Naramata, British Columbia

Naramata is a community of approximately 2000 people within the Regional District of Okanagan–Similkameen in British Columbia, Canada. Naramata is situated in the Okanagan Valley on the southeast shore of Lake Okanagan, to the north of Penticton. In 2010, Naramata was the second Community in Canada to be designated Cittaslow. On the edge of the northernmost reaches of the Sonoran desert, Naramata is situated in Canada's only semi-desert region. The topography is reminiscent of a blend of Southern California and Southern Italy.HistoryFounded in 1907 by John Moore Robinson as a prime agricultural area. He advertised and sold parcels of land to people from other parts of Canada as well as the British Isles. At the time Naramata became known as a cultural centre. People from across the Okanagan would arrive by boat for concerts, plays, operas, regattas- and as Robinson and his wife were spiritualists-seances. In fact, it is said the name of the village came about during one. Paddlewheelers regularly stopped at the local wharf carrying freight and passengers up and down Lake Okanagan. 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. It was in operation until 1974. 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 The lake and is now part of the Trans-Canada Trail.