I took these photos today and yesterday:


Vineyard, Lake Okanagan and mountains:

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v221/ocean20/DSC00001s.jpg

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v221/ocean20/DSC00006s.jpg

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v221/ocean20/DSC00007s.jpg

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v221/ocean20/DSC00014s.jpg

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v221/ocean20/DSC00044s.jpg

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v221/ocean20/DSC00038s.jpg

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v221/ocean20/DSC00030s.jpg

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v221/ocean20/DSC00032s.jpg

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v221/ocean20/DSC00042s.jpg

The edge of a cherry tree orchard:

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v221/ocean20/DSC00005s.jpg

The lake has numerous marinas.

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v221/ocean20/DSC00047s.jpg

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v221/ocean20/DSC00045s.jpg

Thanks for the pics.
Why is it the only kind of condos Kelowna build seem to be resort-style?

kelowna is such a pretty city. my grandparents live in lake view heights near westbank.

nice pictures :):):)

Thanks for the pics.
Why is it the only kind of condos Kelowna build seem to be resort-style?

There are lots of both types - resort-style as well as residential. The resort type are along the lake, whereas, the residential are more often away from the lake.

Probably because it's very resort-like. BC is Canada's paradise, and the resort type development in Kelowna, Osoyoos & Vancouver reflect that.

Ive never been there so I had no idea of how beautiful it is there. :)

Every time I've visited Kelowna (which is, to say, quite a lot) I've taken some time out of my day to spend at this beach/park:

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v221/ocean20/DSC00007s.jpg

I see they've constructed a few more buildings since my last visit (last summer, on the way back from Vancouver). Tell me, have many of the trees grown back yet? If I do remember correctly, when I was in Kelowna there were still the columns and gates of a few of the destroyed properties (from the forest fires).

I have driven around Kelowna quite a bit and I didn't see any evidence of burned down homes. I did see some burned trees on the hills, but that's about it. It will take decades for new trees to replace the burned ones.

Ive never been there so I had no idea of how beautiful it is there. :)


You should take a drive up here now, because the fruit trees are in bloom. Take a drive from Vernon to Osoyoos.

Out of Canada's largest 100 communities, Kelowna is the least windy.

Well, I just got back from touring a winery outside of Kelowna - the Mission Hill Family Estates.

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v221/ocean20/DSC00008s.jpg

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v221/ocean20/DSC00010s.jpg

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v221/ocean20/DSC00013s.jpg

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v221/ocean20/DSC00018s.jpg

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v221/ocean20/DSC00024s.jpg

During the tour, we were told that temperatures in the summer can rise to 45 C, and that the Okanagan offers warmer summers than Napa and an extra hour of sunshine per day.

Apple tree orchards are being taken out and replaced with grapes.

Spectacular. All Kelowna needs now is palm trees and they will be set!

Yeah they would go well with the architecture and building materials there, but I don't think any trachy's like you see in Vancouver would survive long there because of the extreme heat in summer, and a little too cold in the winter. There were some trachy's planted in Osoyoos last summer that I know of, but they died from the constant 35-42 degree weather.

Prickly Pear Cactus grows naturally there though, maybe people should try some more cactus species? I'm sure they already do.

man, that would be awesome if we had palm trees here... the only problem is that the winter's here are probably too cold for the palm trees to survive...

Actually.. I read somewhere that most palm trees in California, Mexico and Arizona can withstand extreme temperatures of 18F. Which is about -5C?

Yeah they can survive those temps, but only for short cold snaps...any long-term cold of a month or more would kill them.

It was rarely below zero degrees this winter in Kelowna. I would like to see some palm planted there. At least give it a try!

I'm sure people do try...who knows maybe some are surviving there? Their not long term though in Kelowna's climate. You need at least a hardiness zone 8 for healthy palms to live year round without protection.

it got down to -20C this year... lol...... and a winter average of -5C but that's pretty rare for here. New Okanagan lake bridge is gunna start soon!

Great photo's. Got to love my hometown.

Hey Kev, would you happen to be Kevin Sloan? ;)

If it wasn't for the winters I'd move to Kelowna (I know there not bad winters but still) over Victoria! Fantastic pictures of the fast growing Okanagan city. I was lucky to get a birds eye view of Kelowna flying over from Ottawa to Vancouver. Shame I didn't have a camera. The pilot flew right over the downtown area - and no my flight wasn't via its ever popular Kelowna Airport (and Westjet hub) either.

Anyone know when the new bridge crossing there is supposed to be built?

WestJet doesn't have a hub at Kelowna Airport.

