A Timeline for Kelowna

The S-Ookanhkchinx, the Interior Salish peoples, lived in the Okanagan before the arrival of the first Europeans. They travelled the valley according to the season—hunting and gathering, and fishing for the kokanee that spawned in Mission Creek—and then settled in family communities for the winter. They were small, independent bands who peacefully traded with other Indigenous people living along the lakes and rivers of the Okanagan.

Our recorded history begins with the arrival of the first Europeans, whose explorations brought them to the Okanagan Valley in 1811. There are several milestones that mark the settlement of the area and the creation of Kelowna. Some dates are pivotal to the development of the community and are easily remembered. Others get lost to time. When no one makes note of a significant community event, or the opening of a major park, or when a new building appears or disappears from the civic centre site, it may not matter in the day-to-day scheme of things. However, these details do matter when one is telling stories of how and why and in what ways Kelowna has changed. As a result, I’ve compiled a more exhaustive timeline than might otherwise be indicated. I hope it will be a useful framework for those in the future who will build on to the stories in this volume.

1. 1811
   1. David Stuart of the Pacific Fur Company arrives in Astoria (now Oregon) and joins David Thompson as he retraces his paddle strokes up the Columbia River. Stuart left the explorer at the confluence of the Okanogan River and continued through the Okanagan Valley en route to Fort Cumloops (Kamloops). He discovered a route to connect the Fraser River to the Columbia River and a port on the Pacific Ocean. This route became known as the Okanagan Fur Brigade Trail.
2. 1811 to 1826
   1. Intermittent use of the Okanagan Fur Brigade Trail.
3. 1826 to 1846
   1. Regular use of the Okanagan Fur Brigade Trail.
4. 1846
   1. The international boundary is established at the forty-ninth parallel. The fur brigades are now diverted to Fort Langley, BC.
5. 1848 to 1855
   1. California gold rush: as discoveries diminish, miners gradually move northward to BC, following the promise of gold.
6. 1858
   1. Gold is discovered at Rock Creek, BC. The BC gold rush begins, including along creeks near what will become Kelowna.
   2. Mainland BC becomes a British colony.
   3. Palmer and Miller wagon train passes through the Okanagan, bringing cattle, miners and supplies from the Oregon Territory.
7. 1859
   1. Father Pandosy establishes Okanagan Mission, which he calls L’Anse au Sable.
8. 1861
   1. Eli Lequime and family arrive at Father Pandosy’s Mission.
9. 1862
   1. Cariboo gold rush begins; miners and cattle travel through the Okanagan en route to the Central Interior.
   2. Auguste Gillard pre-empts land that will become the Kelowna townsite.
10. 1871
    1. Fredrick Brent establishes the first grist mill in the valley.
    2. BC enters Confederation.
11. 1875
    1. First wagon road is built between Priest’s Landing (near Vernon) and Okanagan Mission.
12. 1883
    1. Rancher A.B. Knox arrives in Kelowna and ranches on land to the north and east of what will become the Kelowna townsite.
13. 1885
    1. Canadian Pacific Railway company completes the transcontinental railway.
14. 1888
    1. Eli Lequime leaves the Okanagan for San Francisco.
15. 1890
    1. Bernard Lequime buys the future Kelowna townsite property from Auguste Gillard.
    2. G.G. MacKay buys land in the Mission Valley.
    3. Lord and Lady Aberdeen buy the Guisachan property, sight unseen, from MacKay.
16. 1891
    1. Father Pandosy dies.
    2. Bernard Lequime moves his sawmill and builds a general store on the lakeshore of what will become the Kelowna townsite.
