Penticton Essay

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A Brief History of Penticton
The city of Penticton has a rich history that is steeped in First Nation culture as well as roots tied to cattle ranching, the fur trade and the Kettle Valley Railway. This unique combination provides a rich narrative and gives Penticton an interesting historical story.
Geography and Climate
Penticton is part of the Okanagan, located in the interior of the province of British Columbia and is roughly 5 hours from the province’s largest city, Vancouver. The town site covers just over 42 square kilometres at an elevation of 385 metres above sea level.
Penticton boasts a semi-arid climate with hot summers, little precipitation and moderate winters. It has the lowest amount of fog in British Columbia and has the second …show more content…

These first inhabitants were instrumental in helping European fur-traders travel and navigate the area.
In 1866, Thomas Ellis, a young Irish immigrant became the first European to settle in the area, taking the true meaning of Penticton to heart. Ellis became one of British Columbia’s most successful cattle ranchers. Large sections of Ellis’ ranch were later subdivided and from this, the original town site of Penticton was born.
By 1908, Penticton had a population of 600 and began to grow at a very fast pace. The original fruit trees that had been planted by Thomas Ellis had matured and quickly became key economic revenue.
Due to the rugged terrain and lack of options, transportation in and out of Penticton was primarily by water. Much of the travel was done by steamships such as the S.S. Sicamous. The S.S. Sicamous was the largest and most famous of the paddle wheelers that provided passenger service for Penticton. The steamship service lasted from the early 1900’s until the 1940’s. In 1949, the city of Penticton bought the S.S. Sicamous from the Canadian Pacific Railway to preserve this important part of the city’s …show more content…

One of the main reasons why Penticton was chosen was that it was connected to a lake. This meant that the railway company was able to launch boats and tugs to compliment rail service.
The purpose of the rail line was to connect the coast with the Kootenays, bringing more economic prosperity to the province. The Kettle Valley Railway definitely secured Penticton’s economic prosperity and brought the city many jobs and a new population.
The Kettle Valley Railway provided Penticton with a fast and efficient transportation portal for the orchards and fruit of the town, further linking the economic importance of the orchards to Penticton. The Kettle Valley Railway also brought tourism to Penticton allowing the city to grow into a tourist hub for the province.
Post Second World War
This era is viewed as Penticton’s golden age of prosperity and growth. In 1948, with a huge influx of returning veterans, Penticton was incorporated into a city. The 1950’s and 60’s saw many new infrastructure projects such as the channelization of the Okanagan River. During this time, Penticton also enjoyed a construction boom which brought a new city hall, a new community arts building as well as Penticton’s first major shopping

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