WestJet doesn't have a hub at Kelowna Airport.

WestJet does indeed service Kelowna Airport.

If it wasn't for the winters I'd move to Kelowna (I know there not bad winters but still) over Victoria! Fantastic pictures of the fast growing Okanagan city. I was lucky to get a birds eye view of Kelowna flying over from Ottawa to Vancouver. Shame I didn't have a camera. The pilot flew right over the downtown area - and no my flight wasn't via its ever popular Kelowna Airport (and Westjet hub) either.

Anyone know when the new bridge crossing there is supposed to be built?


They are currently crushing the rock that will be used to support the new bridge - so it will be real soon. The new bridge will be 5 lanes wide; when the new bridge is finished the old bridge will be destroyed.

WestJet does indeed service Kelowna Airport.

No shit...but its not a hub! Do you even know what a hub is?

No shit...but its not a hub! Do you even know what a hub is?

I didn't claim it was a hub in the first place, but now that you want to make a big deal about this, it is a hub - a least in one sense of the word.

WestJet offers non-stop flights from Kelowna to Toronto, Calgary, Edmonton, Vancouver and Victoria. Clearly, Kelowna is a "hub" for WestJet.

You were saying?

Sorry, YLW is not a hub for WestJet. Your argument is invalid and should be disregarded. For example, Air Canada flies from Winnipeg to:
Montreal
Toronto
Ottawa
Regina
Saskatoon
Calgary
Edmonton
Vancouver
...yet YWG is not a hub for Air Canada.

Air Canada also flies from Regina YQR to:
YYZ
YXE
YWG
YVR
YYC
...yet once again, YQR is not a hub for Air Canada. I can go on all day but I won't.

Air Canada considers YUL, YYZ and YVR as hubs. THAT'S IT.

A hub is a center where a significant number of an airline's operations are located. YLW is not a significant center for WJ. The only airports which can be classifies as "hubs" for WJ is YYC, and probably YYZ. YLW is EXTREMELY FAR from being a hub for any major Canadian airline.

The term "hub" in the airline industry comes from the term used to describe the design of a wheel. The center of the wheel is the hub while the pieces that sprout off holding it to the rim are the spokes. Translating this to airline talk, a hub functions as a central connecting point for spokes to meet and people to travel the various directions.

To define a true "hub" as opposed to a spoke with a few few flights, a few connections, or a "focus city" which is a city with a lot of point to point traffic, you have to look at how the airline runs the operation. Hubs run in what are called banks where you have a bunch of flights coming in, the planes turning and then flights going back out, all within about 2-3 hours. This allows passengers to connect from one spoke to another spoke with minimal connecting time (usually 30 mins-1.5 hours).

Your definiton is a hub is wrong. I highly suggest you just accept my information.

I don't care what Air Canada considers to be its hubs or what your totally arbitrary definition of a hub is!

I only care about WestJet and the fact that it offers 5 non-stop flights out of Kelowna. You left the reader with the impression that WestJet doesn't serve Kelowna.

In the dictionary definition, Kelowna can be consider a "hub" for WestJet.

hub (hùb) noun
1. The center part of a wheel, fan, or propeller.
2. A center of activity or interest; a focal point.

I added to my response. Go ahead and read what I have added.

Kelowna cannot be considered as a hub for WestJet. You have to know a bit about aviation to know that. Clearly you don't know much about aviation, and you are in no position to judge whether YLW is a hub for WJ or not.

Regarding the other post, I never gave the impression that WJ doesn't serve YLW, I only said they don't have a hub there. YLW was one of WJ's original 5 destinations, actually.

For practical purposes, why should anyone give a damn whether you (or anyone else) agree that Kelowna should officially be considered a "hub" for WestJet. All that matters it where they can go from there. Right?

By the way, I used to fly airplanes - not that that is important.

For practical purposes, why should anyone give a damn whether you (or anyone else) agree that Kelowna should officially be considered a "hub" for WestJet. All that matters it where they can go from there. Right?

By the way, I used to fly airplanes - not that that is important.

Flying airplanes and having a general knowledge of Canada's Airline Industry are two different things.

You obvioulsy don't want to agree with me, WestJet Airlines Ltd, and every other airline industry expert out there that YLW is not a hub for WestJet. Listen, how about we just put this issue to rest. Evidently, arguing about this is a waste of time.

