Peachland, British Columbia

Peachland
District municipality
The Corporation of the District of Peachland[1]

Peachland, circa 1910-35
Peachland

Location of Peachland in British Columbia

Coordinates: 49°46′26″N 119°44′11″W / 49.77389°N 119.73639°W / 49.77389; -119.73639
Country  Canada
Province  British Columbia
Region Okanagan
Regional district Central Okanagan
Incorporated 1909
Government
 • Type District Council
 • Governing body Peachland Council
 • Mayor Cindy Fortin
 • School Trustee Moyra Baxter
 • MP Dan Albas
Area
 • Total 15.75 km2 (6.08 sq mi)
Elevation 360 m (1,180 ft)
Population (2011)[2]
 • Total 5,200
 • Density 330.2/km2 (855/sq mi)
Time zone PST (UTC-8)
Highways 97
Waterways Okanagan Lake
Website Peachland
Historical population
YearPop.±%
1921 466—    
1931 318−31.8%
1941 479+50.6%
1951 614+28.2%
1956 705+14.8%
1961 641−9.1%
1966 709+10.6%
1971 1,446+103.9%
1976 2,286+58.1%
1981 2,865+25.3%
1986 2,988+4.3%
1991 3,459+15.8%
1996 4,524+30.8%
2001 4,654+2.9%
2006 4,883+4.9%
2011 5,200+6.5%
Sources: Statistics Canada[3]

Peachland is a district municipality of over 5000 residents[4] in the Okanagan Valley. It is located on the west side of Okanagan Lake in British Columbia, Canada.[5] It was founded in 1899[6] by John Moore Robinson,[7] although the region had long been home to the Okanagan people. Peachland is approximately half an hour's drive south of the city of Kelowna and about a twenty-minute drive north of Summerland. The Okanagan Valley is very narrow in this area, and there are few terraces which mark former lake levels and the former lake bottom. As a result, the city is largely located on a steep sidehill. Like many areas in the Okanagan, Peachland is a rapidly growing community with new residents coming from all across Canada. Located across from Peachland is Rattlesnake Island, home of the legendary Ogopogo. Peachland is approximately 370 km from Vancouver, British Columbia on the BC South Coast.[8]

History

Peachland was founded on the location of a tiny community called Camp Hewett.[9]

Government

Federally, Peachland is within the electoral district of Okanagan—Coquihalla. The MP is Dan Albas elected in the 2011 Canadian Federal Election following Stockwell Days retirement from public life. The Local MLA for the area is, Bill Barisoff. The municipal government of Peachland consists of the Mayor and six at-large councilors elected to three year terms. One of the former Local councilors Jean Fraser was elected in 1995 and had served several consecutive terms. In her last election she received the highest number of votes in municipal history. Mrs. Fraser retired from Council on November 13, 2011 as she felt the work she could do on council was complete. The Current Mayor is Cindy Fortin, who defeated Keith Fielding in the 2014 municipal election.[10]

Climate

The climate of Peachland is very similar to that of neighboring Kelowna, but with a greater moderating influence from Okanagan Lake. This is partly due to its proximity to the water, as well as the greater width of the lake in this area (up to 5 kilometres). As most of the city is built into a mountainside, it is typically shielded from cold northerly winds and also has an overall southern exposure. This helps warm the area slightly during spring, summer and fall, but particularly in winter. Proximity to the lake results in more moderation relative to Okanagan cities which are farther away from it. Average January high temperatures in Peachland are nearly 1.5 degrees warmer than in Kelowna, while the reverse is true in July. [11]

The city's southern orientation both provides protection from winds coming from the north, while encouraging those from the south which blow across the lake directly toward the city and can cause mild lake-effect snow. The steep mountainside on which Peachland is built can enhance this effect somewhat via the action of orographic lift. [12] Ordinarily, precipitation in the Okanagan generally decreases from north to south, with the city of Vernon receiving approximately 4 more inches of rain and snow per year than the city of Penticton and 2 more inches than Kelowna. As Peachland is south of Kelowna but still nearby, it may be expected to receive slightly less precipitation. However, orographic lift and lake-effect precipitation mentioned previously, result in the city receiving up to half an inch more precipitation than Kelowna. [13]

Notable people, events and industries

Peachland is home to several notable events and industries. Hainle Vineyards, the first ice wine maker in North America,[15] operates its organic winery and cookery school in Peachland. Peachland is the location of the annual Peachland World of Wheels Car Show and the home of the legendary lake monster Ogopogo. Peachland is home to Zipzone Adventure Park, the highest zipline in Canada, and one of the highest in the world. In 2012, 'Wild Rose' farm owner and Precis worker Steve Hamilton opened a bed and breakfast named 'Wine Stopper' in the heart of Peachland. Home of canadian comedian Jack Klassen.

See also

References

Coordinates: 49°46′25″N 119°44′13″W / 49.77361°N 119.73694°W / 49.77361; -119.73694

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