Hops 'n Homeless in BC

Although we spent most of our Canadian time down in Okenagon Falls there was a day or so on either end spent in the larger city of Kelowna.  To my small town, Midwesterner eyes it was an unusual place.

Think of it as a sort of hipster Boom Town.  It has very little history beyond of course the indigenous peoples.  In 1905 there were 600 people living there.  Now it is over 220,000.  The economy was once based on fruit growing, as a nice local micro climate allows peaches, apples and so forth to do well.  Eventually somebody tried grapes and that went very well indeed.  I can't give an accurate count of how many wineries are spread out up and down the valley, but certainly dozens.  Now I've nothing against a wine based economy - France has down nicely with it for instance - but that much chic can have side effects.  Kelowna has 20 brew pubs.  Also, although of no interest to me beyond social observation, 20 cannabis shops.  Rugged Canadian farmers and loggers appear to have decamped for parts unknown as the lofts and condos rise up.

If you think of a sort of mountainous Seattle you'd not be far off.  And of course as in all such places you have the inevitable dichotomy.  Behold, electric bikes and scooters for hire are everywhere and bike paths lace themselves around the lakefront and on former rail lines.

You hire these things by downloading an app and touching your phone a few times.  That's one of the bike paths in the background.  Let's mosey a hundred yards, oh I mean meters, down it....

Here somebody on a two thousand dollar bike is cruising past one of the permanent homeless encampments.  A police car was just pulling in on stage left.

I'd be remiss if I did not mention Ogopogo.  According to First Nation legends this is a sort of Loch Ness critter that lives in the big lake.  In the lakeside park there is a statue of him.  No opportunity for silly photos should ever be wasted.