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77-582: Penticton ( / p ɛ n ˈ t ɪ k t ən / pen- TIK -tən ) is a city in the Okanagan Valley of the Southern Interior of British Columbia , Canada, situated between Okanagan and Skaha lakes. In the 2016 Canadian Census , its population was 33,761, while its census agglomeration population was 43,432. The name Penticton is derived from a word in the Okanagan language . It

154-587: 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

231-660: A maximum north–south distance of 7 km (4.3 mi) wide between the Okanagan Lake to the north and Skaha Lake to the south; these lakes are part of the drainage system of the Okanagan River , a tributary of the Columbia River . Its borders are formed by Skaha Lake Road to the south and west, which changes to Highway 97 after city limits, Naramata Road to the east, and to the west, Highway 97. Penticton has an elevation of 385 m (1,263 ft), and

308-649: A multi-use recreational trail, known as the Kettle Valley Rail Trail, which carries the Trans Canada Trail through this part of British Columbia. It was incorporated as a city on May 10, 1948, with the Governor General of Canada declaring this. Reeve Robert Lyon served Penticton as the first mayor, while Lord Alexander was made a freeman of the city. During a series of church fires in 2021–thought to be associated with

385-491: 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

462-1131: A private dwelling is $ 359,167, just under the national median of $ 374,975. The median age is 52.4, much higher than the national median age of 41.2. 29.0 per cent of residents are 65 years or older, compared to 16.9 per cent nationally. In 2024 The median value of a single family home is is Priced at $ 750,000 cad As of 2021, 84.3 per cent of residents are white, while 8.9 per cent are visible minorities , and 6.8 per cent are Indigenous . The largest visible minority groups in Penticton are South Asian (3.2 per cent), Filipino (1.4  per cent), Chinese (1.0  per cent), and Black (0.7  per cent), and Japanese (0.5  per cent). As of 2016, 86.4  per cent of residents spoke English as their first language. Other common mother tongues are German (2.2  per cent), Punjabi (1.8  per cent), French (1.8  per cent), Portuguese (0.7  per cent) and Tagalog (0.6  per cent). According to

539-710: 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

616-781: 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

693-603: Is a featured route in BC Ale Trails. The Kettle Valley Rail Trail , with trail heads leading to more than 160 km (99 mi) of flat, railbed trails for hiking and biking, can be accessed from Penticton. This trail is part of the Trans Canada Trail . The Electric Utility is owned and operated by the City of Penticton, providing electrical service to the community's residential, commercial and industrial customers. Mass local transit in Penticton and Okanagan-Similkameen

770-719: 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

847-528: Is conventionally translated as "a place to stay forever" but is actually a reference to the year-round flow of Okanagan Lake through Penticton where it enters Skaha Lake. Differing accounts of the meaning are given in the BC Geographical Names entry for the city: Place where water passes beyond. From the Indian name Pente-hik-ton , "ever" or "forever", referring to the constant, steady flow of

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924-604: 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

1001-652: Is home to a Sprott Shaw College campus, and an Okanagan College campus, the latter of which, in 2010, had an enrolment of 610. It also contains the Okanagan Hockey School , which has had partnerships with professional hockey teams, such as the Vancouver Canucks . The Penticton Public Library was founded in 1909; from 1948 to 1968, it was a part of the Okanagan Regional Library. In 1968, a successful referendum separated

1078-511: 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

1155-879: Is in the Special Needs Hockey League (SNHL). The Penticton Pinnacles are a soccer team that were established in 1997 that play at the Kings Park for the Pacific Coast Soccer League (PCSL), the Penticton Pistoleras, a local roller derby team part of the South Okanagan Roller Derby Association, and Penticton Harlequins, a local rugby team in the British Columbia Rugby Union , also play tournaments for

1232-691: Is offered by the South Okanagan-Similkameen Transit System under the BC Transit label, operating on six routes. There is also a service for people who are unable to use regular transit, HandyDART . The bus transportation system is funded by Penticton, Okanagan-Similkameen, and BC Transit. Its services are provided to points of interest, such as the Cherry Lane Shopping Centre Downtown Penticton. as well as traversing

