The Okanagan ( / ˌ oʊ k ə ˈ n ɑː ɡ ən / OH -kə- NAH -gən ), also called 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 is 362,258. The largest populated cities are Kelowna , Penticton , Vernon , and West Kelowna .
49-497: 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 a recent shift in focus to vineyards and wine . The region stretches northwards via the Spallumcheen Valley to Sicamous in
98-521: A mudslide with a 180-metre (590 ft) wide swath of debris that extended over kilometres of vineyards and shut down the major roadway through the area. More than 16 hectares (40 acres) of vineyards were damaged by over 240,000 cubic metres (310,000 cu yd) of mud and rock. Nearly every style of wine is produced across the whole spectrum of sweetness levels that include still, sparkling , fortified and dessert wines —most notably ice wines . There are more than 60 grape varieties grown in
147-533: A continental climate that is moderated by the deep Okanagan Lake and its connected bodies of water in the valley, Skaha Lake , Vaseux Lake and Osoyoos Lake as parts of the Okanagan Basin . The Cascade and Coast Mountains create a rain shadow effect shared by adjoining areas of Eastern Washington . This leaves the Okanagan with low annual precipitation totals that range from below 250 millimetres (9.8 in)in
196-566: 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
245-433: 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
294-746: 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
343-431: A surface area of 348 km (135 sq. mi.). Okanagan Lake 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
392-536: Is Canada 's second-largest wine producing area. Along with the nearby Similkameen Valley , the approximately 8,619 acres (3,488 hectares) of vineyards planted in the Okanagan (2018 data) account for more than 80% of all wine produced in British Columbia, and are second in economic importance for wine production to the Niagara Peninsula of Ontario . Some 182 licensed wineries existed from south to north in
441-668: Is a celebration of the continuance of Syilx life and culture. In 1811, the first non-natives came to the Okanagan Valley, in 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
490-723: Is drained by the Okanagan River , which exits 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
539-559: 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 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
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#1732829687862588-544: 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 the melting ice lobe and streams deposited their loads in them as deltas and accumulations of silt. These accumulations now form
637-593: 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
686-741: 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
735-467: 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
784-664: 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 is derived from the Okanagan-language place name ukʷnaqín . An alternative explanation from Washington
833-612: 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 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,
882-556: 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. Okanagan Valley (wine region) The Okanagan Valley wine region , located within the region of the same name in the British Columbia Interior ,
931-772: The United States west of the Rocky Mountains on the 49th parallel. The new border cut across 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
980-612: The 1850s, with the establishment of Okanagan Mission and the planting of grapevines to supply sacramental wines . In the early 20th century, prohibition in Canada wiped out many of the Okanagan's earliest wineries and the commercial wine industry in the area was not revived until the 1930s. From this time through the mid-1970s, the Okanagan wine industry was based entirely on the production of fruit wines and those produced from hybrid grapes . The Okanagan wine industry has been developed to include dining experiences for pairing wine with farm-to-plate foods. The first vineyard planted in
1029-404: The 20th century after prohibition ended in 1933, what limited wine production that took place in the Okanagan was mostly fruit wines made from berries, apples, cherries or even table grapes . One winery, Calona Wines founded in 1932, still remains from that period and was the first commercial winery in British Columbia and remains the oldest continuously running winery in the province. Eventually
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#17328296878621078-558: The Canadian markets to American wines from California , Oregon and Washington . The competition from imported wines spurred the Canadian government to implement a vine pulling scheme with grants for growers who uprooted their hybrid and labrusca vines and replaced them with vinifera . In June 2010, several vineyards in the southern Okanagan near Oliver were devastated by a dam failure that released 20,000 cubic metres (710,000 cu ft) of water down Testalinda Creek , triggering
1127-406: The Canadian wine industry. Recent plantings include Sangiovese , Syrah , Tempranillo , Trebbiano , Pinotage , Malbec , Barbera and Zinfandel . The region stretches 160 kilometres (99 mi) north from the Canada–United States border with Washington state and is located 400 kilometres east of Vancouver between the 49th and 50th parallel north , putting it in the same latitude with
