Summerland, British Columbia

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Summerland (2003 population 11,179) is a community 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 (via Highway 97), and Vancouver is approximately 425 km away to the west.

Summerland was founded in 1902 by John Moore Robinson. The town's (2007 federal) Member of Parliament is Stockwell Day, currently Public Safety Minister in the Conservative Government of Stephen Harper. Its (provincial) Member of Legislative Assembly is Liberal cabinet minister; Rick Thorpe, and the town's Mayor is Dr. David Gregory (a community-minded local Dentist, not a career politician). The town is generally considered to be multi-cultural and tolerant. While most of Summerland's population are Caucasian of mixed European extract, there is a significant number of citizens who are of East-Indian or of Japanese decent. Summerland also has an unusually high percentage (per capita) of retirees and extremely wealthy senior citizens in its population.

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; however, winter months are often very temperate, while summer months often see drought. The worst drought seen in recent years was during the summer of 2003, when the town's water restrictions were almost incapable of ensuring a water supply through to the beginning of the next annual replenishment cycle. Since then, awareness of the real need for water conservation measures has begun to be taken seriously, and permanent water use restrictions are now in place.

The immediate ecosystem consists of arid grasslands in a matrix of bluebunch wheat grass and sagebrush amongst scattered Ponderosa pines. The region has a gently rolling surface covered mainly by glacial deposits. Summerland is home to an extinct volcano, known locally as Giant's Head Mountain - so-named for its gigantic facial profile as viewed from the southeast. This "hill" dominates the town's land features and provides an hour's hike to the top for an expansive view up and down the Okanagan Valley.

The range of representative wildlife around Summerland includes; mule deer, Canada geese, California quail, ravens, coyotes, blue grouse, bald eagles, and black widow spiders. Back into the hills surrounding Summerland there live black bear, white-tailed deer, moose, cougars and bobcats, California big-horn sheep, mountain goats, and rattlesnakes. Many local species, such as the Tiger Salamander, are now endangered due to the loss of habitat to expanding residential, recreational, and vinyard development. Other areas of environmental concern include deterioration of the valley's airshed due to population growth (more SUV's), as well as frequent boil water advisories due to inconsistency in source water quality. Continual use of pesticides on agricultural crops also remains a land, water and air quality problem.

There are two Elementary Schools, one Middle School, and one Secondary School which comprise Summerland's public school system. Additionally, there are two private schools (a Montesorri school, and an exclusive preparatory school), and a large number of home-schooled students. Among the Okanagan Valley's youth culture, Summerland is known for bush parties and a vibrant music and arts scene. In fact, many Summerland students are quite active in the arts, especially Drama, thanks to the tireless efforts of a local drama teacher, Mrs. Linda Beaven. Illicit drug useage among youth is no different than it is among any other community's teenagers, yet Summerland has a very low crime rate, likely the result of the "small town" environment. Indeed, most crime has more to do with boredom, opportunism, or simple thrill-seeking than it does with truly sinister motive. Many young people end up leaving the town in search of decent, meaningful employment and because local wage rates remain well below average, particularly in the private service sector, which is the town's primary source of employment. Many a Summerland Secondary School yearbook entry states that the graduating senior can't wait to leave to town... and, that they cannot wait to come back, either, when they can afford to. Afterall, home IS home!

As in most of the Okanagan Valley, Summerland's real estate market is currently growing at an alarming rate. One contentious issue concerning the majority of long established residents is the town's ongoing loss of its highly cherished "small town atmosphere" and its resulting affordability as rapid expansion proceeds in response to relentless pressure from real estate developers wishing to build luxury housing and recreation playgrounds for, and then lure, still more retirees to Summerland. Among citizens' concerns are issues regarding appropriate allocation of limited water supplies, sustainable and responsible land use, escalating cost of living, steadily diminishing availability of affordable housing, impending tax increases in order to sponsor growth infrastructure costs, scarce good employment opportunities, and the soaring local cost of meeting the demands and special needs of an increasingly unbalanced age and economic demographic. Still, others believe that expansion should simply proceed in order to capitalize on current market trends and demands, that service industry jobs which should follow will bring great prosperity and thus provide benefits to the community into the immediate future, and that any negative long term consequences will be for future generations to redress.

Summerland is popular because of its idealic situation on Okanagan Lake, a playground for three major Canadian population centres (Vancouver, Calgary, Edmonton). Both tourism and tourist attractions were once a major industry, but are quickly disappearing under pressure from residential subdivision developers. Agriculture, featuring fresh tree fruits (peaches, cherries, apples and pears), and canneries, were the economic engine of the region until the late 20th Century, when globalization forced orchardists to shift focus away from tree fruits and over to grape production in support of a burgeoning wine industry. Now, Summerland finds itself central to several world renouned wineries, and, despite being located in an arid desert region... beautifully lush green golf courses. Summerland is also home to the historic Kettle Valley Steam Railway.

[edit] External links

• The District of Summerland
• Summerland Chamber of Economic Development and Tourism
• The Summerland Review
• The Kettle Valley Steam Railway
• Environment Canada Ecosystem information [1]

Coordinates: 49°36′N, 119°40′W