1309-665: Is situated five hours from Seattle , Washington , and Vancouver , British Columbia in another direction; and eight hours from Calgary , Alberta , by highway. Penticton is the largest city by area and population in, and the seat of, the Okanagan-Similkameen Regional District , which is part of the Okanagan as a whole, for which the city is the third largest in the region. It is the 21st largest settlement in British Columbia itself by population, while its metropolitan area, including

1386-511: 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

1463-607: 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

1540-454: The 2021 Canadian census conducted by Statistics Canada , Penticton had a population of 36,885 living in 17,361 of its 18,457 total private dwellings, a change of 9.3 per cent from its 2016 population of 33,761. With a land area of 43.03 km (16.61 sq mi), it had a population density of 857.2/km (2,220.1/sq mi) in 2021. In 2016. Penticton has a dwelling occupancy rate of 93.2 per cent. The median value of

1617-442: The 2021 census , religious groups in Penticton included: As of 2011, 52.9 per cent of residents were Christian. The largest denominations were Catholic (15.8 per cent), other Christian (14.5  per cent) United Church (8.6  per cent), Anglican (4.7 per cent), and Baptist (2.0 per cent) The largest minority religions were Sikhism , practised by 1.7 per cent of

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1694-507: The British Columbia government based on statistics from Environment and Climate Change Canada. Despite having a mild winter by Canadian standards, Penticton often sees moderate stretches of below freezing weather, typically confined to December and January. The highest temperature ever recorded in Penticton was 44.2 °C (111.6 °F) on June 30, 2021 , and the lowest was −27.6 °C (−17.7 °F) on January 13, 2024. In

1771-767: 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

1848-417: 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

1925-548: The Penticton Indian Band , a First Nations government part of the Okanagan Nation Alliance situated near Penticton. In 1866, Irishman Thomas Ellis and his family travelled to Penticton, and became the first white settlers. He started to develop a community by building a cattle empire, and planting fruit trees. The Penticton Hotel was established in 1892 by Ellis, who positioned it around

2002-563: The SS Sicamous came to the community, while the Kettle Valley Railway train service began operating, by moving specific passengers. In 1949, Penticton purchased the ship from the Canadian Pacific Railway. The Penticton Regional Airport was developed during World War II due to wartime military air transportation concerns, which acted as an emergency landing strip until its tarmac was completed. Its land

2079-500: The Syilx (Okanagan people), of the Interior Salish languages group, who initially named the community Phthauntac, meaning the "ideal meeting place", followed by Penticton, meaning a "place to stay forever", or officially "a place where people live year-round" in the Okanagan language . They settled around the city's two lakes: Skaha Lake and Okanagan Lake ; the former was originally known as Dog Lake. Their descendants form

2156-549: The Trans Canada Trail , and Kettle Valley Railway ; the former was formed throughout Canada, while the latter runs through Penticton and nearby Kelowna . Rock climbing area Skaha Bluffs is located south of city centre on a hillside above the Skaha Lake in the Skaha Bluffs Provincial Park . With over 1,200 documented routes, it is the second most popular rock climbing area in British Columbia, after

2233-554: The UBC Okanagan Heat university program. The continued growth and operation of the agricultural industry in the Okanagan absolutely depends on the employment of temporary migrant workers. In 2009, there were 3,000 Mexican migrant labourers working in the Okanagan. War Measures Act Too Many Requests If you report this error to the Wikimedia System Administrators, please include

2310-421: The 2016/2017 school year School District 67 operated 10 elementary schools, 3 middle schools, and 3 high schools. Penticton has three independent schools; Penticton Christian School, Holy Cross School, and Concordia Lutheran School. The Conseil scolaire francophone de la Colombie-Britannique operates two Francophone schools: école Entre-lacs primary school and the école secondaire de Penticton . The city

2387-907: 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

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2464-523: 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

2541-534: The Highway 97 can also be accessed. It is served by the Penticton Airport , a regional airport located 1.8 nautical miles (3.3 km; 2.1 mi) southwest of city centre. In 2018 a $ 6million upgrade to the facility was initiated to expand the departure and arrivals lounges as well as increase capacity for managing passenger flow. Although it has historically provided flights to several destinations,

