Kelowna was incorporated into a city in May 1905. The new city had a population of 600. Its first mayor was Henry (Harry) William Raymer. Over the years there has been a steady increase in population as the following figures show.
1905................600
1911-1914....1,800
1918.............2,200
1921.............2,517
1922.............3,336 |
1930.............4,500
1941.............5,154
1951.............8,466
1959...........10,000
1966...........17,006 |
1971..............19,089
1975 appox...50,000
1979..............54,960
1980..............60,000
1987..............61,000 |
| SGC |
Name | Type | 1996† | 1997 | 1998 | 1999 | 2000 | 2001† | 2002 | 2003 | 2004 | 2005 | % Chg. |
| 35010 | Kelowna | C * | 92,859 | 94,989 | 97,176 | 97,865 | 99,276 | 100,495 | 102,299 | 104,836 | 105,901 | 109,490 | 3.4 |
| 7014 | Oliver | T # | 4,425 | 4,468 | 4,437 | 4,439 | 4,405 | 4,409 | 4,441 | 4,426 | 4,378 | 4,379 | 0 |
| 7005 | Osoyoos | T * | 4,152 | 4,298 | 4,384 | 4,390 | 4,440 | 4,483 | 4,507 | 4,627 | 4,611 | 4,801 | 4.1 |
| 35018 | Peachland | DM | 4,675 | 4,772 | 4,738 | 4,780 | 4,796 | 4,857 | 4,986 | 5,053 | 5,090 | 5,230 | 2.8 |
| 7041 | Penticton | C | 32,097 | 32,360 | 32,349 | 32,371 | 32,318 | 32,340 | 32,532 | 32,912 | 32,955 | 33,061 | 0.3 |
| 7035 | Summerland | DM * | 10,927 | 11,066 | 11,041 | 11,070 | 11,101 | 11,181 | 11,226 | 11,332 | 11,285 | 11,405 | 1.1 |
| 37014 | Vernon | C *# | 32,993 | 33,705 | 34,278 | 34,277 | 34,657 | 34,957 | 35,159 | 35,553 | 35,642 | 36,232 | 1.7 |
| Source: |
| Population Section, BC Stats, |
| Ministry of Labour & Citizens'; Services, |
| Government of British Columbia. |
| December 2005. |
|
| Notes: |
| All figures correspond to municipal boundaries as of July 1st of the year stated. |
| All figures are as of July 1st of the year stated. |
| C = City, T = Town, VL = Village, DM = District Municipality, IM = Island Municipality, IGD = Indian Government District. |
| * Denotes a boundary change between July 1, 1996 and June 30, 2001. |
| # Denotes a boundary change between July 1, 2001 and June 30, 2005. |
| † 1996 and 2001 Census year figures include an estimate of net census undercount. |
Many things contributed to this growth. The magnificent climate and
scenery being one of the more obvious ones. After both world wars there
was an upward surge. The opening of a link to the coast via the Hope Princeton
Highway spelled the end to Kelowna's small town days especially when the
Okanagan Lake Bridge was added. The Rogers Pass opened the road to the
East, and people from the Prairie Provinces soon discovered the sunny Okanagan
Valley. In 1973 the Government of B.C. decreed that Kelowna and its outlying
regions should amalgamate making the city one of the largest area wise
in B.C. and bringing the population up to approximately 50,000.
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