17. 1892
    1. City of Vernon incorporated.
    2. Benvoulin townsite registered by MacKay.
    3. Kelowna townsite registered by Bernard Lequime.
    4. Shuswap & Okanagan Railway is completed, linking the CPR mainline at Sicamous, through Vernon, to Okanagan Landing.
    5. SS Aberdeen launched—the first of the CPR’s fleet of sternwheelers on Okanagan Lake.
    6. Lake View Hotel is built in Kelowna.
18. 1893
    1. Lord Aberdeen becomes Governor General of Canada.
    2. First Kelowna post office opens.
19. 1894
    1. Louis Holman plants the first tobacco in Okanagan Mission.
    2. Dr. Boyce, the town’s first doctor, arrives in Kelowna.
20. 1895
    1. Father Pandosy’s Oblates of Mary Immaculate move their headquarters from Okanagan Mission to Kamloops.
21. 1902
    1. Father Pandosy’s church at Okanagan Mission is closed.
22. 1902 to 1903
    1. J.H. Rutland arrives from Australia, and irrigates and plants new orchards in the area soon to be called Rutland.
23. 1904
    1. Bank of Montreal opens in Kelowna.
    2. Kelowna Clarion, Kelowna’s first newspaper, is established.
    3. Kelowna Land and Orchard Company is formed and buys 6,743 acres from the Lequime family.
    4. A four-room school house is built in Kelowna.
24. 1905
    1. Kelowna is incorporated as a city on May 5, with a population of about six hundred people.
    2. The Palace Hotel becomes Kelowna’s second hotel; it later becomes the Royal Anne Hotel.
25. 1906
    1. First Kelowna Regatta is held.
26. 1907
    1. SS Okanagan is launched—the second CPR sternwheeler.
27. 1908
    1. Kelowna hospital opens.
28. 1909
    1. City pays $30,000 for the land that will soon become City Park.
    2. First Kelowna High School opens.
29. 1911
    1. Kelowna Volunteer Fire Brigade is officially formed.
    2. Cornerstone laid for St. Michael and All Angels Anglican Church.
    3. Cornerstone laid for the second Immaculate Conception Catholic Church on Sutherland Avenue.
30. 1912
    1. Maternity wing added to Kelowna hospital.
31. 1913
    1. Kelowna Public School (now called Central School) opens on Richter Street.
32. 1914
    1. SS Sicamous launched—the last and grandest CPR sternwheeler.
33. 1922
    1. Glenmore incorporated as a municipality.
34. 1925
    1. Canadian National Railway arrives in Kelowna.
35. 1926
    1. Countess Bubna, owner of the Eldorado Ranch, builds the Eldorado Arms Hotel.
    2. Air charter services become available from Rutland airfield.
36. 1927
    1. MV Kelowna–Westbank (aka MV Hold-up) begins scheduled ferry service between Kelowna and Westbank.
37. 1929
    1. Original Kelowna Junior High School is built on Richter Street.
38. 1930
    1. Oil wells are drilled at Mission and Canyon Creeks, in Okanagan Mission.
    2. Stanley M. Simpson purchases Manhattan Beach property and soon builds a sawmill, a veneer plant and a box factory.
39. 1931
    1. Kelowna’s first commercial radio station, CKOV, begins broadcasting.
    2. First Regatta queen contest.
40. 1933
    1. Domestic Winery and By-products becomes Calona Wines.
41. 1937
    1. New art deco Kelowna Post Office is built.
42. 1939
    1. Kelowna Senior High School is built at the north end of the Kelowna Junior High School.
    2. MV Pendozi ferry is launched to provide service between Kelowna and Westbank.
    3. Dr. Boyce sells the 190-acre Okanagan Mountain Park to Kelowna for one dollar.
43. 1940
    1. New fireproof wing is added to the Kelowna Hospital.
44. 1945
    1. Kelowna Yacht Club established.
45. 1946
    1. Kelowna purchases Ellison Field for an airport.
    2. BC Fruit Processors start up a juice plant in Kelowna, using the brand name Sun-Rype.
    3. Kelowna ratepayers approve purchase of property from S.M. Simpson and the Kelowna Saw Mill for use as a civic centre.
46. 1947
    1. MV Lequime becomes the second Okanagan Lake ferry.
47. 1948
    1. Province inundated by floods, including the Okanagan Valley.
    2. Kelowna Memorial Arena is dedicated.
48. 1949
    1. Hope–Princeton Highway opens.
49. 1950
    1. MV Lloyd-Jones launched—it is the third and last Okanagan Lake ferry.
50. 1951
    1. Kelowna’s new city hall opens.
51. 1952
    1. W.A.C. Bennett of Kelowna becomes first Social Credit premier of BC.
52. 1955
    1. Kelowna celebrates fiftieth anniversary of its incorporation.
    2. Jubilee Bowl opens in City Park.
    3. New provincial court house opens across from Kelowna City Hall
53. 1957
    1. “The Okanagan’s Very Own CHBC-TV” goes to air.
