Summer is only a few hours away, in Kelowna, BC
There’s an icy wind blowing in Carcross today, and the ice has finally started to blow out of Lake Bennett. I just returned at 01:00 this morning from a 6-day trip to visit family down where it’s summer, though – Kelowna, BC. Beyond the long-overdue family part of it and getting a bit of a tan, it was an interesting cultural experience. Kelowna is one of the richest places in Canada, and the contrast with the Yukon is dramatic. It’s easy to see how many people can get sucked up into a consumer mentality that keeps them teetering on the edge of nervous exhaustion and bankruptcy.
The first photo below shows the main boat harbour and The Grand hotel/resort. Mudslides on the highway between Golden and Revelstoke dramatically lowered the number of Albertans who flock to the Okanagan for Victoria Day, but there were still a lot of people in this area and Alberta license plates were everywhere.
The huge forest fires of 2003 burned not only 239 homes, but also many of the impressive trestles in the Myra Canyon section of the abandoned Kettle Valley Railway. A huge (and hugely expensive) restoration program is nearing completion, and I spent several hours exploring the area over 3 days, first with my Dad, then by myself and then with my daughter Andrea and her family. The next photo shows one of the more impressive sections of trestle re-construction. The red stains on the cliffs are dye from the fire retardent dropped by water bombers trying to save the trestles in 2003.
Having seen the trestles, taking a trip on the railway itself was a must when I discovered that the opening day of The Kettle Valley Steam Railway’s season was on Saturday. This proved to be an excellent example of what a fairly small group of volunteers can accomplish. At only $19 each for Dad and I, it was an exceptional deal.
Kelowna reeks of money, and one of the ways that shows is in the cars and trucks seen on the road. BMW sightings are commonplace (almost every block), Jaguars and Corvettes not quite so common, Ferraris only occasional. Street rods in a myriad of forms are everywhere, and there were 4 car shows within a few miles over the Victoria Day weekend. The one seen below was the “1st Annual” and only attracted about 50 vehicles, but others attract hundreds of vehicles and thousands of enthusiasts and dreamers.
The most visible sign of Kelowna’s wealth, though, is the amount of construction going on, particularly high-end residential construction. There is a new gated waterfront community where lots run to $2.2 million, another on the hillside where the homes start at $2 million. Billboards vie for the best space to attract those looking for an idyllic lifestyle. Within 2 years a $145 million bridge will replace the old floating bridge, and Westbank residents are voting shortly on whether to join Kelowna politically – physically and socially it already is.
Am I impressed by Kelowna/Westbank? Absolutely. Could I live there? Not a chance. While I enjoyed my time up in Myra Canyon, coming down to the city again was mind-numbing. Gaining perspective on what’s occurring at home is important, but a week of it was plenty.
For a deeper look at the lifestyle, see Okanagan Life Magazine.
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