Sorry I meant its a "mere" Western hub. Not in the Hamilton (or should I say Pearson now) & Calgary terms your thinking. Its extremely important don't you worry. The yield on flights thru Kelowna between Victoria-Vancouver-Abbotsford/Edmonton-Calgary and Toronto are very impressive. So impressive that HQ is increasing service to other eastern cities this fall. I know many out there think of Kelowna Airport as very small time but its got its edge don't you worry. The airport authority has also bent over backwards to accommodate Westjets expansion plans.

Believe it or not from Toronto it is possible to fly to Vancouver (which has many non stop options of course) via little old Kelowna. So yeah while it may not be Hamilton or Calgary - its still not exactly end of the line Comox either. You can fly Toronto to Victoria via Kelowna or Vancouver to Edmonton via Kelowna. Sorry but major or not thats what we in the travel industry call a hub airport. At least at Westjet anyway. Might not impress Air Canada much.

^ I guess that you don't know anything about aviation, just like me! ;)

LOL hehe Thats ok! I think the Westjet website does it for us. There's the national hubs (one for east and west) but they've become more political and administrative than anything really. The reality has to do with economics and geography. The flight loads are what Westjet is concerned with and they route according. To say Kelowna isn't a regional hub would be like saying Melbourne has little importance to Sydney-based Qantas, Toronto is merely secondary for Montreal based AC, Miami has little importance to Dallas based AA and so on. Certain cities serve geographical roles. Edmonton for the north or Halifax for the east etc. Its all about $$$ and having good connections to elsewhere. Part of Westjets success is they don't depend on the two primary hubs. Believe it or not even Prince George (shock horror for some) can serve as a transit point between city pairs. Bums on seats. Thats all that matters in the airline industry. Its all about the bottom line and the flights being full - especially with low cost carriers. Notice how sometimes you will see lower fares say between Vancouver and Edmonton via PG than the non stops or via Kelowna. Its all about yield and city pairings.

Sorry I meant its a "mere" Western hub. Not in the Hamilton (or should I say Pearson now) & Calgary terms your thinking. Its extremely important don't you worry. The yield on flights thru Kelowna between Victoria-Vancouver-Abbotsford/Edmonton-Calgary and Toronto are very impressive. So impressive that HQ is increasing service to other eastern cities this fall. I know many out there think of Kelowna Airport as very small time but its got its edge don't you worry. The airport authority has also bent over backwards to accommodate Westjets expansion plans.

Believe it or not from Toronto it is possible to fly to Vancouver (which has many non stop options of course) via little old Kelowna. So yeah while it may not be Hamilton or Calgary - its still not exactly end of the line Comox either. You can fly Toronto to Victoria via Kelowna or Vancouver to Edmonton via Kelowna. Sorry but major or not thats what we in the travel industry call a hub airport. At least at Westjet anyway. Might not impress Air Canada much.

Nothing I didn't already know, but sorry, in the airline industry, YLW isn't considered a hub. No, it isn't the end of the line like Comox, Grande Prairie or St. John's, but it isn't a "hub" either. I can fly DTW-YUL-AMS with NW/KL, yet does this make YUL a NW/KL hub? Nope. Why? For the exact reasons stated in my previous posts.

One shouldn't overlook the fact that YLW is a growing airport. Just under 1 million passengers per year fly through YLW, which is comparable to YYJ or YYT. Regardless, its size isn't even comparable to operations at YVR, YYC, or even YEG. It seems people are forgetting that a hub is more than just a connecting city.

Believe it or not even Prince George (shock horror for some) can serve as a transit point between city pairs. Bums on seats. Thats all that matters in the airline industry. Its all about the bottom line and the flights being full - especially with low cost carriers. Notice how sometimes you will see lower fares say between Vancouver and Edmonton via PG than the non stops or via Kelowna. Its all about yield and city pairings.

That's kind of impossible. Both WJ and AC only operate one route our of Prince George: YVR.

That's kind of impossible. Both WJ and AC only operate one route our of Prince George: YVR.

Yeah but your talking now. The service was dropped. PG just isn't doing very well. Shame really that it can't get its tourist act together. Anyway think what you like Mr Pilot. I merely worked in tourism marketing for the CTC and your a pilot with a God complex. Who am I to argue. Cheers mate.

Who's a pilot?

BTW, what's going on with the expansion project at Prince George's Air Terminal?

Hmmm, it's starting to sound like airliners.net in here!

Anyhow....does anyone here know if WestJet's already using 737-700s on flights into Kelowna? What about from YEG?

@ Oceanmdx - great photos you got here!

:D I'll be in Kelowna for a few days next month for a conference. And, yes, I'm taking WestJet - it's the only airline that flies YEG-YLW nonstop!

Hmmm, it's starting to sound like airliners.net in here!


