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Kelowna
Airport Links
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Kelown Tourism
. Commerce More
than 600 local community members gathered at Tower
Ranch on October 14 for an afternoon BBQ to
celebrate the grand opening of the McCurdy Road
extension &endash; the road into the Okanagan's
newest Golf Course community. Mayor Shepherd was
joined by former B.C. premier Bill Bennett for the
celebration, which not only opened the new McCurdy
road, but also officially opened the new community
named for and envisioned by local landowner Stan
Tower. "The
extension of McCurdy road marks the opening of
Tower Ranch to the Kelowna community, and the
realization of Mr. Tower's vision," said Bayne
Anderson, Development Manager at Intrawest.
"This project is the result of years of
envisioning, planning and collaboration among our
team and our partners." Following
the ceremony, a community BBQ and afternoon
celebrations were held at the Tower Ranch Discovery
Centre, where guests previewed the three Tower
Ranch showhomes - including the newest Sedona
showhome - met the renowned golf course designer
Thomas McBroom, and toured the Tower Ranch property
and golf course. "We're
thrilled that so many people came to celebrate and
experience the Tower Ranch property." said Jill
Grant, Marketing and Project Manager for
Playground, a division of Intrawest. "This is a
very special community, not only for those who will
call it home, but for everyone who lives in and
visits Kelowna." The
public is welcome to view the Discovery Centre and
Showhome where they can learn more about the master
planned community, The Club at Tower Ranch, Golf
Membership opportunities and the first phase of
homes. More
than a thousand families from the local Okanagan
Valley, as well as Calgary and Vancouver, have
already expressed interest in becoming a part of
this premiere golf course community. Situated
in the uplands above Kelowna, Tower Ranch
encompasses 446 acres of prime Okanagan
land offering unparalleled views of Lake Okanagan,
the Okanagan Valley and the city of Kelowna.
Tower Ranch will feature four distinct and unique
neighbourhoods offering residents a variety of
options. Inspired by the natural surroundings
of the property, Tower Ranch will feature a 43-acre
public park, complete with an extensive network of
hiking and mountain bike trails, as a gift to the
city of Kelowna. Tower
Ranch is a joint development between Intrawest,
golf course owner/operator Aberdeen
Golf Group, and Master-greens architect Thomas
McBroom, with the first offering of single-family
and townhomes being offered by premiere local
builder, Dilworth Quality Homes.
Media
Contact Kyla
Leslie Immedia
PR T
604.568.6511 Kelowna's
Okanagan lifestyle keeps visitors coming back for
more by Tracey
Cochrane Not long ago,
Kelowna, in the heart of British Columbia's
Okanagan region, was a place where families escaped
every summer for guaranteed sunshine and
togetherness. Unlike other destinations, which lose
their charm once they are "discovered", Kelowna's
reputation has grown considerably along with its
size. With a population of 89,000, it is today a
major centre with even more for visitors to enjoy
all year long, from the moderate, dry climate to
numerous recreational and cultural opportunities.
And yet that same easy-going pace it was first
known for still remains. The unspoiled
rural atmosphere is still a major attraction,
however. Within a five hour drive of British
Columbia's Lower Mainland or Spokane, Washington,
and within eight hours of Calgary, Kelowna offers
pure, clean air, the pristine beauty of Lake
Okanagan, lots of open space and some 2,000 hours
of sunshine a year. The burgeoning agri-tourism
industry promotes simple pleasures, such as orchard
tours, berry picking and shopping at country
markets and roadside stands. City Park:
The Okanagan climate and geography are conducive to
walking and biking throughout the year, with
generous biking shoulders provided on many major
routes. City Park, just minutes from the downtown
business district, includes popular "Hot Sands"
beach, an outdoor stage, playground and children's
waterpark just minutes from the downtown business
district. The walkway through the park joins the
boardwalk into Waterfront Park, extending the
lakeside walk past the Grand Okanagan Lakefront
Resort, a 205-room deluxe hotel and conference
centre built in 1992. Each season offers its own
recreational pursuits. Well-maintained beaches
invite boating and water-skiing in summer as well
as more adventurous activities such as para-sailing
and hot air ballooning. Golf courses abound and
take advantage of one of the longest golfing
seasons anywhere, from March through November.
