Everything Under the Sun!

Some interesting facts about Penticton and the South Okanagan...

• The population of Penticton is 31,100.
  
  
• Penticton is located in a semi-arid desert region that receives over 2,000 hours of sunshine annually (more than Honolulu!).
  
  
• The average temperature is 28 C in the summer and 0 C in the winter.
  
  
• HI-Penticton was built in 1908 as a residence for bank employees and has gone through a number of cosmetic changes. Since then it has been everything from a half way house to an old folk's home.
  
  
• The name Penticton stems from Pen-Tak-Tin, a First-Nations Salish word meaning ?a place to stay forever.'
  
  
• The Penticton Vees were World Champions of 1955.  Chosen to represent Canada in the 1955 World Hockey Tournament in Europe , the Vees went through the series undefeated, shutting out Russia 5-0 in the finals to return the World Cup to Canada . A mural painted on the Elks Lodge one block north of the hostel was completed in November 2000 to commemorate their amazing achievement. 
  
  
• Penticton hosts the Trans Canada Trail and world-class Skaha Bluffs rock climbing area, as well as the Ironman Canada Triathlon, run the last Sunday in August each year.
  
  
• Within 20 minutes of downtown Penticton is an extinct volcano, Munson Mountain.  Today you will find PENTICTON spelled out on it in letters 50 feet high and 30 feet wide.
  
  
• Ray Ferraro, Brett Hull, Andy Moog, Paul Kariya, Brendan Morrison, Rob Tallas, Jason Padollan, Dany Bousquet and Dean Stork all played Junior hockey in Penticton before advancing to the NHL.
  
  
• Almost every type of mineral in the world can be found within a 40-mile radius of Penticton.
  
  
• Because of the diversity in the terrain, helicopter pilots training in our area are qualified to fly in nearly every country in the world.
  
  
• Around 1900, gold was discovered under Okanagan Lake and a shaft near the base of Munson Mountain was built.  Penticton was well on its way to becoming a gold mining town, but the mining and shipping of the ore proved too costly, and the mine was closed.
  
  
• Over 300 species of birds have been seen in the valley. Almost 200 kinds nest here; the other 100 are migratory birds stopping en route between Alaska and temperate climes.
  
  
• Black widow spiders, rattlesnakes and scorpions are fairly common in the South Okanagan, but, despite their bad reputations, they are not aggressive unless cornered.

Current Weather Conditions in Penticton: