Quote:
Originally Posted by chris
What's with all that farmland in the lower part of the photo?
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Actually, what is interesting is about 30 years ago the area on the right side of the photo, where the giant Orchard Park Mall is, was all orchard (thus the name). The mall across the street, to the left on the photo, was also orchard but that wasn't bulldozed for a mall until sometime in the 80s. In fact, at one time there was just about nothing between Kelowna and Rutland (Rutland is to the right in the photo, off frame) except orchards, and even though they were amalgamated into the city of Kelowna there was a distinct separation between the two places, similar to the way the Mission area of Kelowna was separated until the late 80s. Over the years the gaps were filled with developments and built up, but it's hard to imagine that at one time it was all orchard.
Developers keep nibbling away at the ALR parcels that are left, and I wholeheartedly agree that it is important that we maintain these green areas if nothing to check urban sprawl and retain at least a little of the charm that orchards provide to the area.