1176-513: 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
1225-536: The European wine regions of Champagne and Rheingau . While not yet divided into sub-appellations , the British Columbia Wine Institute lists seven Okanagan viticultural regions: Lake Country/North Okanagan, Kelowna -Central Okanagan, West Kelowna- Mount Boucherie , Summerland - Peachland , Penticton - Naramata , Okanagan Falls , Oliver /Golden Mile and Black Sage/ Osoyoos . The Okanagan has
1274-599: The Okanagan and encouraged more growers to consider planting German grape varieties and provided clones of Pinot blanc , Pinot gris and Gewürtztraminer that were developed at the Geisenheim Grape Breeding Institute and bred to withstand the cold, winter temperatures of the Okanagan. Further impetus for the planting of vinifera came in the late 1980s when Canada entered into the North American Free Trade Agreement that opened up
1323-437: The Okanagan including Merlot , Cabernet Sauvignon , Pinot noir , Pinot gris , Chardonnay , Auxerrois blanc , Marechal Foch and Cabernet Franc . Additionally many German varieties are still found throughout the Okanagan including Riesling , Gewürztraminer , Bacchus , Optima , Ehrenfelser , Kerner , Siegerebe . In the 21st century, growers have been planting more warm climate varieties typically not associated with
1372-582: The Okanagan was at the Oblate Mission in Kelowna in 1859, planted by French Catholic priest Charles Pandosy and was solely intended for the production of sacramental wine for the celebration of the Eucharist . Several small vineyards, planted mostly with Vitis labrusca operated until prohibition in the United States in the 1920s encouraged the uprooting and replanting with other agricultural crops. For most of
1421-795: The Okanagan, from Fort Alexandria at the southern end of the New Caledonia fur district in 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
1470-600: 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 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
1519-803: 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
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1568-417: 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
1617-684: 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
1666-497: 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
1715-417: The last winter to cause severe cold damage to vines was 1978. The average daytime temperatures during the growing season months of July and August are hot, often above 30 °C (86 °F) in the southern valley to higher 20s°C in the northern valley. Temperatures may surpass 40 °C (104 °F), often exceeding 35 °C (95 °F) for several days in a row. The region's northerly latitude allows
1764-584: 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
1813-643: 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
1862-708: 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 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
1911-470: 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
1960-616: 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 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
2009-419: 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
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2058-604: The southern tip of the region around Osoyoos to 400 millimetres (16 in) in the northern part of the region between Kelowna and Vernon . This means most vineyards require irrigation from nearby water sources. Like many wine regions with continental climates, the Okanagan may experience winters that are moderately cold, but generally short-lived. During extreme cold snaps, temperatures can fall as low as −25 °C (−13 °F). One such cold snap occurred in December 2022, causing significant damage and reduced production. Before that,
2107-533: The use of French-American hybrid grapes, such as Marechal Foch and Vidal blanc took hold, led by the Stewarts of Quails' Gate Estate Winery . In the mid-1970s, several growers began experimenting with plantings of Vitis vinifera . The Osoyoos Indian band established the first commercial vineyard dedicated to vinifera varieties with plantings of Riesling, Ehrenfelser and Scheurebe. In 1976, notable German viticulturalist and grape breeder Helmut Becker visited
2156-417: The valley in 2018, with many situated along the 135 km (84 mi)-long Okanagan Lake and its tributaries and downstream lakes, including Skaha Lake , Vaseux Lake , and Osoyoos Lake . The Okanagan has diverse terrain that features many different microclimates and vineyard soil types, contributing characteristics which are part of an Okanagan terroir . Wine production in the Okanagan dates to
2205-450: 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 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
2254-413: The vines to experience longer hours of daylight than the more southerly vineyards of California, with the Okanagan summer providing some 14 hours daily of direct sun. Okanagan Lake Okanagan Lake ( Okanagan : kɬúsx̌nítkw ) is a lake in the Okanagan Valley of British Columbia , Canada. The lake is 135 km (84 mi) long, between 4 and 5 km (2.5 and 3.1 mi) wide, and has
2303-410: 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,
2352-406: 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 the southwest. Areas in the north end of the valley receive more precipitation and cooler temperatures than areas to
2401-422: 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
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