Naramata, British Columbia
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Naramata is a small community with a population of approximately 2000 in the Okanagan valley in British Columbia, Canada near Penticton.
Founded in 1907 by John Moore Robinson as a prime agricultural area, Naramata was also known in its early years as a cultural centre. People from across the Okanagan would arrive by boat for concerts, plays, operas and regattas. Paddlewheelers regularly stopped at the local wharf carrying freight and passengers up and down Okanagan Lake. In 1914, Naramata received a new link with the rest of Canada when the Kettle Valley Railway was completed on the hillside above the village. Due to the intense volume of rock work it gained the reputation as one of the most difficult stretches of KVR construction. Today, remnants of the KVR make for great exploration, such as the train tunnels, rock ovens, and the railway right-of-way which clings to the hillside high above Okanagan Lake and is now part of the Trans-Canada Trail.
Naramata is home to 23 wineries, the highest concentration of wineries in British Columbia. Every winery is within 20 minutes of downtown Penticton, which is, in turn, within one hour of all 88 wineries in the Okanagan Valley.
There are many fruit orchards in Naramata, plum, pear, cherry, apricot and apple. Naramata is also home to many artisans.
Tourism is a big and rapidly expanding industry. Agricultural land prices have risen dramatically in the last 10 years. The United Church of Canada opened a lay-training centre following World War II called the Christian Leadership Training School, which is now a large retreat/conference center there called Naramata Centre for Continuing Education. There is a public beach, ball field and picnic area in Manitou Park.
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