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Thompson Okanagan Things To Do

 
Vancouver 2010 - British Columbia - Host Province


Photos
> top left: Canadian flag
> top right: Okanagan Lake Floating Bridge, Kelowna, Kharen Hill photo

Bridges, Buildings & Structures

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Engineering feats and architectural oddities.

Kettle Valley Railway,
Tom Ryan photo
Since the gold rush days, independent-minded folks have flocked to the Thompson Okanagan - and the region has some eye-popping architectural oddities to prove it! A case in point is Summerhill Winery's Pyramid Wine Cellar, an eight-percent, concrete replica of the Great Pyramid in Egypt. If you prefer somewhat more utilitarian structures, visit the Okanagan Lake Floating Bridge. Opened in 1958 by Princess Margaret of England, it is a true marvel of modern-day civil engineering.

 



Okanagan Lake Floating Bridge



The Okanagan Lake Floating Bridge was opened in 1958. It spans 873 m (2,865 ft) over the lake between Kelowna and Westbank, fully suspended by massive pontoons that are connected and move as a unit. The pontoon section of the bridge consists of ten 61-m (200-ft) sections with a 15-m (50-ft) section at each end. Each pontoon is anchored on either side by a 63-metric ton (70-ton) anchor that is embedded 8 m (25 ft) into the lake bottom. Once a toll bridge, the Okanagan Lake Floating Bridge is now a model of free-flowing urban traffic.

The Okanagan Lake Floating Bridge is located in downtown Kelowna.



Summerhill Pyramid Winery Wine Cellar



Summerhill Winery ages its wines in a four-storey, concrete replica of Egypt's Great Pyramid, maintaining that this "sacred geometry" improves the quality of its wines. On a sunny day, the 302-sq m (3,249-sq ft) pyramid is a brilliant white apparition on a hillside overlooking Okanagan Lake. It was built to exacting specifications on a site free of "interfering energies" such as underground streams and power lines. According to the winery, the concrete in its pyramid is stronger than steel and the densest ever used in North America. Some people believe that being inside a pyramid strengthens your "life-force energy." Take a complimentary tour and find out!

Summerhill Pyramid Winery is a 10-minute drive south from Kelowna via Highway 97.

A word or two on your visit:

  • Approximate time required: 1 hour

> Summerhill Pyramid Winery website