Lake Country

Lake Country is situated within the Okanagan Valley within BC. This District Municipality has a population of about 10,000 people. To the north, the city of Vernon is located 29 km or 18 miles away and to the south, the city of Kelowna can be situated 25 km or 16 miles away. As the name implies, there are several lakes within the vicinity of Lake Country and as well in the hills towards the east outside of the municipal boundaries. The municipality's western boundary is Okanagan Lake whilst the Kalamalka Lake's southern most portion and the whole of Wood Lake are encompassed by it.

Access to Lake Country is via Highway 97 which extends on the Canada and USA border from Osoyoos to Vernon and farther on to Kamloops. Lake Country was incorporated during the month of June of the year 1995. There are unincorporated communities that are separate and that remain as separate wards in Lake Country, such as, Oyama, Winfield, Carr's Landing and Okanagan Center. In the terms of the municipal government, each of these wards selects one councilor and the residents select two further councilors and the mayor.

There is a lot to do in this region of the Province, with friendly people, plenty of sun and mountains, an abundance of water; a few of the people consider Lake Country to be the heart of the Okanagan. Lake Country has a big agricultural community and there are many fruit orchards within the region, a few dating back to the early 1900s. Lake Country produces more than 35% of all apples grown in Canada and considers itself the country's Apple Capital. Another important and famous agricultural activity is grape growing for the vineyards.

because of the Okanagan Valley's warm and dry weather, there are many recreational opportunities, that consist of: boating, fishing, swimming, hiking, diving, sailing, paddling and whichever water sports.

The town is home to the Gray Monk Winery, that produces a variety of world-class wines for every palate. The Okanagan Valley also has an abundant amount of orchards which produce cherries, apricots, peaches, apples, pears and plums. There is a constant supply of fresh vegetables and fruits within the Lake Country area due to the ideal climate.

The area has a rich culture and history as the First Nations people who settled the region have referred to the area as K'lakokum, which means "the land between." The early settlers within the region established logging, orchards, ranching, irrigation and lake travel. The pioneers in the area constructed their houses and made a way of life for themselves as well as their families. Even now, agriculture, orchards and ranching are still a big part of life as one can see if they take a scenic drive through Lake Country.

There are numerous lakes around for recreation including Kalamalka Lake, Duck Lake, Okanagan Lake and Wood Lake. Wood Lake is situated between Winfield and Oyama. It has solid reputation for Kokanee fishing and rainbow trout. The lake was named after Tom Wood. In the year 1860 he settled on the south end of the lake. Kalamalka Lake, on the north of Oyama is named after the Indian Chief Kalamalka, who lived on the lake. There is great bird watching and hiking at Kalamalka Lake Provincial Park located on the northeast seashore.