Beautiful Okanagan Country and Okanagan Valley

"Canada's California"

The Okanagan, also known as the Okanagan Valley and sometimes as Okanagan Country, is a famous region located in British Columbia, some 400 km east of Vancouver. The Okanagan Valley is defined by the basin of Okanagan Lake and the Canadian portion of the Okanagan River. Its name originates from a native Indian word meaning "transport toward the top end".

Okanagan Valley, near Kelowna Photo source: City of Kelowna

Climate and Scenery

The south of the region is world-renowned for its mild, dry and sunny climate, short and moderate winters, and healthy air. Summers are warm here, with tropical temperatures for about one third of the season, reaching 30 degrees Celsius or higher. In fact, the dry conditions in the southern part of the Okanagan create a true desert in the area around the city of Osoyoos.

Spring and Fall are very pleasant, with warm days and cool nights. Because of its moderate climate, the Okanagan is often compared to parts of California, especially the Napa Valley. The North is cooler and in the winter offers some of Canada's finest skiing and snowboarding environments.

The Okanagan is also world-famous for its stunning scenery, dominated by lakes surrounded by mountains, clear rivers meandering through spectacular landscape, over 50 provincial parks, and some of the most beautiful trails and forests found anywhere.

Outdoors, Sports and Recreation

The economy is retirement-oriented and commercial-recreation based, and the opportunities for outdoor recreation in the Okanagan Region are almost limitless, with an abundance of activities such as boating, sailing, river rafting, and other water sports. Houseboating is very popular in the summer, and for swimmers a beach is close at hand wherever they go. Hiking, and other summer activities like camping, horseback riding and even paragliding are popular. Golf is big all over the Okanagan, and many spectacular golf courses, including several world-class ones, await beginners and avid players alike.

In the winter, 6 ski resorts offer some of the most spectacular skiing in the country. Cross-country skiing, snow-boarding, and even heli-skiing are big hits in the Okanagan, too.

Quality of life is high, and there are lots of activities for everyone, the relaxed and the active.

The Okanagan is also famous for its orchards, vineyards and fine wines - likely another reason why it is compared to California's Napa Valley. Year-round wine festivals with literally hundreds of events pay homage to the region's high quality wines.

People

The region's population is approximately 300,000. The largest city is Kelowna (Population: 113,000). Other main cities are Vernon and Penticton.

Seniors are particularly interested in moving to the region, and their interest is a key force that drives construction of new resort and residential developments.

Did you know...? The population of the Okanagan grew almost twice as fast as in the rest of the province in 2006.

Education

The Okanagan has 9 School Districts for ages K - 12 and 2 University Campuses for students. For knowledge-minded and intellectually active adults, Continued Education courses are offered as well.

Economy and Business

Key industries in the region include forestry, mining and manufacturing, but tourism and the growing retirement industry are also major contributors to the economy of the Thompson Okanagan.

Employment opportunities have increased steadily in the Okanagan Valley over the past five years, and job growth is expected to be strong in the region through to 2011.

Transportation and Accessibility

Easily accessible air, car and rail routes through the Okanagan Region connect this area with the rest of British Columbia, Alberta, the rest of Canada, the USA, and the world.

Highways

Highway 1, the Trans-Canada Highway, is a national transportation corridor connecting the country from coast to coast. It connects the Okanagan Region to the Vancouver and Metro area through the Fraser Canyon, then runs across the region's northern border through Revelstoke and Golden, connecting the Okanagan with Alberta to the east.

Highway 3, also known as the Crowsnest Highway, is a major regional transportation corridor connecting the Okanagan from west to east. It stretches approximately 1,200 kilometres from Hope, B.C. to Medicine Hat, Alberta.

Highway 5, the Coquihalla Highway, is a major transportation corridor connecting the Okanagan with the Southwest and the Lower Mainland. It is 195 kilometres long, stretching from Hope to Kamloops.

Highway 97C is a 220-kilometre highway that connects Kelowna to the Coquihalla Highway through a junction with Highway 5 at Merritt. It is also known as the Coquihalla Connector.

Highway 6 is a two-lane highway connecting the Thompson Okanagan Region with the Kootenay Region through the Monashee Mountains, at Lumby.

Highway 97 is a key north-south transportation corridor in the province. It runs from the Canada-United States border in the south to the B.C. - Yukon border in the north. The stretch of Highway 97 known as the Okanagan Highway runs from the Canada-United States border, through Osoyoos and Oliver, and north to Cache Creek.

Airports

There are four airports serving the Thompson Okanagan Region. The Kelowna International Airport is considered one of Canada's top ten airports, with a volume of more than one million passengers annually. The Kamloops Regional Airport is currently undergoing a $20 million expansion to extend its runways to allow international flights. The Penticton Regional Airport connects the interior to the Southwest/Mainland and to Alaska. The Vernon Regional Airport services the aviation industry with maintenance and manufacturing facilities.

Railways

VIA Rail provides train service from Vancouver to Toronto, through the Okanagan region, and stops in Kamloops.

Canadian National Railway and Canadian Pacific Railway have rail routes through the Okanagan, connecting throughthe region both north-south and east-west, to move container traffic from the ports of Vancouver and Prince Rupert to the B.C. Interior and to points across North America.

Source: British Columbia Government

Okanagan Resources

1. Chamber of Commerce

2. City of Vernon