Hi all,

We've finally decided 'roughly' where we want to be when we eventually get over to Canada.

One of the areas within our range is Penticton and I wondered whether any of you could give me a general opinion of the area please?

It's one thing to google information but far better I think to ask for honest opinions from people who know the area. I know that most places are what you make them and that is our responsibility but any help you can give would be appreciated.

Cheers
Babs

Try these 2 groups for local info in the Okanagan

http://www.accessokanagan.com/

http://groups.yahoo.com/group/Brits2Kelowna

Paul

Thanks Paul

All help greatfully received

Babs

Alan,

Penticton is nice, both visually and as a small community, it has small ski hill nearby, a nice beach or two, close to two lakes (Okanagan/Skaha), hills and good walking nearby. It's a small place, goes very quiet once summer tourist season ends, and I mean very quiet. Amenities aren't so good, in terms of comparing to Kelowna (or your normal UK town/city), but that's an hour away for retail therapy, more diverse eats, cinema etc. Local municpal facilities are new and very nice, hockey is huge in Penticton (hockey camp for kids etc).

Work wise, not sure what penticton has to offer apart from tourims, there's a few small employers there, and Pattison Sign Group is relatively new employing 100 people, which is considered a large employer for The Okanagan area.

Rich.

Rich your back, where have you been? Thought another bike injury on Silver Star may have occurred and we had lost you? The group has been far to quiet for a while.

Any new critters at large on the Rich residence? You wait till you get one of those snake things or BW spiders!!!!!!!!!!!! :scared:

Good news today, so ignore the sentiments or babble (wine - lots of it). Boss rang confirming severance (yippeeeee!). Flights booked to Vancouver for 3rd interview with Hydro so in complete panic at this end. Still not sure where they want me to work or what job (buts thats Canada).
Its either job or Kelowna, but either way BC bound.

Hope to catch up with you all soon.

Paul

Thanks rich,

It does sound like what we're looking for to be honest.
Where we are now in Yorkshire also goes very quiet after a hectic tourist season and to be honest, that's when we like it best, when the invasion is over. Cinemas etc are also about an hour away from here so no difference really.

Work for Alan is actually in Kelowna, which looks absolutely beautiful, more so than Penticton perhaps. We are looking at areas with 'affordable' housing within easy travel times to work for him but away from the large cities if possible. (Isn't everybody)
The only problem would be the lack of amenities for the kids, which Kelowna seems to offer in abundance although the hockey is real interesting to at least 2 of my lads who play for the school here.

Oh decisions decisions!
Thanks again
Babs

Hi

You might want to look at the Vernon area as well.

Good point.....or Summerland or Peachland or Westbank....all have something to offer, albeit less in the way of amenities. Vernon has same distance commute, real estate is about same price. Better facilities IMHO @ Vernon, better ski-ing, mountain biking, etc, has more stores, but less pretty than Penticton and more blue collar.

IMHO after all is said and done I'd look at Kelowna, Lake Country etc, despite the differential in real estate prices, an hour each way commute ain't my idea of fun...one can live ten/fifteen mins from town out on a mountain or by a lake or with a view, why kill 2 hours of your life stuck in highway 97 crawl-speed traffic ? A city of 100k isn't huge, despite the fairly negative first impressions of the endless sprawl down Highway 97 you soon discover that Kelowna is far more than just a heap of box stores and some fairly tasteless bling bling.

Rich.

We visited Penticton when we spent 10 weeks travelling around Canada in 2003 and the highlight for us (and entirely coincidental to our visit) was the Peach City Cruise which consisted of hundreds of old American classic and custom cars being shown off. That was the mid/end June.

Obviously only a touristy thing but some info for you nonetheless! Certainly made the town a little busier than I suspect is the norm!

Zoe M. x

It's a bit of a drive from Penticton to Kelowna, and the knackered old bridge really slows things down (new one being built, though, and will be finished by the time your visa gets processed if you applied recently..).

I thought Penticton was a bit tatty, but maybe that's just me. I did find a good coffee place, so there must be more than one person in Penticton who wants something other than the normal Canadian jus de chausettes.

K.

Tip: when first visiting Kelowna, come from the west side of the lake and cross the bridge so that Hwy 97 isn't the first impression..

K.

Oh yes, it's so much better ! First pass the battered smashed up old school bus and the heaps of garbage, then pass the visually stupendous monstrous signs built on native land, obscuring most all of the lake view, then snarl into the merge land where nobody actually merges, and where people trying to get out of the mini golf place take their lives in their hands. Then over the rickety bridge, driving past the bummed out crack/methheads wandering downtown, risking their listless meaningless lives crossing over Highway 97 from theiur hostels, trying to cross where there are no crossings.

I agree it's even more grim as you drive south into K-Town past the airport facing the mass of sand and soil heaped up opposite the airport access, driving past the scrapyards and cattle feed lot (visually and nasally offensive) down past Strip Mall Hell.

I am of course making light of all this; K-Town is an amazing 4-season playground for the rich, famous and mental...it just has a 50-yard wide strip of Sodom and Gomorrah running right through it

Highway 97 = BC's very own Death Race 2006.

Rich.

LOL

I don't think you could get a job in tourism Rich but fantastic post, gave me the laugh I needed.

K. All info is useful, it's great to hear what other people find in and think of an area.

We are coming over on PNP visa, as soon as we possibly can and have decided to just bite the bullet and go to Kelowna to be near work for Alan which will keep initial costs and travelling down. Of course we also have to find schools and from what I've seen Kelowna has a bigger / better selection. After that, who knows?

Of course all this depends on our house sale but that's another story.

Any more suggestions (keep em clean) are welcome.

Cheers
Babs

There are several small communities around Kelowna that are within commuting distance for work (just in case you don't want to live in a larger centre).

For commutes within a 1/2 hour drive (approx.) of Kelowna, you could also check out.... Peachland, Westbank, Westside, Joe Rich, Ellison, Winfield, Oyama.

Cheers

Oggy