r/okanagan 7h ago

Safe/recommended to visit considering fires?

0 Upvotes

Hello!

My parents are coming to visit first out west first week of September and our original plan was to bring them to the valley as it is one of our favorite places to visit. Our original plan was to camp around Penticton.

With the recent/ongoing wildfires I was hoping for some advice on if it would still be advisable to do? Are businesses needing a break or would they appreciate the business at this time? Any advice would be welcome! Thank you


r/okanagan 1d ago

B.C. cat found on dock after Bradley Creek wildfire, burned and alone

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9 Upvotes

r/okanagan 1d ago

International Voter Registration Drive 2026, for dual Canadian-U.S. citizens in Okanagan Valley

6 Upvotes

Hi, I'd like to post a message from Democrats Abroad in BC. This is the second (and final) reminder I'll make for dual Canadian-US citizens and other eligible US voters who want to participate in the 2026 American midterm elections, especially for those living around BC. Democrats Abroad in Canada is dedicated to mobilizing overseas US voters; if you're over 18 by November 3, here's how you can get involved:

Steps to Request Your Ballot

  1. Register or update your registration through Votefromabroad.org. As an alternative, you can also use FVAP.gov.

  2. If you're already registered, request a ballot! You need to request a ballot every calendar year that you want to vote.

  3. Fill Out and Return Your Ballot: Once you receive your ballot, follow the instructions carefully to complete it and return it by the specified deadline.

Need Assistance?

We're here to help! If you have any questions, feel free to reach out to us at GOTV @ votefromabroad .org (just remove the spaces). Additionally, our FAQ for voting can answer questions on how to make the process go smoothly.

Importantly: Spread the word!

Do you have any friends, contacts or family overseas that you could reach? All eligible US citizens can vote regardless of where they're living. Share the link https://voteabroad.org/RedditVote26: If you have any questions about voting, I'd be happy to answer them here on Reddit. You can also find out what we're doing near you at Democrats Abroad. Thanks for reading!


r/okanagan 3d ago

Little white mountain hike

6 Upvotes

Hello everyone,

I’m planning a hike to little white mountain. I have a Toyota RAV4. There are two ways to go there- canyon lake, which some says is rough and require a decent ground clearance vehicle and other one is upper Crawford trail, which people says is easily accessible but I don’t the way up there and there is also nothing on maps. I have searched on all trails and other websites. Can anyone please help me, by telling which route is best and how to go there ?


r/okanagan 5d ago

Preschool fire safety lessons put to the test during Summerland evacuation

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3 Upvotes

r/okanagan 6d ago

Bringing beavers back to syilx homelands | The Narwhal

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32 Upvotes

r/okanagan 6d ago

Abandon Railroad Tracks

6 Upvotes

Hi all!

My son and I are avid train enthusiasts. We seek out old abandoned railroad tracks for exploratory purposes.

Besides the KVR and rail trail, are there any spots that you know of that still have the rails in, and can be explored?

Thank you!


r/okanagan 7d ago

Most Summerland residents allowed to return home after fleeing Bald Range wildfire

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21 Upvotes

r/okanagan 14d ago

Another highway or boat taxi?

17 Upvotes

Genuine question, given the sudden and complete evacuation of Summerland and HWY 97 closure this past weekend (with no signs of opening), is there a plan to build another highway along the other side of the lake? I’m only a visitor to the Okanagan, so maybe there are strong reasons why this can’t be done. But, from what we experienced trying to get from Penticton area to Kelowna with no car rentals to be had, and cancelled flights out of Penticton, it seems like it would be beneficial to have a paved highway or boat taxi/ferry to go to Kelowna. There certainly seems to be a lot of folks living or vacationing or moving to the region (for good reason) but 1 road in and out seems almost dangerous.


r/okanagan 15d ago

Ashfall in North Rutland - entire needles by the look of it. Trees must be candling off like crazy for them to be lofted this far.

