Kelowna

[Claymaker]

So the wife got offered a job with her company in Kelowna with slight pay increase, we currently live in Banff for five years now and are getting tired of the housing market.

Just curious if anyone has any insight on Kelowna for a young couple looking to start family and take the next step in life and leave the transient party town behind,

We are both avid outdoorsman and I love to hunt and fish and be in the bush.

What are your pros and cons of Kelowna or past or current experience on it


Cheers

[st99]

I don't know from first hand experience, but do have family in Kelowna, and visit regularly.

Great hunting just outside city, don't need to go far. Fishing is by far better than anywhere in Alberta. Housing is expensive, considering the large increase in taxes, at every level. They do get their fair share of transient, mostly in summer. Mild winter and very warm summers, often up to 45 degrees. It's beautiful country, but compare to Banff, you'll miss the view.

[JB_AOL]

IMHO, you won't be leaving the transient party life behind by moving to Kelowna, specifically from May to October. The population in Lake country balloons exponentially during those months. So consider that a con. BUT, I feel that would be worth dealing with to live/work in lake country.

There is a crap ton of backcountry there as well (towards big white ski resort).

I wouldn't hesitate for a second to move there if your wife has a job offer already. But make sure you are able to live off the one income until you can find a job. Everything I have heard about the job market is "locals only", as in, even if you are willing to work for less (than a local), are over qualified, they usually overlook you strictly because of any reference to Alberta.

[EZM]

People who live in Kelowna, and I know a few of them, are tired of the summer crowds and transients that invade every summer - so like others have said - that part isn't going to get better for you.

I'd also say there are just as many outdoor things to do in Banff as there would be to do around Kelowna. Living in either place, you are going to do a little driving to get to some isolated wilderness and lakes.

It's really up to you and the activities you want to do.

[tacomama]

That pay increase... you will never see it, as it will go towards the higher cost of living there, insurance, gas, etc. etc.

From actual experience:
We moved out there from Calgary for 2.5 years, just for a change and to check it out. We have visited the Okanagan few times before but as tourists.

People there are very clicky and many don't like Albertans at all. I heard a few comments where I worked during the summer seasons such as "f*****g red plates everywhere again...."
If you don't have the big house, the big truck and the boat, you might not fit in that well.

Housing is very expensive, traffic sucks as bad as Calgary and the attitudes people had even in retail were sometimes negative as well. Lots of "if you don't like it too bad" attitudes. Stores close early many days too so it was sometimes tough trying to go shopping for stuff, especially if you're doing any type of shift work.
I always had the feeling that Kelowna was a town trying to be a city with a village attitude.
Hunting and fishing is great for sure, that that can be found in other places.

The best times I had in Kelowna were when we flew out of there for vacations and when we drove past city limits with a U-haul and headed towards Calgary.

I have heard many of these same comments from others as well about Kelowna, so I know it's not just me.

P.s. the winters are milder for sure, but usually grey for long periods of time. I'd take colder temps and sunny weather any day over the Okanagan winters. Alberta rocks!

P.p.s. People from Penticton and other parts of the Okanagan were much nicer than Kelowna people by the way.

[Nate_K1500]

Go and never look back. a good job in a beautiful area? what's with the hesitation? I came to Alberta from Penticton (40 mins from Kelowna) there is LOTS of hunting and fishing. Just head up the old 201 logging roads and your in the mountains / hunting heaven! Many lakes up there where you'll be the only guy on the water that day and they stretch from Kamloops to Osoyoos. Its also not as expensive for everything like groceries in the way that Banff is. you will pay more for car insurance and gas though...

[Dark]

Originally Posted by Nate_K1500

Go and never look back. a good job in a beautiful area? what's with the hesitation? I came to Alberta from Penticton (40 mins from Kelowna) there is LOTS of hunting and fishing. Just head up the old 201 logging roads and your in the mountains / hunting heaven! Many lakes up there where you'll be the only guy on the water that day and they stretch from Kamloops to Osoyoos. Its also not as expensive for everything like groceries in the way that Banff is. you will pay more for car insurance and gas though...

why did you move to Alberta?
remember there's always someone that wants your job and will work for less. Everyone wants to live there. Make your money here retire there.
I moved there for 10 years slowly went broke. lol
Glad to be back

[Gande]

If it's something you feel you need to do so that you have 'no regrets' in life- then go for it. It's no way to live life always wondering 'what if'. Just know that they hate Albertans. Full stop. Hate them. I and many of my family members have lived/do live in the okanagan and it's no secret their dislike of Albertans. All that negativity aside- you could check out the castanet forum and do a bit of reading. Might be more unbiased information there.