54. 1958
    1. Okanagan Lake Bridge is opened by Princess Margaret and Premier Bennett.
    2. Kelowna Packers are the first Western hockey team to play behind the Iron Curtain.
55. 1959
    1. Capri Mall opens.
56. 1962
    1. Kelowna Community Theatre opens.
57. 1963
    1. BC Vocational School opens on KLO Road.
58. 1967
    1. Mission Hill Winery opens.
59. 1968
    1. Okanagan College begins classes.
60. 1969
    1. Kelowna Aquatic Club destroyed by fire.
61. 1971
    1. Kelowna’s art deco post office is demolished and replaced by the federal building on Queensway.
    2. BC Vocational School and Okanagan College amalgamate.
62. 1973
    1. Okanagan Mission, Rutland and Glenmore are amalgamated into a greater Kelowna.
    2. Agricultural Land Reserve legislation is passed. About half of Kelowna’s land base is designated agricultural.
63. 1975
    1. W.R. (Bill) Bennett, son of W.A.C. Bennett, is elected Social Credit MLA and premier.
64. 1977
    1. The Spirit of Sail sculpture is installed at the foot of Bernard Ave.
    2. Kelowna Art Gallery is created.
65. 1978
    1. Construction of new Okanagan College buildings begins on the KLO site.
66. 1980
    1. Uniacke Winery founded (becomes Cedar Creek Estate Winery in 1986).
67. 1981
    1. Bennett Clock is installed at the foot of Pandosy Street, to commemorate W.A.C. Bennett.
68. 1986
    1. Coquihalla Highway opens.
    2. First Kelowna Regatta riot.
69. 1987
    1. Second Kelowna Regatta riot. After eighty-one years, the Kelowna International Regatta is cancelled.
70. 1988
    1. Laurel Packinghouse restored and named Kelowna’s first heritage building.
71. 1989
    1. Okanagan College begins conferring University of British Columbia and University of Victoria degrees.
72. 1990
    1. Okanagan College purchases a new site near Kelowna Airport (opened in 1993).
73. 1991
    1. Coquihalla Connector opens: the shortest, most direct route to the Lower Mainland.
74. 1993
    1. R. Dow Reid’s Rhapsody sculpture is added to the Waterfront Park fountain.
75. 1994
    1. New BC Supreme Court building opens.
76. 1995
    1. Kelowna’s Waterfront Park officially opens.
    2. Okanagan College officially becomes Okanagan University College.
77. 1996
    1. Kelowna Art Gallery opens in its new home in the Cultural District.
    2. New downtown Kelowna branch of Okanagan Regional Library opens.
    3. First phase of the Mission Creek Greenway is announced.
78. 1999
    1. Prospera Place opens.
    2. Laurel Packinghouse receives National Historic Site designation.
    3. BC Cancer Agency for the Southern Interior opens.
79. 2001
    1. The original BC Court House, across from city hall, is torn down.
80. 2002
    1. Rotary Centre for the Arts opens, including the Mary Irwin Theatre.
81. 2003
    1. Okanagan Mountain Fire sweeps across the mountainside south of Kelowna.
    2. North campus of Okanagan University College becomes UBC Okanagan (UBCO).
82. 2005
    1. Kelowna quietly celebrates its hundredth anniversary. (Stuart Park, celebrating the landmark date, opens five years later.)
    2. UBCO officially opens.
    3. Second phase of Mission Creek Greenway opens.
83. 2008
    1. W.R. Bennett Bridge opens—Kelowna’s second bridge across Okanagan Lake.
84. 2010
    1. Grizzly bear statue unveiled at Stuart Park.
85. 2012
    1. UBCO opens its Southern Medical Program.
86. 2016
    1. Kelowna becomes the fastest growing metropolitan area in Canada.
87. 2017
    1. Higher than normal spring runoff, combined with a once-in-two-hundred-years rainstorm, causes catastrophic flooding and lakeshore damage.
88. 2019
    1. Tolko Industries ceases operations at Manhattan Beach after almost 90 years of a productive sawmill on this site. Plans are underway for residential redevelopment.
89. 2020
    1. UBCO announces construction of a forty-three-storey downtown campus.
90. 2021
    1. The population grows fourteen percent between 2016 and 2021.
    2. Temperatures reach 45.7°C in June, the highest on record, during alarming province-wide “heat dome.”
91. 2023
    1. The McDougall Creek Fire, part of BC’s most destructive fire season ever, engulfs homes and buildings on Westside Road in West Kelowna.
92. 2024
    1. BC Tree Fruits Cooperative goes into receivership after eighty-eight years. Many Okanagan orchardists have little choice but to leave this year’s apple crop unpicked.