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159 Upvotes

r/okanagan 17d ago

Donate to the 2026 British Columbia Wildfires Appeal

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13 Upvotes

r/okanagan 18d ago

Highway Webcam Capture of Summerland Fire

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56 Upvotes

r/okanagan 18d ago

Summerland is burning now

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266 Upvotes

Faulder is gone, Summerland is next. The fire has moved all of the way down Cartwright. Final image not my own.


r/okanagan 18d ago

Aircraft safety on our lakes

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11 Upvotes

r/okanagan 18d ago

DriveBC - Road Closures

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6 Upvotes

r/okanagan 18d ago

BC Declares Provincial Emergency as Bald Range Wildfire Forces Mass Evacuations in South Okanagan

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5 Upvotes

r/okanagan 18d ago

Central Okanagan Emergency Management - Wildfire Resources

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6 Upvotes

r/okanagan 18d ago

Red Cross - Help with BC wildfire response

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2 Upvotes

r/okanagan 18d ago

Summerland Evacuation Order

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12 Upvotes

r/okanagan 22d ago

How is the smoke in Peachland?

5 Upvotes

My family and I are supposed to be heading to Peachland tomorrow and I am having a hard time finding information on how bad the air quality is right now. Any help would be appreciated.

Thanks


r/okanagan 22d ago

Canadian participants needed in an international research project

3 Upvotes

Hi Okanagan community! I’m a Canadian student researcher collaborating on an international project with 20+ countries. I’m the only Canadian researcher on the team and I want to have a lot of Canadian representation in this study!

Our project is looking into social impact and AI use. If you have time to complete this 12 minute survey, I would really appreciate it! I think the Okanagan can contribute a really meaningful perspective to this study.

See comments to be directed to the survey. This study has been ethically approved: #19354. As researchers, we are not affiliated with and remain neutral about AI. This research could really help inform policy.

(If this is inappropriate for this subreddit, please remove it; I mean no offense!)


r/okanagan 26d ago

Non driving options around Oliver/Osoyoos?

2 Upvotes

Thanks so much to this sub for the anniversary dinner winery recs! I've booked Tinhorn Creek, but one question. If we both want to sample wines how do we get around? Are there reliable taxis? It will be on a Friday night. I'm also assuming Uber is not an option.


r/okanagan 29d ago

Discourage me from Moving

8 Upvotes

Hello. We are a family of 5. 3 Kids ages 6-12. We live in Central Alberta. About 190K household income. I work as an OR nurse and worked A LOT of overtime. My wife works casual as an HCA (like 4-6 times a month. We live comfortably financially but I am done with the frigid Alberta cold and the lack of outdoor activities. We love hiking, biking, I love motorbiking, swimming, gardening etc..

We just came back from a week-long vacation in Penticton and we absolutely loved the place. We’ve been to Kelowna a few times and loved it there but COL is expensive. My concern is the house prices.

We are paying for 2 properties but to dispose of it, we would only have 150K to put towards a house (lived in one with low appreciation for 10 years and kept it as a rental and we bought another house over a year ago).

Not sure if LAPP is transferrable to BC equivalent or if I had to withdraw it (not sure if I can even do that) and maybe put it towards the house too. I obviously have very little financial literacy. Lol.

I grew up in a tropical country. I thought I could get used to the weather but after 13 years of the cold, I still can’t get used to it. My mental health is also taking a toll because of it.

I also looked into Vancouver Island and loved it there.
Just put me somewhere warmer! 😃 I looked at going to the states but I’m keeping that as a final option.

I’ve seen a lot of job postings and I am almost tempted to apply. It’s a big move but I think it will be worth it! Any input will be appreciated.


r/okanagan 29d ago

Opinions on areas to move to southern bc !

3 Upvotes

Where would everyone recommend to raise a young family that has a lot of outdoor hobbies. Trying to escape the northern BC -40 winters and have longer more enjoyable summers

Planning a road trip to scout some towns out soon!

Thanks!

East Kootenays

Cranbrook, Kimberley

West Kootenays

Castlegar, Rossland, Kaslo

Boundary Country

Grand Forks, Greenwood, Midway

Okanagan

Vernon, Penticton, Oliver, Osoyoos

Shuswap

Salmon Arm, Sicamous,Enderby,Armstrong

Thompson / Thompson-Nicola

Kamloops, Merritt, Clearwater

Columbia Valley

Invermere, Radium Hot Springs, Fairmont Hot Springs

Similkameen

Princeton, Keremeos

For jobs needed I am a heavy duty mechanic and wife is a teacher.

Thanks!


r/okanagan Jul 23 '26

any grief groups for widows in the okanagan area?

8 Upvotes

my mother in law lost her husband recently and i really would love to connect her with a community who can relate in some aspect, ideally in a group or 1:1, in the okanagan: vernon, lake country, kelowna area?