Professor Norman Fennema

HIST 3991: Environmental History

Josie Bates

August 10, 2024

I live in the lower mission area of the city of Kelowna, which is located in the heart of the Okanagan Valley of British Columbia, Canada. Kelowna is well recognized for its stunning lake, mountains and wildlife, as well as its fruit orchards and wineries. Today, Kelowna is the third most populous city in British Columbia, following Vancouver and Victoria [1].

The city of Kelowna was officially founded in 1905, however there were people living here far before that. Kelowna is situated on the ancestral lands of the Syilx Peoples. The Syilx hunted and fished in the warmer months, and lived in pit houses in the winters, their diet included deer meat, fish, berries, and roots [2]. The traditional language of the Syilx people is Nsyilxcən, which is part of the Salish language family [3]. The name Kelowna derives from the Syilx/Okanagan word ki?láwna?, meaning grizzly bear [4]. Long before European contact, the Syilx people were self-reliant and met their needs through their resourcefulness and effective use of the land and its resources. Their communities lived in balance with the natural world and met their needs through hunting, fishing, growing, harvesting, and trading [5]. The Syilx peoples practiced sophisticated land management techniques in the Okanagan area including low intensity controlled burns to manage the forest and grassland ecosystems. The word “cikilax^wm” in Syilx refers to the traditional burning of the land for the health of the ecosystems and their resources [6]. The Syilx peoples knowledge of local ecosystems was greatly entwined with their cultural practices, and the sustainable methods that they used reflected a profound respect for the land and its resources.

The street that I live off of is named after Father Pandodsy; a Roman Catholic missionary and a pioneer settler in the Okanagan Valley whose mission was to serve and convert the Indigenous peoples in the region. Father Pandosy established the first European settlement in the Okanagan Valley in 1859, laying the foundation for development in Kelowna [7]. The original three buildings of the site are still standing and have been restored as a historical place museum in Kelowna. Father Pandosy is also credited with planting the first of the Okanagan apple trees. By 1900, over 1 million fruit trees had been planted and in 1913 the Okanagan was home to four fruit tree cooperatives and was undergoing significant irrigation development projects [8].

Agriculture has played an important role in Kelowna’s history. The cities growth was driven by strong agricultural potential that it offered, including suitable water sources, fertile soils, and favourable climate [8]. Prominent crops included tree fruits, tobacco, and grapes. Kelowna continues to benefit from these natural resources, as 55% of the cities land base is zoned for agriculture, with 40% of that being within the ALR [9]. From the early days of wide-scale orcharding, water supplies were a limiting factor for growth and development in Kelowna. On top of this, various water-related issues including the need to protect fish-bearing streams to the need to limit construction in flood prone areas, highlighted the need for a watershed approach. By the 1960s the Okanagan had concerning water pollution problems—the lake was being effected by poorly managed sewage, runoff from cattle yards, and the use of organo-phosphate and lead-arsenate insecticides, all of which were causing algae blooms and hazardous conditions. In 1969 the Okanagan Basin Water Board was established under the Municipalities and Validating Act, this valley-wide partnership identifies and resolves critical water issues in the Okanagan watershed [10].

The ecosystems in Kelowna are among the rarest in British Columbia, with more than 25 percent of the Central Okanagan deemed as sensitive, and the rest modified by human development. Since 1800, Kelowna has lost to development a staggering 92 percent of its riparian areas, 77 percent of broadleaf woodlands, and 73 percent of its grasslands. Since 2011 efforts have been made by the city to protect these natural areas and work towards sustainable development, implementing principles for protecting and restoring natural areas such as creeks, riparian areas, steep slopes, and lakeshore has been accomplished by Environmental Areas Development Permits, designating parkland, as well as securing registered covenants and land trusts. Various creek and pond restoration projects have aimed to rehabilitate floodplains, protect fish habitats, and restore wetland and riparian habitat, which are fundamental for endangered wildlife species [11] Kelowna is home to many varieties of urban wildlife, including deer, bears, coyotes, cougars, marmots, geese, and pine beetles [12]. Alteration of Okanagan ecosystems first occurred following European settlement because of the introduction of commercial fruit crops and livestock farming.The earliest record of invasive species in the area were Cirsium arvense (Canadian thistle), and Bromus tectorum (cheatgrass), which has now become the most prevalent and common weed in the South Okanagan [13].

While the city of Kelowna has made significant efforts to protect and restore its natural areas, we certainly do not live in harmony with nature as the Syilx peoples did. As of 2007, The city of Kelowna has the highest rate of car dependency in Canada and ranks second in B.C. for per-capita road transportation carbon footprint. Kelowna faces serious suburbanization and urban sprawl due to the popularity of low density, car-dependent developments [14]. The introduction to urban development and agriculture have massively altered the landscape in Kelowna. Practices such as deforestation and expansion in urban areas have led to habitat loss and ecological distresses.

Bibliography

[1] Kelowna British Columbia History-Kelowna Population. Retrieved August 2024. https://www.okanaganbc.com/kelowna-british-columbia-history/

[2] Kelowna British Columbia History-Settlement. Retrieved August 2024. https://www.okanaganbc.com/kelowna-british-columbia-history/

[3] Syilx Okanagan Nation Alliance-nsyilxcən language. Retrieved August 2024. https://www.syilx.org

[4] City of Kelowna-Our Community-About Kelowna-City Profile. Retrieved August 2024. https://www.kelowna.ca/our-community/about-kelowna/city-profile

[5] Westbank First Nations-Our Community-History. Retrieved August 2024. https://www.wfn.ca/our-community/community-profile/history.htm

[6] Syilx Okanagan Nation Alliance-Prescribed Burns. Retrieved August 2024. https://syilx.org/projects/prescribed-burns/#:~:text=Traditionally%2C%20the%20open%20forest%20and,is%20our%20land%20and%20resources.

[7] Father Pandosy-History-Site and Building Information. Retrieved August 2024. https://fatherpandosy.com/new/history/

[8] City of Kelowna-Agricultural Plan Background Report-Brief History of Farming in Kelowna. Retrieved August 2024. https://www.kelowna.ca/sites/files/1/docs/related/agriculture_plan_background_report_august_2017.pdf

[9] Kelowna British Columbia History-Agriculture. Retrieved August 2024. https://www.okanaganbc.com/kelowna-british-columbia-history/

[10] Okanagan Basin Water Board-History. Retrieved August 2024. https://obwb.ca/overview/history/

[11] City of Kelowna-Facts in Focus-Natural Environment. Retrieved August 2024. https://www.kelowna.ca/sites/files/1/ff-environment_.pdf

[12] City of Kelowna/Parks and Recreation-Urban Wildlife. Retrieved August 2024. https://www.kelowna.ca/parks-recreation/urban-trees-wildlife/urban-wildlife

[13] Lea,Ted. “Historical (pre-settlement) Ecosystems of the Okanagan Valley and Lower Similkameen Vallet of British Columbia-pre-European contact to the present”. Retrieved August 2024. https://a100.gov.bc.ca/pub/acat/documents/r52470/Lea,T.Historical(pre-settlement)EcosystemsoftheOk_1497897392061_7896636654.pdf

[14] Wikipedia-Kelowna-Transportation. Retrieved August 2024. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kelowna