Penticton sits between two lakes: Okanagan Lake at the north end and Skaha Lake at the south end.

Okanagan Lake is the much larger one; it’s 135 km (84 miles) long, from 4 to 5 kilometres (two to three miles) wide, and is as much as 230 metres (760 ft) deep in some spots. Technically, it is a fjord lake as it was created through glaciation.

For many years Okanagan Lake has been a hub of recreation, transportation, sustenance and employment; its 10,000 year cultural importance to the Syilx/Okanagan Nation cannot be overstated.

Penticton is built on the result of an ancient landslide that split Okanagan Lake into two, with the smaller one in the south becoming known as Skaha in Okanagan or horse lake in English.

Skaha Lake is 12 kilometres (seven miles) long and two to three kilometres (two miles) wide. Its average depth is 27 metres (87 ft), making it ideal for canoeing, swimming, dragonboating, windsurfing, kite surfing and sailing, and especially for learning these activities.

This relatively shallow lake warms up in the spring and summer and by August is like a big bathtub. It retains this heat well into October; we saw people swimming last week before the arrival of this week’s cold snap.

Much recreational life revolves around these lakes, even if only to sit on one of the beaches to relax or just to enjoy the view.

Happy Friday.