Did you know the following interesting facts about Kelowna, BC?

Did you know the following interesting facts about Kelowna:

• Kelowna was founded in 1905 and until 1925, it was entirely dependent on water transportation for all freight and passenger movement.
• The word Kelowna means Grizzly Bear in Native/First Nations dialect.
• Kelowna's total land area is 221.69 square kilometers.
• Kelowna is located in British Columbia's Central Okanagan Regional District.
• Kelowna is 471 kilometers east of Vancouver,BC.
• Kelowna BC is 606 kilometers west of Calgary Alberta, 78 kilometers north of Penticton BC, and 54 kilometers south of Vernon BC.
• With a population of more than 106,000, Kelowna is the largest city in British Columbia’s Okanagan Valley.
• The Okanagan Lake Bridge which connects West bank and Kelowna was opened on July 19, 1958 and operated as a toll bridge until April 1st, 1963. The Okanagan Lake Bridge was replaced by the William Bennett Bridge in May 2008. This new bridge has played an integral part in joining Kelowna and Westbank/West Kelowna.
• There are approximately 44,985 residential homes in Kelowna,BC and in 2008 32,385 were occupant owned and 12,600 were rented homes.
• As per a Census report published July 17, 2007. British Columbia's population remains one of the oldest, with 14.6 per cent being seniors, a reflection of its higher life expectancy. The proportion of elderly also rose in all of Canada's 33 largest cities, while the proportion of children declined. The oldest city in Canada was Kelowna, B.C., with 19 per cent of its population being elderly, while Calgary had the fewest elderly at just 9.4 per cent.
• The Okanagan Sunflower is the official floral emblem of Kelowna and is also called Arrowleaf Balsamroot. The Okanagan Sunflower thrives particularly well in the Kelowna area and is one of the longest blooming wildflowers, providing abundant splashes of bright yellow on the hillsides in early spring.
• The Kelowna International Airport’s official history took off in 1946, when Kelowna residents voted 466 to 460 in favor of purchasing the 320-acre Dickson Ranch in Ellison for $20,000. In 1947, the grand opening of ‘Ellison Field’ showcased a small terminal building, a 3,000-foot-long grass airstrip, and a variety of small aircraft. By 1997, annual passenger volumes had risen to more than 800,000, making it one of the fastest-growing airports in North America. To prepare for anticipated volumes of one million by 2011, the City of Kelowna embarked on a $20-million expansion program in 1998. The terminal building was doubled in size to 76,000 square feet, parking was increased to more than 1,200 paved stalls, and airside facilities were expanded to accommodate additional aircraft. These upgrades tripled the number the passengers the airport can service from 150 to 450 per hour and allow for the larger jets to land making international flights possible.
• Okanagan Lake info:
• Surface Area - 87000 acres
• Mean Depth - 76 Meters/249 feet
• Maximum Depth - 230 Metres/755 feet
• Total Volume - 24,644 km (cubed)
• Water Residence or Renewal Time - 52.8 Yrs
• Shoreline Length - 270 km/168 miles
• Maximum Width - 5 km/3 miles
• Minimum Width - 1.5 km/1 mile
• Average Width - 3.2 km/2 miles

• Dilworth Mountain:John Dilworth was an early Kelowna farmer.

• Knox Mountain: Named for early rancher, Arthur Booth Knox who arrived in the Okanagan in 1874

• Ellison District: Named for Price Ellison, stock raiser and wheat farmer, who was a long time resident of the area. Ellison served as MLA from 1898 to 1916 and was Minister of Finance and Agriculture in 1910.

• Oyama: Named for Iwao Oyama, a Japanese Field Marshal who fought in the 1904-1905 Russo-Japanese War.

• Wood Lake: Circa 1860, Thomas Wood became the first settler in the area now known as Winfield, named for Wood's home, Winfield Lodge.

• Ogopogo: The name Ogopogo came from a music hall song popular in the 1920's. Ogopogo has been called a Demon Fish, Snake, Sea Serpent, Big Lake Devil, Oar Fish, Giant Sturgeon, That Thing, And by the First Nations, N'Haatik. In 1926 the government announced that the new ferry being constructed for Okanagan Lake would be equipped with monster repelling devices.

Come visit Canada's four season playground and you may just find you want to stay a lifetime!

TREVER FLORKO - Realtor
Century 21 Assurance Realty (Kelowna)
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