A five stop-historical tour of Kelowna, B.C. In 1860, August Gillard emerged from his underground winter soddy draped in fur and blinking at the blinding sunlight. A group of First Nations people stood outside, drawn to Gillard’s humble dwelling by a rising stream of smoke. They named him “Kim-ach-Touch,” Syilx for grizzly bear. Thirty years later, this word became the name of a small settler town hidden within the B.C. interior. Today, Kelowna is also emerging from hibernation and tracking toward a new chapter in its history. One that balances a history of beaches, peaches, silver mining and settlement with a modern, urban twist. Here are five activities for a weekend warrior hoping to dive into the rich history of this grizzly bear city.
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