This city of 30,000 sits at the southern end of Okanagan Lake, nestled between it and Skaha Lake to the south on a 3.5 kilometre wide delta. The towns name is the Salish word for "the place to live forever." The town began when Tom Ellis moved into the area. In 1874, when the natives where moved to a a reservation, he planted the first orchard in the Okanagan, though Ellis became famous as a cattle baron. In 1905 the Southern Okanagan Land Company purchased his estate and began development of the town. The fruit industry, particularly peaches, followed by tourism and lumber are the core of the town’s economy. There are over 1,014 hectares of orchards within city limits. The area around Penticton was originally inhabited by the Okanagan Nations who named it 'Snpintktn', meaning 'a place to stay forever'. The Okanagan Salish Natives found the area abundant in fish and wild game, berries, roots, grasses - all they required for sustenance. The fur brigade opened up the area and by the late 1800's the natives were put on a reserve between the two lakes. In 1866, Irish immigrant Tom Ellis settled here and began raising cattle. In 1915 the Kettle Valley Railway opened up Penticton to the prairies and Vancouver. Penticton School District 67 Web Sites: www.sd67.bc.ca On the Lake Skaha Beach Powell Beach Gartrell Point Sun-Oka Beach Park Pyramid Picnic Park Soorimpt Picnic Park Kickininee Park Okanagan Beach Rotary Park Penticton Yacht Club Three Mile Beach Attractions Apex Mountain Resort: Full service mecca for downhill skiers Beach Blanket Film Festival: View international films - June event - a celebration of Canadian Films British Columbia Wine Information Centre Dominion Radio Astrophysical Observatory Garnet Fire Interpretive Centre Ironman Canada Triathlon: Late August Kettle Valley Railway bed attracts hikers and mountain bikers Kiwanis Promenade: Brick path along Okanagan beach - an easy walk, accessible to wheelchairs & strollers. Micro Breweries: Tin Whistle * Wild Horse Brewery * Barley Mill Brewery Okanagan and Skaha Lakes: Beaches, promenades Okanagan Amusements: laser tag, mini-golf, go-carts, bumper boats - Summertime Okanagan Falls Park - Huge variety of bats Okanagan Hockey School: Summer Okanagan River Channel Biking/Jogging Path: 8 km path for cyclists, joggers & walkers Okanagan Summer School of the Arts: 3 weeks in July Penticton Peach Festival: - August - parade, fireworks, entertainment Penticton Rose Garden: An extensive collection of roses and native trees Sewage Treatment Plant: Believe it or not! Skaha Bluffs: World-Class Rock Climbing S.S. Sicamous: This old (1914) paddlewheeler operated the 65 mile long stretch of Okanagan Lake from Okanagan Landing to Penticton. Trans Canada Trail System Pavilion: Between Art Gallery & Lakeside resort Wineries and Wine Tours B.C. Wine Information Centre First Estate Cellars Hainle Scherzinger Sumac Ridge Nichol Kettle Valley Lang Red Rooster Lake Breeze Hillside Hawthorne Mountain Crowsnest St. Laszlo Wild Goose Stag's Hollow Blue Mountain Jackson-Triggs Tinhorn Creek Carriage House Gehringer Hester Creek Inniskillin Okanagan Gersighel Wineberg Nichol Winery Poplar Grove Real Estate Statistical Information Central Okanagan Statistics To find out more click one of the following links: Carr's Landing Fintry Glenmore Glenrosa Kelowna Kelowna North Kelowna South Lakeview Heights Lower Mission McKinley Landing Naramata North Glenmore Okanagan Centre Okanagan Falls Okanagan Lake Oyama Peachland Penticton Summerland Upper Mission Vernon Westbank West Kelowna Westside Winfield Please Note: The information contained herein is intended for informational purposes only. Information is believed to be true but should be verified. Copyright © 2000 Shaida Langley - RE/MAX Kelowna. All rights reserved. Please read disclaimer.