Not really. Everyone on Airliners.net already knows that Kelowna isn't a WestJet hub. ;) :D

Kelowna is nice for being a small city in the middle of nowhere (that goes for many Canadian cities as well).

Its not really in the middle of nowhere... Its got Vernon (60,000) 30 minutes away and if you drive south an hour or 2 you hit Penticton, Summerland, Osoyoos, Peachland, and Oliver. Not to mention, Kamloops is just a 2 hour drive north East.

I also wouldn't call Kelowna a small city, at least for Canada. It is apparently the 22nd most populated metropolitan area in Canada, with a CMA population of ~162,000 (2006) and a municipal population of ~123,000 (2007).

City council continues to think in small city terms, but I would say that Kelowna hasn't been a small city since about the mid 80s.

In my experience many people from Kelowna want to be recognized as having a more urban feel than other cities in BC (outside of Metro Vancouver and Victoria).

I suppose my opinion is a little biased, as I lived in Kamloops for 10 years. I have always found Kamloops to have a more small town additude, while Kelowna more of a bigger city. Before you pull out your guns, I'm aware this is a generalization, and not everyone in Kamloops or Kelowna sees it that way.

...Before you pull out your guns, I'm aware this is a generalization, and not everyone in Kamloops or Kelowna sees it that way.

LOL - we don't use guns anymore - tasers are in still now!!! :lol::lol:

your right though , so thats fair .

great pics

but they make the city look like a ghost town

kind of odd

barely a person in sight

I took these photos today and yesterday:
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v221/ocean20/DSC00032s.jpg

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v221/ocean20/DSC00042s.jpg

Highrises?

Does this mean it's no longer the geriatric NIMBY paradise that it used to be?

Spectacular. All Kelowna needs now is palm trees and they will be set!

What's wrong with native plants? Does every place have to be a fake Hawaii?

geriatric NIMBY paradise ? like what ?

like us you dope^^

speaking of palm trees in kelowna. someone planted a huuuuge real palm tree in their front yard on sexsmith, i was kinda taken back when i drove past it, here's hoping it lasts through the winter, but i mean they have palms in sweeden so y not here?

speaking of palm trees in kelowna. someone planted a huuuuge real palm tree in their front yard on sexsmith, i was kinda taken back when i drove past it, here's hoping it lasts through the winter, but i mean they have palms in sweeden so y not here?

yea its been there since about october i believe, it's still looking pretty healthy but we havent had many days under -5 which is what the trachy palms (like in vancouver, norway) can survive till. I've been meaning to get a picture of it. One of these days i will.

Definitely one of the prettiest towns in Canada.

(City? Depends who you ask. To someone from Tokyo, much larger Vancouver would qualify as no more than a suburb. Kelowna? Some people consider it a city, including Stats Canada, but I doubt most people in the world would.)

we always find clever ways to sneak in a vancouver-is-insignificant remark in every thread... helps our confidence level back east, hahaha

we always find clever ways to sneak in a vancouver-is-insignificant remark in every thread... helps our confidence level back east, hahaha

Except that despite your name, you are not "back east", are you? You ip address indicates you are still "out west"..... ;)

we always find clever ways to sneak in a vancouver-is-insignificant remark in every thread... helps our confidence level back east, hahaha

Your assertion is very insulting. Pointing out a valid observation is an attempt to boost self-confidence? Please. My confidence level isn't based on irrelevant things like the size of the city I live in. That you assume such a connection speaks more of your fragile self-confidence, not mine. Tokyo 35 million, Vancouver 2 million. You do the math. If someone from Tokyo said Toronto wasn't very big, that would be a relevant observation. Toronto IS small by comparison. I suppose now it's Japanese people putting down Toronto, to boost their own confidence? You're an idiot.

These insecurities are soooooo tiring. Get a grip and a therapist.

Then who cares? Move on!

Except that despite your name, you are not "back east", are you? You ip address indicates you are still "out west"..... ;)

Yep, but my forestry co-op term just finished so I have to go "back east" next week, boo.:ohno:

But yea, finding this forum was pretty sweet, cuz I regretted not taking enough pics of Vancouver and all, (I'm still reeling from awe), waht a really really amazing city, (or suburb, by Tokyo standards :uh:- I still love you Isaidso ;))

Peace

With a forestry degree, wouldn't it make more sense to stay in BC? Especially as you enjoy it so much....

BC forestry is down the tubes for the next while.

A combination of 85% dependence on the american housing market which is still sliding, a rising competition of foreign wood into the american market, and no big success in selling in huge volumes elsewhere in the world.