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UBC Theses and Dissertations
Penticton and its region Wahl, Edward
Abstract
The Penticton region is part of the Okanagan Valley which is situated in the southern interior of British Columbia. During and after Pleistocene times, soil materials were deposited in the valley in the form of terraces and alluvial fans. The climate being warm and dry stimulated the growth of grasses which not only enriched the soils but provided good grazing for wild animals and, with the coming of the white man, for numerous cattle. But the soil and the climate held more promise, with irrigation they provided ideal conditions for the growing of fruit and it was not long before the cattle industry was replaced by a new economy based on fruit. As transportation facilities increased, the region became more easily accessible from the outside and also permitted a freer flow of its produce to market. New settlers flocked in to take up the lands and put them into orchard. To supply the needs of the expanding region, Penticton grew from a small nucleus on the Okanagan Lake to a thriving town. Secondary industries largely based on fruit sustained the growing population. Because it is now almost exclusively based on fruit, the economy of the region is extremely sensitive to the vagaries of outside market conditions and the need for diversification of industry has become increasingly apparent. The lumber industry shows little promise of future expansion because of the too distant sources of logs; manufacturing which is not based on fruit lacks a ready source of raw materials, cheap power, and is open to competition from more favored areas; the tourist industry shows promise of considerable expansion, but has the disadvantage of coinciding in time with the growing season. There are no extensive mineral deposits close enough at hand to exert a significant effect on the regional economy. As a result, the region will have to depend on expansion of the fruit industry, the finding of new markets, and on a considerable increase in fruit processing. Too, some growth will doubtless result from Penticton's importance as a distributing and commercial centre; trade will be augmented as the populations of the South Okanagan and the various settlements to the east on the Kettle Valley Railroad continue to increase. The problems facing the Penticton region's continued growth are various. There are, however, certain geographic advantages which, if properly used and developed, will go far in providing not only the things considered essential to modern living, but also a legacy, both bountiful and lasting, for the future.
Item Metadata
Title |
Penticton and its region
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Creator | |
Publisher |
University of British Columbia
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Date Issued |
1955
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Description |
The Penticton region is part of the Okanagan Valley which is
situated in the southern interior of British Columbia. During and after
Pleistocene times, soil materials were deposited in the valley in the form
of terraces and alluvial fans. The climate being warm and dry stimulated
the growth of grasses which not only enriched the soils but provided good
grazing for wild animals and, with the coming of the white man, for
numerous cattle. But the soil and the climate held more promise, with
irrigation they provided ideal conditions for the growing of fruit and it
was not long before the cattle industry was replaced by a new economy based
on fruit.
As transportation facilities increased, the region became more
easily accessible from the outside and also permitted a freer flow of its
produce to market. New settlers flocked in to take up the lands and put
them into orchard. To supply the needs of the expanding region,
Penticton grew from a small nucleus on the Okanagan Lake to a thriving
town. Secondary industries largely based on fruit sustained the growing
population.
Because it is now almost exclusively based on fruit, the economy
of the region is extremely sensitive to the vagaries of outside market
conditions and the need for diversification of industry has become
increasingly apparent. The lumber industry shows little promise of future
expansion because of the too distant sources of logs; manufacturing which is
not based on fruit lacks a ready source of raw materials, cheap power, and
is open to competition from more favored areas; the tourist industry shows
promise of considerable expansion, but has the disadvantage of coinciding
in time with the growing season. There are no extensive mineral deposits
close enough at hand to exert a significant effect on the regional
economy. As a result, the region will have to depend on expansion of
the fruit industry, the finding of new markets, and on a considerable
increase in fruit processing. Too, some growth will doubtless result
from Penticton's importance as a distributing and commercial centre;
trade will be augmented as the populations of the South Okanagan and
the various settlements to the east on the Kettle Valley Railroad
continue to increase.
The problems facing the Penticton region's continued growth are
various. There are, however, certain geographic advantages which, if
properly used and developed, will go far in providing not only the
things considered essential to modern living, but also a legacy, both
bountiful and lasting, for the future.
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Genre | |
Type | |
Language |
eng
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Date Available |
2012-05-28
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Provider |
Vancouver : University of British Columbia Library
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Rights |
For non-commercial purposes only, such as research, private study and education. Additional conditions apply, see Terms of Use https://open.library.ubc.ca/terms_of_use.
|
DOI |
10.14288/1.0107146
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URI | |
Degree | |
Program | |
Affiliation | |
Degree Grantor |
University of British Columbia
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Campus | |
Scholarly Level |
Graduate
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Aggregated Source Repository |
DSpace
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Rights
For non-commercial purposes only, such as research, private study and education. Additional conditions apply, see Terms of Use https://open.library.ubc.ca/terms_of_use.