Penticton Architecture
Penticton is a city in the Okanagan Valley of the Southern Interior of British Columbia, Canada between Okanagan Lake and Skaha Lake. Its population is about 40,000 strong. The name Penticton is derived from a word in the Okanagan First Nations language and is a reference to the year-round flow of the Okanagan River where it enters Skaha Lake.
Top Penticton architecture sites:
- South Okanagan Events Centre
- Cleland Theater
- Leir House
- Convention Center
- Pentiction Museum
- SS Sicamous
- Winneries
History of Penticton architecture
The history of Penticton architecture starts with the First Nations which inhabited the area before European arrival. The Okanagan Nation, an Interior Salish people were the original inhabitants in the valley. Their people lived from the head of Okanagan Lake downstream to near the river's confluence with the Columbia River in present-day Washington State. Primarily focused on hunting and gathering, the First Nations did not build large, long-lasting structures.
The first European settlement was established when Oblate missions led by Father Charles Pandosy and Father Durieu arrived in the Okanagan Valley. They lived along side ranchers who came to settle on Okanagan Lake. The 1858 gold rush also encouraged more settlement as prospectors moved into the area. A mining industry began in the southern Okanagan and waves of settlers continued to arrive. Fruit production also developed for most of the 20th century and today is morphing into viticulture. Architecture in Pentincton, as with the rest of the Okanagan, is being designed for the fastest-growing industries of real estate, tourism, wineries and retirement accommodation.
From Penticton, the Kettle Valley Railroad Trail Network with 160 km of bicycle-ready flat trails can be accessed. This is an important part of the economic legacy of the area. Penticton is the hub of wine tourism in the Okanagan Valley with access to almost 100 wineries within an hour's drive.
In September 2006, residents voted 80% in favour of the construction of the South Okanagan Events Centre. The $73 million arena, sports complex and convention centre has boosted the city's convention market and is a popular stop on concert tours and for other special events. The South Okanagan Events Center, which opened in September 2008, is now an important part of Penticton architecture.