2618-562: The Monashee Mountains. Penticton has a semi-arid climate ( Köppen climate classification BSk ). Penticton has low precipitation, hot summer days with cool nights, and moderately cool, mostly cloudy winters. With 346.0 mm (13.62 in) of annual precipitation, Penticton is the fourth driest city in Canada. It averages 58.7 cm (23.1 in) of snowfall per year. Penticton has the mildest winter of any non-coastal city in Canada. The high daytime temperatures throughout

2695-616: The Okanagan River out of the lake.... applied by the Indians to the locality at the outlet of the lake, meaning that the stream ran on ever, or forever, in contrast to other streams which dried up during the summer (6th Report of the Okanagan Historical Society); compare with: "Derives from the Okanagan word Sin-peen-tick-tin, loosely translatable as 'permanent place'." The site of the city was first settled by

2772-728: The Peach City Beach Cruise, and the Elvis Festival, which was featured in the Summer 2006 issue of British Columbia Magazine . Penticton was home to the Ironman Canada race; the final Penticton Ironman was held in 2024. Penticton offers many kinds of recreation, including skiing at the Apex Mountain Resort ski area; boating and fishing on Skaha Lake and Okanagan Lake , golfing on

2849-570: The Penticton Airport and is home base to HNZ Topflight, an advanced helicopter flight training school operated by HNZ . In early 1975, residents of the Penticton area travelled to Japan , in order to search for business opportunities. They met Kaneyasa Marutani, the mayor of Ikeda , Hokkaido , a town in the Nakagawa regional district of Japan. He claimed that the town was proposing a sister city relationship, and stated that Penticton

2926-643: The Penticton Community Centre is a modern facility with many health, fitness and recreation options. The Penticton Community Centre is located at 325 Power Street. In September 2006, Penticton residents voted 80.3 per  in favour of the construction of the South Okanagan Events Centre (SOEC). The $ 73 million arena, sports complex and convention centre is the home of the BCHL's Penticton Vees , named in honour of

3003-956: The Smoke Bluffs in Squamish . Penticton is served by School District 67 Okanagan Skaha , a school district with education institutions also based in nearby communities Naramata , Kaleden , and Summerland ; its head office is held in Penticton itself. The district administers children from kindergarten to grade 12 locally, those of which are between kindergarten to grade five attend elementary schools, while children in grades between grade six to eight attend middle schools; ninth to 12th graders are served by secondary schools. School District 67 Okanagan Skaha currently maintains 11 elementary schools, four middle schools, and three secondary schools, including Penticton Secondary School and Princess Margaret Secondary School . On June 30, 2016, School District 67 closed McNicoll Park Middle School. During

3080-1106: The Super League Penticton Triathlon, the Valley First Granfondo Axel Merckx Okanagan, the Okanagan Wine Festival, the Okanagan Children's Festival, Meadowlark Nature Festival, Which takes place on the May long weekend Fest-of-Ale BC, the Penticton Peach Festival (commonly known as "Peachfest"), the Miss Penticton Pageant, which takes place during the Penticton Peach Festival, the Pentastic Hot Jazz Festival,

3157-411: The airport currently offers flights to the Vancouver International Airport , which are provided by Air Canada Express ; these services are provided three to four times daily, while the exception of Sunday, when two flights are available. WestJet Encore flies twice daily to its Calgary hub. The city is also home to the Penticton Water Aerodrome ( TC LID : CAH8 ), a water aerodrome situated adjacent to

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3234-401: The area's many courses, hiking and biking the Kettle Valley Railway Trail, and rock climbing at Skaha Bluffs . In the summer many people enjoy floating down the river channel that connects Okanagan Lake and Skaha Lake. It is home to the BCHL hockey team Penticton Vees who play throughout the winter season, and the PCSL soccer team Penticton Pinnacles, who play May–July. Completed in 2011,

3311-484: The area. A group of residents formed their own local public government board for the community, by 1907, in the hopes of promoting the area. It was referred to as the Board of Trade, who attempted to specialize in arts, commerce, education, and recreation. Another sternwheeler was constructed at Okanagan Landing and launched that same year, the SS Okanagan , for use on Okanagan Lake, while other sternwheelers served Penticton and other communities on Skaha Lake. Penticton

