traditional territory encompasses

451-511: Is well distributed year round. Some regions of the Okanagan, most notably near Kelowna , border on an inland oceanic climate due to it having an average temperature slightly above −3.0 °C (26.6 °F) and below 0 °C (32 °F). Dry forests of ponderosa pine and low grasses dominate the valleys and mountains in this region. The Okanagan south of Kelowna has a semi-arid climate ( Köppen : Bsk ) with hot, dry summers and cool winters. The average daytime temperature in this region

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492-607: The 2011 Canadian census , 2021 Canadian census , and the British Columbia Ministry of Communities, Sport and Cultural Development. Statistics Canada. 2017. Armstrong, CY [Census subdivision], British Columbia and Okanagan, RD [Census division], British Columbia (table). Census Profile. 2016 Census. Statistics Canada Catalogue no. 98-316-X2016001. Ottawa. Released February 8, 2017. http://www12.statcan.gc.ca/census-recensement/2016/dp-pd/prof/index.cfm?Lang=E (accessed April 16, 2017). The Indian reserves of

533-767: The KIJHL , Osoyoos having won the 2010/11 KIJHL season. Penticton and Summerland are both home to Chicago Blackhawks and Edmonton Oilers Defenceman Duncan Keith . The area has been host to multiple junior hockey championships, including the Memorial Cup in Kelowna in 2004 and RBC Cup in Vernon in 1990 (then called the Centennial Cup) and 2014 . Kelowna is home to junior Canadian football team Okanagan Sun , and Jr. Baseball team Kelowna Falcons , including

574-589: The Kettle Valley Railway operated from Okanagan Landing to Penticton , working in unison to maintain the already high standards of service known to CPR passengers. Ships that were built at and serviced Okanagan Landing include the SS Penticton , SS Aberdeen , SS Kaleden , SS Okanagan , SS Naramata , and SS Sicamous . Located in Penticton, the luxurious Incola Hotel was operated by

615-649: The Okanagan Valley and sometimes the Okanagan Country , is a region in the Canadian province of British Columbia defined by the basin of Okanagan Lake and the Canadian portion of the Okanagan River . It is part of the Okanagan Country , extending into the United States as Okanogan County in north-central Washington . According to the 2016 Canadian census, the region's population

656-472: The Okanagan first peoples also form identifiable communities: The Osoyoos and Westbank Indian Reserves have large non-native populations because of band-governed residential and commercial development on their lands. The Osoyoos Indian Reserve leases large swathes of land to commercial vineyard developments and is where 40% of wine grapes used in the Okanagan come from. Ice hockey is a popular sport in

697-615: The SS Naramata provided passenger service to smaller settlements around the lake, as well as excursions for tourists. Many parks and beaches are found along the shores of the lake, which make boating and swimming very popular activities. The lake is home to several species of fish, including rainbow trout and kokanee . It is said by some to be home to its own lake monster – a giant serpent-like creature named Ogopogo . Okanagan Valley The Okanagan ( / ˌ oʊ k ə ˈ n ɑː ɡ ən / OH -kə- NAH -gən ), also called

738-600: The CPR and served to accommodate the various needs of travelers traveling by boat or train. The picture below shows steamboats at Okanagan Landing in 1916. [REDACTED] After the last steamship on the lake, the SS Sicamous , was retired in 1936, ship repairs continued in the yards until the 1960s. The decommissioned land was bought in 1971 by the Okanagan Landing and District Community Association. The association

779-845: The Central Interior to the north, to Fort Vancouver , the HBC's headquarters in the Columbia Department , for passing furs between New Caledonia and the Columbia River for shipment to the Pacific. The trade route lasted until 1846, when the Oregon Treaty laid down the border between British North America and the United States west of the Rocky Mountains on the 49th parallel. The new border cut across

820-523: The East Kootenay, skirting the US border and crossing Osoyoos Lake at Osoyoos, which was a customs post and also the location of the gold commissioner 's office. The Dewdney Trail , surveyed and built by Edgar Dewdney , was constructed to prevent trade in the region from going north-south instead of remaining firmly under British control, and also for military mobility purposes should the need arise. In