Close to town are excellent facilities for downhill
and cross-country skiing all characterized by their
lack of waits and dry, powdery snow. Kelowna's
community spirit is evident in every season,
resulting in a year-long calendar of events. The
summer months still attract the majority of
visitors, with parades, rodeos, regattas and other
celebrations taking place almost every weekend from
mid-May through August. A variety of guided and
self-guided tours can be had at several wineries,
orchards, the Sun-Rype fruit processing plant, the
Riverside Forest Products mill and Western Star
Trucks manufacturing facility. In addition,
valley-wide events like the spring and fall Wine
Festival enable many to discover Kelowna outside of
the peak season when room rates are down and the
roads are less travelled. Cultural tourism
is yet another "clean industry" coming into its own
in Kelowna. Steven Thorne, the City's new Arts
Development Officer is hard at work in conjunction
with various local arts organization promoting
Kelowna as a potential "Mecca for cultural
tourism." Ideas for
developing tourism in the Okanagan actually go far
back into Kelowna's economic history. As early as
the 1920s, the Kelowna Chamber of Commerce's
publicity, transportation and entertainment
committees were involved with tourism issues,
although a solid strategy for attracting visitors
was limited by the lack of transportation and
communication links with the Interior, and an
official tourism arm. Since the formation of the
Kelowna Visitors and Convention Bureau in 1990, a
strategic marketing program has evolved, bringing
year-round visitors, many of whom return to live
and work in Kelowna. Building
on Success: Kelowna's
incredible growth over the last 10 years has
attracted many new services and amenities, putting
it in a league of world-class destinations. Tinling
points out that "13 per cent of all tourists who
come to BC now visit the Okanagan. Kelowna is
seeing more and more international visitors,
particularly Asians tourists, and we receive dozens
of overseas inquiries a month." General visitors
inquiries for 1995 were up 23 per cent over 1994.
With the addition of conference facilities such as
the Grand Okanagan and strategic marketing of these
facilities, the group tour and convention market
has also taken a jump: between 1989 and 1995, the
number of group tours grew from 469 to 1,712 and
convention business tripled from 20,000 to 60,000
delegates. Currently Tinling
and other industry representatives are focused on
attending trade shows to market Kelowna throughout
North America, and meeting with the decision-makers
of major companies and organizations across Canada
to attract convention business. Bookings are
already being made into the next century for groups
of 500 and up. Tinling looks to the future with
typical enthusiasm for the city he loves. "Our
goals now are to develop new markets and remain
responsive to the changing needs of today's
travellers. Above all else, we want to ensure
tourism as an industry continues to enhance, rather
than dominate the lifestyle Kelowna is so well
known for." Air Travel
Facts Kelowna * Kelowna Airport
is the third busiest airport in BC in terms of
passenger activity. * The airport is
presently served by Air BC, Canadian Regional
Airlines, Central Mountain Air, and WestJet
Airlines. There are also two full service fixed
based operators on the airport. * The airport has
a single 7,300 ft. long by 200 ft. wide paved
runway. * The Kelowna Air
Terminal Building has 30,000 square feet of floor
space and provides a full range of services
including: a restaurant/bar; car rental
concessions; a gift shop and international arrivals
facilities for aircraft up to 120
passengers. * Parking is
available for over 500 vehicles in the terminal
area. Bus services from/to downtown Kelowna and
Vernon meet most flights. From November to March,
bus service is also available to local ski
hills. * At the present
time, the air carriers operate 32 commercial
flights per day into Kelowna, utilizing Boeing 727,
Boeing 737, F28, Dash 8, and Beech 1900 aircraft.
Same plane service is available to 13 destinations
in Western Canada including Vancouver and Calgary
International Airports. Tourism
Partnerships Paying Off One of the
Okanagan's greatest strengths is that Vernon,
Kelowna and Penticton -- the Okanagan's three major
centres -- work together to market the Okanagan as
a whole rather than each competing for the largest
share. Similarly, partnerships within different
areas of the local tourism industry such as golf
and skiing are also paying off. The Okanagan Valley
Golf Association, for example, is the result of
major golf courses in the Okanagan coming together
in 1990 to promote golf as a major attraction. With
the support of the Okanagan Similkameen Tourism
Association, the OVGA Golf Guide, published
annually, has become a highly effective tool for
marketing golf in the area. "Air tourism", an
idea that got off the ground in 1994, is also
producing positive economic results. The initiative
began when Tinling and Kelowna Airport Manager
Roger Sellick sat down to discuss how to increase
the number of air travellers to Kelowna. From
there, an air tourism committee was formed
consisting of representatives from local
accommodation, ski and golf facilities. As a result
of their efforts, Kelowna is becoming known as an
affordable, accessible golf and ski destination,
particularly for travellers from eastern Canada.
With direct flights from Toronto to Kelowna in the
off-season costing only a fraction of what they
used to, one can leave Toronto at 8 am and be on
the slopes or the golf course in Kelowna by one
that afternoon. Since it opened as
a small "commuter" airport in 1946, Kelowna Airport
has served an increasingly broad catchment area,
drawing passengers from throughout the Southern
Interior. With frequent flights to 13 western
Canadian cities, direct service to Toronto, plus
seasonal charter flights to Reno and Mexico,
"Kelowna is starting to evolve into a mini-hub
serving long-haul destinations," says Sellick. The
strong rapport between the KVCB and Kelowna Airport
is evidence by the presence of brochures on local
attractions prominently displayed in the airport. A
direct phone line between the KVCB office and the
airport terminal can provide instant information
for a visitor who has just disembarked from one of
over 33 daily flights into Kelowna. Ramada Inn
Kelowna, an RPB Hotel. Details to come. ...Visit
Penticton via the Okanagan Valley's Wine Country
Airport. |
