COME HOME TO KELOWNA!
The Jewel of the Okanagan
Kelowna and the Okanagan Valley have been deemed as one of the true hot spots in British Columbia and even Canada to reside in or vacation at, as this impressive valley and spectacular lakeside city have so much to offer!
~wine country~
For the past several decades, the Okanagan valley, spanning as far south as Osoyoos, was given the title ‘Napa North’ for the rich opulent VQA (Vinters Quality Alliance) red, white and desert wines that are now carefully cultivated here and make up an essential part of our ‘story.’ Wine lovers come from around the globe to visit the boutique, farmgate and commercial wineries that craft delicious, world-class wines! Local and visiting oenophiles can enjoy daily food and wine tastings, winemaker dinners and the always popular Fall Wine festival! Miles and miles of green, picturesque vineyards adorn the hillsides, above and around our lakes, making our backdrop, nothing short of spectacular!
~outdoor activities / preferred climate~
Long ‘touted’ as Canada’s 4 season playground, the Okanagan Valley provides the ideal climate and natural landscape to spring-ski in the morning and play a round of golf in the afternoon! Every outdoor activity imaginable can be enjoyed here; either on the lake, the ski hill, the golf course or on the many hiking and biking trails that meander thru and around Kelowna. One of the valley’s most prized attributes is the 135 km long, Okanagan lake, as it spans from Penticton to Vernon! Countless water sports from SUP, waterskiing, wake boarding, swimming, kayaking and simply ‘bobbing around’ are all favourite past times. Early springtimes, long, hot leisurely summers, colourful autumns and crisp, mild winters mean local residents can explore and enjoy each of our Canadian seasons to the fullest!
~abundance of orchards~
Father Pandosy, a Catholic priest who settled in the valley in 1859, was the first to plant apple trees for his new mission. Recognizing the value of the fertile soils, commercial orchards sprang up 30 years later and would begin a relevant and fundamental industry for the Okanagan, to this day. Vibrant orchards bursting with apples, cherries, peaches, plums, pears and nearly any other fruit you can think of, is grown fresh and in abundance around the Okanagan. Eating fresh and local was never so easy at the many fresh fruit and vegetable stands that are sprinkled throughout the valley.
~burgeoning industries~
Kelowna has captured the interest of a number of significant technology companies, who now make this lakeside city, their home base. It’s reported that Kelowna now employs over 7,200 employees who are directly involved in Tech companies.
Additionally, every September Kelowna welcomes 10,000 students who, for the next 8 months will call Kelowna home and UBCO their Alma mater. Located north of the city, near the Kelowna airport, UBCO has become a small city unto itself with residences, condominiums as well as nearby shoppes and restaurants that make student life, a little bit more convenient.
~international airport~
YVR or Kelowna International Airport is one of the fastest growing airports in Canada! It welcomes over 2 million travellers per year with an ever-increasing number of airlines and direct flights to/from cities all around the globe, making the Okanagan more accessible than ever.
