• Canada Guide

  • Introduction to Canada
  • Weather
  • Things not to miss
  • Getting around
  • Entry requirements
  • Money
  • Public holidays

• Explore Canada

  • Ontario
  • Southwest Québec
  • Québec City
  • Northern Québec
  • The Maritime Provinces
  • Newfoundland and Labrador
  • Manitoba and Saskatchewan
  • Alberta and the Rockies
  • Vancouver Island
  • Southern British Columbia
  • The North

• Cities

  • Calgary
    
  • Edmonton
    
  • Fredericton
    
  • Halifax
    
  • Kelowna
    
  • Kingston
    
  • Montréal
    
  • Nanaimo
    
  • Ottawa
    
  • Québec City
    
  • Regina
    
  • Rimouski
    
  • Saint John
    
  • Saskatoon
    
  • Sault Ste Marie
    
  • St John's
    
  • Thunder Bay
    
  • Toronto
    
  • Vancouver
    
  • Victoria
    
  • Winnipeg
    

Canada Guide

Southern British Columbia

Kelowna

• Accommodation
• Rotary Centre for the Arts
• Eating
• Drinking and nightlife

If you want a summer suntan, big crowds and cheek-by-jowl nightlife – none of which you'd readily associate with the British Columbian interior – then KELOWNA ("grizzly bear" in the Salish dialect) – is the place to come. Compared with other interior towns, Kelowna (pop.109,000) ranks as a sprawling metropolis, and to the unsuspecting visitor its approaches come as a very unpleasant surprise – particularly the appalling conglomeration of motels, garages and fast-food outlets on Hwy 97 at the north end of town.

That said, the lakefront and beaches, though heavily developed, aren't too bad, and off-season Kelowna's downtown can make a good respite from mountains and forests. Remarkable jumps in population have taken place over the last few years, mostly due to its popularity with retirees.