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It’s a rivalry as old as time. People from Kelowna and Kamloops think their hometown is better (or at least say it is), but what makes one better than the other?
We’re not here to settle any scores, instead, we’ll let you decide by presenting what we know about both cities and letting you choose the rightful winner.
1) Starting from the top, both mid-sized interior B.C. cities are known for their bodies of water. Kelowna, of course, has Okanagan Lake, a sprawling lake that runs from Vernon to Penticton, and is home to the well known ogopogo.
On the other hand, Kamloops has the Thompson River which flows into the Fraser. There’s a public beach so if you ever wanted to swim in a river, have at’er.
2) One of the biggest rivalries between the two cities has to do with Canada’s favourite pastime: hockey.
Kelowna has the WHL Rockets and Kamloops has the Blazers.
The Rockets have qualified for the Memorial Cup five times since 2003 and have brought it home once. The Blazers, in comparison, haven’t won since 1995.
We’ll just let that sink in.
3) If you’ve been downtown in both cities, you’ll know that Kamloops has a heck of a lot more one-way streets. In their favour, though, you won’t find traffic in Kamloops backed up like Kelowna’s Highway 97.
Highway 1 does go through Kamloops, though.
4) The cities of Kelowna and Kamloops are both cut down the middle with said bodies of water. The difference is, on the other side of Okanagan Lake, Kelowna has West Kelowna, known for wineries and orchards. Kamloops has North Shore…but hey, it has history?
5) Kelowna and Kamloops both have a pretty awesome pub scene. If we had to narrow it down, Kelowna is probably most known for Doc Willoughby’s Downtown Pub, while Kamloops is well known for the Noble Pig. Doc’s has a $5 menu (huge win), while Noble Pig has an amazing atmosphere and creative dishes. Both places have pretty great beer.
6) Kelowna’s city motto is “Fruitful in Unity.” The city’s coat of arms is pretty creepy and we’d bet $5 you’ve never seen it. On one side is a bear, OK, and on the other side is an ogo-horse-pogo? We have no words. Apparently, the shield in the centre depicts Okanagan Lake, three white mountains and two apples A grizzly bear, which is what the word ‘Kelowna’ means in an Okanagan First Nations language, and a seahorse display the shield.
As far as we can tell, the Kamloops shield has beavers, fish, a bull and mosquitos? According to the city website, the shield is supposed to be made of fur to represent the fur trade, along with the beavers, which represent the Hudson’s Bay Company. The bull’s head indicates the cattle trade. The shield also has the North and South Thompson Rivers meeting up on it. The city’s motto is Salus Et Opus, which means Health and Wealth.
The name Kamloops comes from the Secwepemc word T'kemlups meaning "the meeting of the rivers.
7) Both Kelowna and Kamloops are paradise for skiers and snowboarders. In Kelowna, you’ll find Big White Ski Resort, while in Kamloops, there is Sun Peaks Resort.
Big White is equipped for 28,000 skiers per hour and is 2,319 meters high, according to the website.
Sun Peaks is 2,152 m tall and has a skiable area of 4,270 acres (the second largest in Canada).
8) The population of Kelowna is 117,312 as of the 2011 census. The metropolitan area, which includes Kelowna, West Kelowna, Lake Country and Peachland, has a population of 179,839, up over 10 per cent since 2006 (making it the fastest growing metropolis in Canada).
The City of Kamloops has a population of 85,678 and a growth rate of just under 2 per cent.
9) Kelowna and Kamloops are both home to well known post-secondary institutions. In Kelowna, there is the University of British Columbia Okanagan Campus and Okanagan College.
There are about 8,300 students enrolled in courses at UBCO.
In Kamloops, there is Thompson Rivers University. TRU educates about 14,000 students a year in Kamloops alone. The school offers 140 on-campus programs for students to choose from.
10) In Kelowna, City Park serves as a central hub overlooking the water and playing venue to events like Pride and Center of Gravity.
In Kamloops, Riverside Park features a decked-out playground, riverside beach, food vendors and music in the park.
11) A great indication of a city awesomeness is the people it produces. Kelowna was once, or still is, home to Friday Night Lights actor Taylor Kitsch, Love it or List it host Jillian Harris and the band Yukon Blonde.
Kamloops was home to NBA player Kelly Olynyk, who now plays for the Boston Celtics. Ballin!
So… what’s the verdict? Is Kelowna better, or is Kamloops top dog? Comment below and tell us why!
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