3388-426: The city plus Okanagan-Similkameen Electoral Area D, serves as the 71st largest in Canada ; by area, Penticton ranks 20th in its province; statistics are based on the 2011 Canadian Census . It lies at the south bottom of Okanagan Lake, and north beginning of Skaha Lake. Between Okanagan Lake and Skaha Lake are a number of residential areas, farms, which grow orchard and wine products. Pine and fir are commonly found in

3465-417: The city, including Okanagan Lake Beach, Skaha Lake Beach, Airport Beach, Marina Way Beach, Okanagan Lake Park Beach, Sudbury Beach, and Three Mile Beach. The larger metropolitan area contains the Okanagan Falls Provincial Park , located in the unincorporated community Okanagan Falls . Penticton maintains a policy on dogs that are allowed at parks or beaches. Other public spaces include trails, such as part of

3542-449: The city; the South Okanagan Event Centre serves as both of their venues. Beside team sports, the city hosted the 2010 British Columbia Scotties Tournament of Hearts , 2010 World Junior A Challenge , 2013 Continental Cup of Curling ., the 2016 BC Winter Games , the 2017 International Triathlon Union Multisport World Championships and Curling Canada 's 2018 Scotties Tournament of Hearts . Penticton hosts many events annually, among them

3619-439: 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

3696-480: The distance lake to lake. A number of parks and recreation transportation services are offered in the city, including trails, such as part of the Trans Canada Trail , and Kettle Valley Railway ; the former runs through Canada, while the latter runs through Penticton, and Kelowna. Headquarters for the trail was chosen to be in Penticton in 1910, but the location burnt down in 1964. The city has access to transportation corridors running north, south, east, and west, while

3773-473: The downtown section of Main St. Two markets, the Downtown Community Market and the Penticton Farmers Market combine to form one of the largest outdoor market events in BC. Visitors come from all around for this Saturday event which sees about 8,000 visitors at its peak in July–August. The Penticton Art Gallery (formerly the Art Gallery of the South Okanagan) is a registered not-for-profit charitable organization. Exhibits feature international and local artists, and

3850-425: 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

3927-412: 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

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4004-414: 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

4081-425: The gallery offers art workshops and seasonal events. During the winter holidays, there is a special "art under $ 500" event. Penticton is the hub of wine tourism in the Okanagan Valley , with 120 wineries within an hour's drive and over 40 wineries within city limits. Craft beer, distilled spirits, and cider are also widely manufactured. Penticton is known for its early involvement in the craft brewing movement and

4158-417: 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

4235-404: The latter played in the arena of the neighbouring Okanagan Hockey School. The former were founded in 1961, and have won the Doyle Cup , and Royal Bank Cup , while the latter were established in 2009. The Penticton Upperdeck Vees are also a junior ice hockey that were founded in 2008, and also play at the South Okanagan Events Centre; people who have special needs are part of the team's squad, which

4312-439: The library from the Okanagan Regional Library. The city hosts games played by ice hockey teams Penticton Vees , a junior "A" team in the British Columbia Hockey League , and one of the most successful Junior A teams in Canadian history. (BCHL), The city formerly hosted the Penticton Lakers , a junior "B" team in the Kootenay International Junior Hockey League (KIJHL). The Vees play at the South Okanagan Events Centre , while

4389-497: The local government area, and its first road: Front Street. The sidewalks on the street were made from wood, with coal oil lamps being introduced to the sidewalk. Ellis and his relatives retired in 1892, and sold a portion of their land to property dealers. Around this time, a number of European fur traders travelled through Penticton and the surrounding communities. The sternwheeler SS Aberdeen , which began service on Okanagan Lake in 1892, meant that more services could be shipped to

4466-419: 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

4543-446: The morning throughout the year, but afternoon mean relative humidity is more uneven, ranging from 36 per cent in July to 69 per cent in January and December. The local and upcoming weather of Penticton is observed at the Penticton Regional Airport by Environment and Climate Change Canada . It typically experiences four distinct seasons annually, having hot summers, relatively mild winters, and little snow, according to

4620-419: The mountains and high country around Penticton, which include the Okanagan Highland , and to its east, the Monashee Mountains . Apex Mountain Resort , which sits 33 km (21 mi) west of the city on the Thompson Plateau , is home to the tallest mountain peak in the Penticton area; ski services are offered. The Okanagan Highland is an intermediary plateau-like hilly country between the Okanagan Valley and

