for two seasons hauling freight before being retired completely. In 1949, the City of Penticton purchased the ship from the Canadian Pacific Railway in order to preserve this important relic of the age of the lake steamships.
In 1910, an announcement was made that Penticton would serve as the headquarters for the new Kettle Valley Railway, the rail line that would finally link the transportation of the coast to the wealth of the Kootenays. This decision would help secure Penticton's economic future; the arrival of the railway brought many jobs and by the time the line was finished, the town's population more than doubled. The railway also provided fast and efficient transportation for local products, greatly boosting the burgeoning orchard industry by opening up distant markets to high-quality Okanagan fruit. The KVR also allowed tourists to visit an area that had long been isolated from the rest of the province.
Following the end of the Second World War, Penticton entered a golden age of growth and prosperity. A flood of returning veterans led to a post-war population boom and in 1948 Penticton was incorporated as a city. The 1950s and 1960s were busy decades of construction and large infrastructure projects. The channelization of the Okanagan River and numerous construction projects - including a new city hall, a community arts building, and Penticton's first major shopping centre - changed the face of the young city forever. In March 1955 the city achieved international fame when the Penticton Vees hockey team brought home the World Cup after defeating the Soviet Union 5-0.
Celebrating its Centennial in 2010, Penticton continues to change: old neighbourhoods are being revitalized as the charm of small-town life returns to downtown; the new South Okanagan Events Centre brings conventions, sporting events, and performances of all kinds; and, most significantly, the growth of the local wine industry is rapidly turning Penticton into a top
