Why The Okanagan?

In the summer of 2023, the Okanagan region of British Columbia was impacted by the McDougall Creek fire, and many of my friends and neighbours were evacuated from their homes. I had the opportunity to work in the Emergency Operations Centre for a couple of days, and it was heart wrenching to hear the fear and uncertainty in peoples’ voices as they called looking for information. Days were hard and long, but to this day I am so grateful that I had the opportunity to help during this difficult time for the region. The people of the Central Okanagan are still recovering – many people lost their homes and businesses, and the fire certainly impacted our hearts as well as our long-term tourism industry – but we are resilient, and we are thankful each day to be blessed with such a spectacular place to live.

I don’t know if you’ve ever visited the Okanagan, but if you haven’t, I highly recommend it! I have lived in many parts of Canada, from Ottawa, Ontario, the nation’s capital, to Calgary and Edmonton as well as many other municipalities in Alberta, and in both the South Okanagan and Central Okanagan regions of British Columbia. Canada has so very much to offer, and one of my singular pleasures in life is to share the joys of life in Canada with people around the world through my YouTube channel, Isabella Sunshine. I absolutely love visiting new cities and travelling around my country, which is enormous, as well as revisiting old haunts and special Canadian places that are near and dear to my heart. Stick around this channel long enough and I promise that you’ll learn what some of those magical places are. Some of the best summers of my life were spent working in Alberta’s provincial parks system in the Northern Rockies as well as in Central Alberta, and one day I’ll be sharing those parks with you and giving you my special perspective on what makes them such amazing places to visit.

Back to the Okanagan. This place is amazing. From a tourism perspective, there are recreation opportunities year round. You can ski, golf, mountain bike, hike, sail, paraglide, fish… honestly, you can do anything. And everything is so close! I certainly don’t miss the crazy traffic of the south of Edmonton, or commuting during rush hour in Ontario and Alberta’s big cities. I live in Kelowna, British Columbia now, and everything seems to be within a 20-minute drive. I love it! Whether I want to visit a regional park for a hike or birdwatching, meet a friend at a winery, shop, or find a vista for a breathtaking view of the city… it’s all within a short drive. Even the ski hill is an hour away, and let me tell you, the skiing is GREAT! For winter outdoor enthusiasts like me, there are three spectacular hills an hour or so away – Big White in Boundary Country and Silver Star in Vernon are equidistant from Kelowna, while Apex in Penticton is about 90 minutes away. The cross-country skiing is plentiful here as well, from busy Telemark Nordic Club in West Kelowna to the Kelowna Nordic Club and Big White Ski Resort to Sovereign Lake Nordic Centre at SilverStar. Each of these places has its own special allure. 

Did someone mention wine? The Okanagan region grows 86% of British Coliumbia’s wine crop, and is a big part of Canada’s wine industry. I have some definite favourites dotted throughout the region, and I am excited to share them with you as you get to know me and my content through my channel. I’m really looking forward to offering some behind-the-scenes footage in particular of our local wine industry: how things are done, challenges the local industry faces, and what makes this region special. You’ll be meeting winemakers, tasters, and industry professionals going forward, so stay tuned!

Truly, though, the Okanagan is magical. Okanagan Lake is both spectacular and infinitely swimmable, the winters are mild, we’re close to so many big cities in every direction, and there’s just really so much to do while still enjoying living in a community where people get to know one another over the years. Another draw that brought me here is the fruit. With the warm and generous growing season, as well as the heat and summer sunshine, everything from cherries to apples to stone fruits like peaches, apricots and plums grow in abundance here, right alongside the grapes for our wineries. It’s easy to take a scenic drive and drink in the vistas of orchards and vineyards. I particularly love seeing the work of our local Okanagan artists in our local wineries and gift shops – the region’s artists truly manage to capture the colours and seasons on canvas and in print. 

I recognize that I sound a bit like a tourism advertisement right now, so I’ll stop for now but I truly could go on. Instead, I’ll leave you with the promise of more to come. Please stay tuned to my channel, subscribe to my newsletter, and most of all please subscribe to my YouTube channel and enjoy the many offerings there created  just for you. I thank you from the bottom of my heart for stopping by today, and I can’t wait to share my adventures with you in the coming months. Cheers!