Nestled on the west side of Okanagan Lake in the interior of British Columbia, Canada, Summerland is a charming town with a rich history and vibrant tourism scene. With a population of 11,615 as of 2016, Summerland is situated between Peachland to the north and Penticton to the south. The largest centre in the region is Kelowna, approximately 50 km to the north, while Vancouver is approximately 425 km to the west. The district is renowned for "Bottleneck drive", a network of roads connecting various wineries.
The current Mayor of Summerland is Doug Holmes. The district's Member of Parliament as of 2016 is Dan Albas of the Conservative Party of Canada. Its member of the Legislative Assembly of British Columbia is British Columbia Liberal Party member, Dan Ashton.
The District of Summerland celebrated its centennial as an incorporated municipality in 2006, but the history of settlement in the area extends beyond that time. The first inhabitants were the Syilx (Okanagan Salish), with the First Nations boundaries extending from Kamloops to southern Washington state. The area known as "Nicola Prairie" was named after the Grand Chief Nicola.
A map of the Okanagan Valley published in 1827 includes only three sites: Nicola Prairie, Lone Tree (north end of Summerland), and Sandy Cove (across the lake from present-day Kelowna). Summerland's diverse past includes hunting and fur trading, ranching, orchards and fruit industries, transportation hubs, and more recently, tourism.
In the 2021 Census of Population conducted by Statistics Canada, Summerland had a population of 12,042 living in 5,084 of its 5,426 total private dwellings, a change of 3.7% from its 2016 population of 11,615. With a land area of 74.04 km2, it had a population density of 162.6/km2 in 2021.
Summerland is a popular destination due to its location on Okanagan Lake and sandy beaches. It attracts visitors from three major Canadian population centres: Vancouver, Calgary, and Edmonton. Agriculture, featuring fresh tree fruits and canneries, were the economic engine of the region until the late 20th century. Over the past 20 years, Summerland has become home to several world-renowned wineries and despite being in a semi-arid climate, has several golf courses. Summerland is also home to the historic Kettle Valley Steam Railway.
Summerland is home to one of Canada's largest wine industries. Many of Summerland's wineries are connected by the famed 'Bottleneck Drive.' Famed wineries include Giant Head, Thornhaven, Dirty Laundry, Sleeping Giant, SummerGate, Sumac Ridge, Heaven's Gate, SilkScarf, 8th Generation and Estate Thurn.
Summerland is located within the Thompson-Okanagan Plateau ecoregion, one of the warmest and driest ecoregions in Canada. It is characterized by rolling plateaus and major valley systems of the Okanagan, Thompson and Nicola Rivers. The immediate ecosystem consists of grasslands in a matrix of bluebunch wheatgrass and sagebrush amongst scattered ponderosa pines.
Summerland has a humid continental climate with hot, dry summers and cool winters. The mean annual temperature of the major valleys is approximately 10 °C with a summer mean of 21 °C and a winter mean of −3.5 °C. Summerland gets more days with sunshine during the spring than any other place in Canada.
Summerland serves as a sister city with Omak, Washington, a city in the United States, and Toyokoro, Hokkaido, a town in Japan.
