Thank you for your forum

[Hermes]

I will read a while before I post any questions or comments on others' posts.

Why am I here? I couldn't find any other forums on Okanagan living and I don't use 'social' media.

I am reading all I can and talking with anyone I meet who has lived in the Okanagan, especially outside of Kelowna.

I am planning where to retire as a 'snowbird' on a budget, except the Canadian portion being hot and dry instead of my current cool and wet.

I have good memories from 1965 of Penticton, and I liked the film 'My American Cousin'. But of course, both the nostalgias are just that.

[f/22]

I will read a while before I post any questions or comments on others' posts.

Why am I here? I couldn't find any other forums on Okanagan living and I don't use 'social' media.

I am reading all I can and talking with anyone I meet who has lived in the Okanagan, especially outside of Kelowna.

I am planning where to retire as a 'snowbird' on a budget, except the Canadian portion being hot and dry instead of my current cool and wet.

I have good memories from 1965 of Penticton, and I liked the film 'My American Cousin'. But of course, both the nostalgias are just that.

Thanks, too, Castanet, for the forum.

And, Hermes, from what I see of your attitude, I appreciate that you have joined in and are posting.

Mostly I like posts that make me do some work and research before I can honestly form an opinion on them (I checked out one of your previous posts, quickly found a New York Times article verifying that Hirsi Ali does reject Islamic law, and I gave you a like for pointing it out and for your reference to her book).

So far I've learned a lot about subjects that I've never delved into before. And I believe I've learned a lot about people too I've found some of them here are interesting and some are a waste of time trying to tangle with unless you like doing it for 'sport.' (For instance, perhaps the Green Barbarian likes Hirsi Ali simply because she rejects Islamic law. viewtopic.php?f=28&t=72236)

When it comes to social media, I'm here for the same reason that you are.

Currently I'm renting in Kelowna and trying to make up my mind whether or not I want to invest in buying and then moving here permanently.

Winter sports are a necessity in my life, so being able to skate and ski on a 'snowbird' budget is very important. So far I've found the lack of inexpensive 'yo-yo' ski hills and outdoor ice where I can recreationally figure skate for free on my own schedule is a problem.

As a tourist, I loved the Okanagan of 'back in the day,' and I find many of the long-term residents who were involved in the agriculture and industry levels back then yearn for it as well. I think it's a shame that many of them seem to have been replaced by the 'next gen.' Yes, I realise how that seems to be common everywhere, but I'm not sure I want to face, and try to adapt to that type of situation in new surroundings.

I look forward to reading more of your posts in the future--perhaps from afar.

[fluffy]

Welcome aboard Hermes. You will find this forum carries the good and bad evident in much online interaction these days, making use of the "ignore" function on your user control panel will let you choose who appears on your monitor. As far as the Okanagan, it has the hot, dry summers you seek and winters are mild by Canadian standards. As to where you live that will depend on your wants and needs. Kelowna is the largest "urban" center if you can call it that, with about 200,000 in the area. It will offer the greatest selection of services and amenities but carries with the the big city downside of traffic and such. The scale goes from there with decreases in population keeping pace with decreases in services and population based 'problems', in short if it's peace and quiet you desire then one of the smaller centers may be more to your liking, but you will still be within a short drive of Kelowna, an hour or two at most. Hope to see more of you.

[my5cents]

I will read a while before I post any questions or comments on others' posts.

Why am I here? I couldn't find any other forums on Okanagan living and I don't use 'social' media.

I am reading all I can and talking with anyone I meet who has lived in the Okanagan, especially outside of Kelowna.

I am planning where to retire as a 'snowbird' on a budget, except the Canadian portion being hot and dry instead of my current cool and wet.

I have good memories from 1965 of Penticton, and I liked the film 'My American Cousin'. But of course, both the nostalgias are just that.

"Cool and wet" must be the west coast, Greater Vancouver or the Island.

I've lived in the Okanagan for almost 28 years, gee and it seems like I just got here. Born and raised in Vancouver.

I used to holiday in the Okanagan. Still find that Penticton is the town that most resembles an Okanagan holiday town. Still enjoy walking along Main St, looking in the shops, or a walk along Beach Avenue. Farmer's Market on Main Street on Saturday mornings.

Hardest thing to get used to at first was the weather. When the weather man said 30% chance of showers, my mind said "it's going to rain", reality was it "might rain, it might not, and if it does only for a very short time".

Moved around a bit,,, Lake Country (was Winfield then), Kelowna, Penticton and now Summerland.

Have to consider, as we age, proximity to health care, and amenities.

For us, Summerland is close enough (10 - 15 mins +/-) to a moderately large hospital (Penticton) and 45 minutes +/- to a regional hospital, (Kelowna).

Small regional airport in Penticton, much larger in Kelowna.

No local traffic. Walking distance to town if so desired. Fairly decent shopping in Penticton, more ½ hour away in West Kelowna, and LOTS 1 hour away in Kelowna.

For a resident of a suburb of Vancouver, they may need to drive an hour just to get to shopping in their own municipality.

Highway gets a bit busy in the summer, Kelowna get's crazy.

The only downside is that in Vancouver you can always predict the weather. If you can see the mountains, it's going to rain, if you can't see them, it is raining.

Hopefully you have some property to sell, to assist in buying here.

[What_the]

Want nostalgic? Go to Oliver, nothing changes there except who owns the orchards. Large senior population and hospital, no touristy stuff except wineries. Ice rink, curling, skiing with mount baldy

[my5cents]

Want nostalgic? Go to Oliver, nothing changes there except who owns the orchards. Large senior population and hospital, no touristy stuff except wineries. Ice rink, curling, skiing with mount baldy

The further South the better the weather (slightly), but every mile South a mile further from a major hospital, major shopping.
Closer to the US.
All depends on priorities.

[What_the]

Well that's it isn't it. Priorities. T the small hospital with good doctors and staff were one of the reasons my folks moved to Oliver. The shopping part I've discovered is a welcome "road trip" every couple of weeks/month to Costco 1.5 hours to Kelowna or Wal-Mart etc. Change of scenery and it's a beautiful drive now.