4697-558: The outrage following the discovery of many burials at Canadian Indian residential school sites –Sacred Heart Mission Church in Penticton was burned on 21 June 2021. Sacred Heart Mission was one of two Catholic churches burned that day, the other roughly 40 minutes away on Osoyoos land. Penticton is located at the geographical coordinates of 49°29′28″N 119°35′19″W  /  49.49111°N 119.58861°W  / 49.49111; -119.58861  ( Penticton ) and covers an area of 42.10 km (16.25 sq mi), with

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4774-461: The population and Buddhism , practised by 0.5 per cent, while 43.5 per cent held no religious affiliation. According to SkyscraperPage , there are eight notable buildings in Penticton, the largest of which are the Lakeshore buildings, which are 15 floors, with the building's construction by concrete completing in 2008. The building is associated with an engineering organization, construction company, and real estate agency, but

4851-426: 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

4928-582: The respective locations annually. In 1993, there was consideration for building a Japanese garden in Penticton, in order to honour their agreement, with the garden's construction beginning in 1997. It is known as the Penticton–Ikeda Japanese Garden. Okanagan 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

5005-517: The senior hockey team that won the 1955 Ice Hockey World Championships against Russia. The SOEC also serves as a summer or early fall training facility for the Vancouver Canucks . It has boosted the city's convention market and is a popular venue for concert tours and other special events. Notable shows hosted at the SOEC in recent years have been Rihanna , Ringo Starr & His All-Starr Band , Def Leppard , Carrie Underwood and several Cirque du Soleil shows. From May–October, outdoor markets fill

5082-416: 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

5159-419: 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

5236-428: 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

5313-403: The summer means that Penticton has on average the second most number of days in a year over 30 °C (86 °F) (after Kamloops ) and the city has the lowest amount of fog in Canada. Penticton experiences 1,923 sunshine hours annually, lower than one might expect in a dry climate. This is the result of temperature inversions during the winter that leave a layer of cloud cover at the top of

5390-492: The valley where warm moist air collides with the cooler dry air that fills the valley. During December and January, Penticton is one of the cloudiest places in Canada. By contrast, the summer months are some of the most cloud-free in the country. Overall the sun shines for 39 per cent of daylight hours, varying between a low of 13 per cent in December and January to 62.6 per cent in August. Mean relative humidity hovers between 63–77 per cent in

5467-403: 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

5544-467: 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

5621-488: Was a reasonable option, due to its similarities with winery production, cattle industry, and geographic features. Later that year, residents of the Ikeda area toured Penticton and met with the government of Penticton, reaching a decision to become a sister city in 1977. Since 1977, Penticton has served as a sister city of Ikeda. The relationship is one of the oldest in Canada, with a number of residents having exchanged visits to

5698-625: Was expropriated from the Penticton Indian Band in 1949 under the War Measures Act . In 1948, a provincial highway opened between Hope and Princeton , which allowed access to Penticton, and created competition for the Kettle Valley Railway; headquarters for the railway were chosen to be in Penticton, in 1910, but the location burnt down in 1964. Much of the railroad's original route has been converted to

5775-423: 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

5852-494: Was incorporated as a district municipality on December 31, 1908. Shortly after the district was incorporated, the fruit trees planted by Ellis, many of them apple trees, started to grow. Residents of the area packed fruit in boxes, so they could distribute it worldwide. In 1912, the Canadian Pacific Railway (CPR) developed the Incola Hotel for the city, which operated for approximately 70 years. During World War I,

5929-599: Was made for residential use. At ten stories each, The Athens Creek Tower and Alysen Place are tied for Penticton's second-tallest building. The third-largest building, Cherry Lane Towers, is eight floors, and is also residential. Due to its warm climate, the city has a diverse array of public spaces, from parks to hiking trails. It is home to ten public parks, including Gyro Park, Lakawanna Park, Marina Way Park, Okanagan Lake Park, Penticton Youth Park, Rose Garden, Rotary Centennial Pavilion, Rotary Park, Skaha Lake Park, and Munson Mountain. There are also seven beaches situated in

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