Kelowna in British Columbia, Canada, on Okanagan Lake. Kelowna is a tourist resort and serves as a trade center for a fruit-growing and lumbering area. Other industries include wine making and machine-shop working.

It is the seat of the Regional District of Central Okanagan, and the third-largest metropolitan area in British Columbia (aside from Vancouver and Victoria).

First settled by missionaries in 1859, Kelowna was officially incorporated in 1905. Neighbouring towns include Westbank to the west, Peachland to the southwest, Vernon to the north and Penticton south of Peachland.

Kelowna is well known for producing wines that have a worldwide reputation. Vineyards are common anywhere around and south of the city where the climate is ideal for the many wineries. Notable ones would include the Mission Hill Estate Winery, specifically for its unique architectual design. However at least two major wineries were damaged or destroyed in the Okanagan Mountain Park Fire.

For years, only one road major highway passed through the city of Kelowna: Highway 97. The road itself is good, but its connections to all points east and west in the province were only managed by using the slow, curving Trans Canada Highway and the Crowsnest Highway.

As the Okanagan Valley is a popular getaway for residents in Vancouver, a new freeway was built into the BC interior in 1986, shaving off over two hours of travel time between the two major destinations. This freeway, starting in Hope is known as the Coquihalla Highway (Hwy 5), and terminates in Kamloops. Highway 5 is a toll highway for both directions, with each way costing $10 for a typical passenger vehicle.

Back to: Explore Canada