861-412: The Shuswap and Okanagan Railway from Sicamous was completed. It was built as a shipyard to construct and maintain the SS Aberdeen , the first Canadian Pacific Railway (CPR) steamship on Okanagan Lake . The post office was opened on October 1, 1898. Okanagan Landing served as a bridge between the CPR boat and train service. Three luxury vessels, a host of smaller passenger and freight boats, as well as

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902-673: The area, now known as Paddlewheel Park. The association holds monthly meetings in the Shipwrights Hall. The hall was burned in 1999 and the new hall opened in April 2000. The station house holds the museum and archives, as well as meeting rooms. Organizations and activities supported by the association include the playground, North Okanagan Sailing Association, Vernon Paddling Center, annual regatta, community potluck suppers, community dances, weekly social bridge games and fall and spring "clean-up" days. Okanagan Lake Okanagan Lake

943-843: The decades following the gold rushes, ranchers, mostly on military land grants, came to settle on Okanagan Lake; notable ones included the Coldstream Ranch near Vernon, the Ellis Ranch , which formed the basis of the City of Penticton once subdivided, and the Richter Ranch , which continues in operation today, in the mountains between the Town of Oliver and the Village of Keremeos in the Similkameen. A mining industry began in

984-572: The east. Despite being located in a xeric shrubland, areas near Osoyoos and Oliver claim to be part of Canada's only desert . Between 2000 BCE and 1900 CE, the climate and vegetation of the Okanagan had changed little. However, historical records from the Pacific Agrifood Research Station in Summerland indicate that the Okanagan climate had warmed by about 1 °C between 1908 and 1994. The Okanagan Valley

1025-605: The entire Columbia River watershed and includes areas east of the Okanogan River in Washington, i.e. the Colville Reservation . At the height of Okanagan culture, about 3000 years ago, it is estimated that 12,000 people lived in this valley and surrounding areas. The Okanagan people employed an adaptive strategy, moving within traditional areas throughout the year to fish, hunt, or collect food, while in

1066-659: The form of a fur trading expedition voyaging north out of Fort Okanogan , a Pacific Fur Company outpost at the confluence of the Okanogan and Columbia Rivers. Within fifteen years, fur traders established, known as the Brigade Trail via the Cariboo Plateau and Thompson Country to Fort Kamloops and through the Okanagan, from Fort Alexandria at the southern end of the New Caledonia fur district in

1107-537: The height of the rush the American adventurers who used the route did not settle because of outright hostilities from the Syilx , whom a few of the parties traversing the trail had harassed and brutalized. A few staked claims around the South Okanagan and Similkameen valleys and found gold and copper in places, with another trail from Fort Hope to newer goldfields at Rock Creek and Wild Horse Creek in

1148-640: The lack of roads in the region made the lake a natural corridor for passenger travel and freight. The Canadian Pacific Railway Lake and River Service was the main carrier on the lakes, providing freight and passenger connections between Penticton , on the Kettle Valley Railway (the Southern Mainline) and Okanagan Landing ( Vernon ) for connections to the CPR Mainline at Sicamous via the Shuswap and Okanagan Railway . Smaller vessels such as

1189-497: The lake include Vernon in the north, Penticton in the south, and Kelowna , as well as the municipalities of Lake Country (north of Kelowna), West Kelowna (west of Kelowna), Peachland (south of West Kelowna), and Summerland (north-west of Penticton). Unincorporated communities include Naramata (north-east of Penticton). Various lake features include Rattlesnake Island (a small island east of Peachland ), Squally Point (a popular cliff-diving area) & Fintry Delta on

1230-567: The lake's south end via a canal through the city of Penticton to Skaha Lake , whence the river continues southwards into the rest of the South Okanagan and through Okanogan County, Washington to its confluence with the Columbia . The lake's maximum depth is 232 metres (761 ft) near Grant Island (Nahun Weenox). There are three other islands: one known as Rattlesnake Island , much farther south by Squally Point. The other two are near Grant Island. They are unnamed and are located just north of