[CaberTosser]

I don't know too much about Kelowna but I really like Vernon just up the lake. That being said I've not lived there, just lots of visits. The summers have the heat, you can grow about any type of fruit you want and there's winter recreation galore.

[Red Bullets]

Banff is a town but Kelowna is a city. If you were to move there consider commuting to Kelowna a few miles and you will find nicer environments for living and raising kids. Better than right in the city.

The difference between the two is Banff attracts multilingual international travelers that only stay a week or two and Kelowna attracts Canada's transients that stay for the whole warm season.

The fishing is better around Kelowna compared to the Banff area. A hour or two trip from Kelowna in any direction can have you fishing for a few species. Trout to bass to salmon to sunfish to perch to etc.. Never hunted there but have seen a fair amount of game when I was exploring the back roads. An hour south of Kelowna is loaded with quail too. 2 hours north of Kelowna the land gets more rugged and would hold the critters that like the high country.

[rosh]

We are from Kelowna. It has it all, little more expensive to live( taxes, fuel...) but beautiful. The worst part is the congestion 97 creates specially during summer.

[Spidey]

I don't really have an opinion one way or the other, but have a few considerations to offer.

Really good friends of ours and their young family moved from the Bow Valley to Kelowna a few years ago. They sold their small house in Canmore and bought a very large house with a pool in Kettle Valley (one of the nicer residential areas in the Kelowna area) for nearly the same price.

Their feedback is they preferred the friend group/lifestyle they had in Canmore/Banff to Kelowna. My buddy describes the change in social setting as going from hiking and biking to drinking and more drinking. They still maintain a healthy lifestyle in Kelowna but they seem to be a bit of an exception within their social group. And his wife lovingly refers to her social circle as "The Real Housewives of Kettle Valley"

We visited them this summer and yes it was quite idyllic with the view of the lake, the winery tours and lounging around the pool. However, they were saying that crime and mischief is quite high given the transiency the area attracts. And yes, jobs are a big thing. We're pretty fortunate in the Bow Valley with a booming tourism sector that entry level jobs are very easy to find. Kelowna is a different beast it seems.

Oh, and I lived in Dratyon Valley for a few years and thought I knew what living in a town with a lot of pick-up trucks and outdoor toys was like. I'd say Kelowna give DV a run for it's money! Mind you, I liked that part of Kelowna

Not sure why, but 80% of the pickups in Kelowna seem to be Ford. One more reason to like the area

[CaberTosser]

Originally Posted by Spidey

Not sure why, but 80% of the pickups in Kelowna seem to be Ford. One more reason to like the area

That's what's attracts all of the transients, based on how easy they are to steal!

[huntinstuff]

One of my best friends lives in Kelowna

She loves it.

Houses cost more for sure. Its a nicer place. Gotta expect that.

Any place that has less than 7 months of snow is better than Edmonton.

Edmonton or Calgary are very good base locations

But Kelowna is better

If you move there, shut up about Alberta. Makes you no different than some immigrant moving to Canada then bitching about Canada. If you live in BC, stand by it.

[.257Weatherby]

Originally Posted by Claymaker

So the wife got offered a job with her company in Kelowna with slight pay increase, we currently live in Banff for five years now and are getting tired of the housing market.

Just curious if anyone has any insight on Kelowna for a young couple looking to start family and take the next step in life and leave the transient party town behind,

We are both avid outdoorsman and I love to hunt and fish and be in the bush.

What are your pros and cons of Kelowna or past or current experience on it


Cheers

Cons...lots of retired BC Politicians live there....
BC means bring cash...
Pros if you like skiing and fishing and hunting( save for Grizzly Bear ) you'll enjoy it.
Then the climate is tolerable too.
Drier than Banff.
Rob

[Nate_K1500]

Originally Posted by Dark

why did you move to Alberta?
remember there's always someone that wants your job and will work for less. Everyone wants to live there. Make your money here retire there.
I moved there for 10 years slowly went broke. lol
Glad to be back

I moved here looking for work. At the time I was a 2nd year electrician and was on EI for 7 months. Helped a friend move out here and found work that same day. If I could make there what I make here I'd move back in a heart beat.

[Dean2]

Have two nephews there, one carpenter, one electrician. Both worked for years in Alberta because there was no good paying work in Kelowna, despite the fact they were born and raised in B.C. The carpenter and his family has now moved to Langley and the electrician has opened his own business about 3 years ago. Between it and a full time job he is making ends meet, but his wife is a nurse and also earns a good income.

Social scene is young and boozy. There are far more pickup jockeys than real outdoors men. Everything costs more and the jobs pay significantly less.

I would prefer to live in just about any other town than Kelowna. I really don't like the vibe there, or the atrocious traffic.