To describe the neighbourhoods of Kelowna, it’s important to understand the history of how the Okanagan’s largest city has grown and spread within its boundaries in its 116-year history.
The Bregolisse family has stories that are part of the history that shaped the town. "I love the stories my late father-in-law, Art Bregolisse, used to tell me about growing up in Kelowna," Doris says. "His father, also Art, owned the ABC Market at the northeast corner of Bernard Avenue and Gordon Drive. Back in the 1940’s the location was outside city limits, if you can imagine! But what that meant to the family was that their store could open on Sundays because it wasn’t subject to local bylaws that forbade business on that day of the week." To consider the old ABC Market location, which is now a high-rise condo building, outside of city limits today would make anyone laugh, as it's close enough to be considered part of downtown Kelowna!
Even within Kelowna city limits in the early days, most properties were farms, reflecting the agricultural history that helped attract new residents and eventually gave way to neighbourhoods. Many older neighbourhoods still have original homes that reflect the needs of residents and families during the era they were built, especially those that were constructed during the building boom following the Second World War.