1271-486: The melting ice lobe and streams deposited their loads in them as deltas and accumulations of silt. These accumulations now form the white cliffs which are particularly prominent along the southern end of Okanagan Lake . Geographic features include: The Okanagan has a mild, relatively dry climate that varies depending on latitude. Most of the Okanagan lies within the rain shadow of the Cascade Mountains to

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1312-535: The north-point of Whisky Cove at Carrs Landing. Some areas of the lake have up to 750 metres (2,460 ft) of glacial and post-glacial sediment fill which were deposited during the Pleistocene Epoch . Notable features of the Okanagan Valley include terraces which were formed due to the periodic lowering of the lake's predecessor, glacial Lake Penticton . These terraces are now used extensively for agriculture such as fruit cultivation. Cities bordering

1353-669: The region with WHL team Kelowna Rockets playing in the region's most populated city. The Jr. A teams are the Vernon Vipers , West Kelowna Warriors and the Penticton Vees of the BCHL . Penticton were the 2012 national Jr. A champions, after they ousted the Woodstock Slammers for the title. Jr. B sides Kelowna Chiefs , Sicamous Eagles , Summerland Steam , Osoyoos Coyotes and North Okanagan Knights play in

1394-476: The south of that city. The club lounge and wheelhouse, without any keel or hull, of the SS Okanagan are in the same park as the Sicamous and Naramata . While the last half-century has grown several resource-based enterprises in the region, primarily forestry, though mining had played an important role in earlier times. Favoured by its sunny climate, lakes, and winery attractions, the valley has become

1435-484: The southern Okanagan region, with Fairview , now an empty benchland on the western side of Oliver , the best-known and largest of the boomtowns created in the later part of the 19th century. More farmers, as well as a small service industry, came to meet the needs of the miners. Fruit production is a hallmark of the Okanagan Valley today, but the industry began with difficulty. Commercial orcharding of apples

1476-428: The southwest. Areas in the north end of the valley receive more precipitation and cooler temperatures than areas to the south. Generally, Kelowna is the transition zone between the drier south and the wetter north. The Okanagan north of Kelowna has a humid continental climate ( Köppen : Dfb ) with warm, sometimes hot summers and cold winters with highs around freezing, though mild by Canadian standards. Precipitation

1517-456: The valley, bisecting Osoyoos Lake. To avoid paying tariffs , British traders forged a newer route that bypassed Fort Okanogan via the Fraser Canyon from Spuzzum up over the Cascade Mountains , then via the Nicola, Coldwater and Fraser rivers to Fort Langley instead of to Fort Vancouver, which had come into being in American territory. The Okanagan Valley did not see many more outsiders for

1558-410: The west side. The five-lane William R. Bennett Bridge , a floating bridge with a high boat passage arch connects Kelowna to the city of West Kelowna and the community of Westbank . This bridge replaced the three-lane floating Okanagan Lake Bridge on May 30, 2008, which had a lift span for passage of large boats. During the early days of settlement and development of the Okanagan region,

1599-478: The winter months, they lived in semi-permanent villages of kekulis , a type of pithouse. Today the member bands of the Okanagan Nation Alliance are sovereign nations, with vibrant natural resource and tourism based economies. Their annual August gathering near Vernon is a celebration of the continuance of Syilx life and culture. In 1811, the first non-natives came to the Okanagan Valley, in

1640-423: Was first tried there in 1892, but a series of setbacks prevented the major success of commercial fruit crops until the 1920s. In 1936, the grower-owned BC Tree Fruits Cooperative was established to store, package and sell Okanagan fruit. Until the 1930s, the demand for shipping fruit and other goods did drive a need for ongoing operations of the sternwheeler steamboats that serviced Okanagan Lake , operated by

1681-420: Was formed "To promote recreational, educational and cultural activities in Okanagan Landing and District; to improve the condition of and advance in every way community life and public affairs in the Okanagan Landing and District area and to provide suitable building and grounds for the furtherance of such objects." Okanagan Landing was annexed to the city of Vernon in 1993, but the association continues to maintain

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