Summerland, British Columbia

Summerland (2003 population 11,179) is a town on the west side of Okanagan Lake in the interior of British Columbia, Canada. The town is between Peachland to the north and Penticton to the south. The largest center in the region is Kelowna, approximately 50 km to the north, and Vancouver is approximately 425 km away.

Related Topics:
Okanagan Lake - British Columbia - Canada - Peachland - Penticton - Kelowna - Vancouver

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Summerland is located within the Thompson-Okanagan Plateau ecoregion. This is one of the warmest and driest ecoregions in Canada. It is characterized by rolling plateaus and major valley systems of the Okanagan, Thompson and Nicola rivers. The mean annual temperature of the major valleys is approximately 6°C with a summer mean of 15°C and a winter mean of -3.5°C. The immediate ecosystem consists of grass or parklands of scattered ponderosa pine in a matrix of bluebunch wheat grass and sagebrush. The region has a gently rolling surface covered mainly by glacial deposits. Summerland is home to a dormant volcano, known locally as Giant's Head Mountain - obviously named for the morphology of the mountain slope resembling a face. This hill dominates the town's landscape and provides an easy hour or so hike to the top for an expansive view up and down the Okanagan Valley. The range of representative wildlife includes California bighorn sheep, mule and white-tailed deer, elk, black bear, coyote, bobcat, cougar, blue grouse, long-billed curlew, and rattlesnake. Many local species are endangered, such as the Tiger Salamander, due to the loss of habitat which is a result of expanding urban, commercial, and agricultural development. Other environmental issues of concern include water conservation, due to the desert-like climate and the current rate of population growth, and the use of pesticides on agricultural crops.

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Summerland is well known for its wines and beaches, being ideally situated on Okanagan Lake between several major national population centres (Vancouver, Calgary, Edmonton). Tourism is a major industry, along with agriculture and tertiary services. Agriculture focused on tree fruits (apples, peaches, cherries, etc.) until the late 20th Century, then switching focus to grape production to support the burgeoning wine industry. The service industry is growing to accommodate the high percentage of seniors/retirees living in Summerland.

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