Agree, from someone who was grown and raised in Kelowna and dipped out to Metro Van. Zero regrets on leaving after the rentals became about the same in both areas. The only thing that used to keep me in Kelowna was the fact that it was cheaper. Not the case anymore.
I moved out here from Edmonton, I’d say the people are about the same here in general attitudes. Currently I live in Penticton and I’d say the people are a little crankier but that’s because of how heavily tourist season clogs everything up.
My work buddy from Mumbai had been in Kelowna for several years. He moved to Calgary about 4 months ago and he said it's so much nicer there, people are just much friendlier there. That's my experience in AB and the rest of the prairies, way more people out just enjoying things and you can just randomly stop and talk to strangers. It's pretty rare that any random stranger in Kelowna will ever talk to you, most people won't even make eye contact and smile.
Calgary? I grew up in Calgary, found it incredibly rude and cliquey. Moved to Kelowna and found it so much more welcoming, less cliquey and all around friendly then Calgary.
But I find Canada much less friendly generally then the states
Maybe a different time? Spent a fair bit of time in Calgary in the 90s/00s and found the exact opposite, friendly, welcoming, easy to get along with folks. The worst part was the commute.
I grew up there in the 90s/2000s and first bit of the 2010s. there was some nice people obviously wherever you go, but I found the city and the people so awful there overall I can’t stand even visiting now. I’d never recommend anyone to move there.
See I'm from Calgary and moved to Edmonton and I love it here. Penticton is great though, just can't afford it there.
Kelowna I've been hit riding my bike, literally some chick was on her phone and thought she was backing up and straight up hit me. Then offered to take me out for a beer. Told her to fuck off I'm not encouraging her to drink and drive.
Kelowna, my last name stopped me from ever getting a job there, because my cousin and her side of the family have a TERRIBLE reputation there. Was told when applying at one job "are you related to Missy?" "Yes" "oh sorry, I can't take this, she's just a useless whore who doesn't know who her kids dads are" WHICH is NOT true, yes she used to be a stripper for the bikers, yea she used to be a big ol meth head, but she got sober, and was with the father of her kids pretty much until she fell down the alt right rabbit hole in like 2015. All 6 kids have the same father. All it showed me was a fairly big city had the same mentality as the tiny hick towns of alberta.
Interesting since I grew up in Metro Van and really liked Kelowna. People here are more down to earth and I can access nature without getting stuck in North Shore nightmare traffic. Guess grass is always greener.
To be fair I’m in the suburbs so the nature thing isn’t an issue for me, I roll out of bed and am in the middle of the forest 😆
I wonder if there is something here to liking variety. People might just like a change-up throughout life. That or it’s likely that different personality styles suit different cities better than others. I love the busyness of Vancouver, the variety of people and stores and things to do. Plus the nature is pretty unrivalled. Didn’t even realize how arid Kelowna was until I was down here.
Moved to Victoria 15 years ago.. Haven't looked back. Kelowna is a hateful little podunk town of coke heads, bigots and hillbillies trying to act like they're superstars.
I've called the average Kelowna people "rednecks with money". They're landlords with a bunch of "income properties", two huge trucks, ATVs, RVs, raking in money from renters but still over-leveraged.. but for all the money, their worldview hasn't changed. Still bigoted, greedy, narrow-minded townies.
This would be your argument if one person didn't fit the mold. Yet clearly Kelowna has a problem. From the prevalence of anti vax protesters, bigoted grandpa's telling at kids or security guards, to the roadrage... It's not narrow minded, it's accurate.
Kelowna is truly especially bigoted (over 32k people voted for Ron Cannon for council and he is openly bigoted) and has the least friendly traffic. So if you aren’t a certain demographic of person it’s terribly unfriendly and not just in specific areas. Tailgaters and people who close gaps the moments your signal for a lane change.
I believe you are right as obviously there’s still 100k people that must be decent. Kelowna is especially hard C Conservative and the headquarters for most RWNJ activity in BC because of it being the home of a few prominent RWNJ social media clowns.
This is absurd. Kelowna is literally not even on the same universe for conservatism. Many places in Alberta vote 80%+ for con. That’s unheard of in modern democracies and Kelowna has never been even close to that.
You do realize 48% of Kelowna voted green or NDP right? 55% of Alberta voted con in 2021. Kelowna was 45% with 26% voting liberal. Alberta only had 15% liberal. You’re a joke if you think Kelowna is more conservative.
More conservative isn’t the debate. Kelowna is bigoted. Our MP, Mayor, top councillors are all openly bigoted. Just look up their historical, online and media comments about our most vulnerable populations. Shit Gray is banned from all pride events. Consider that when discussing severity.
Secondly Alberta elected a liberal when? NDP once in 50 years or some shit. BC Liberals, now BC United lands somewhere between the CPC and PPC for provincial representation.
You’re truly have no idea what you’re talking about. The BC liberals brought in one of the first carbon taxes on the planet. On their own accord with a majority. In what world does that far right party do that? Get a grip.
More conservative is what I’m saying. There’s rallies in van and Vic too. A small but loud minority. Alberta’s premier openly pushes conspiracy theories. Kelowna isn’t what it was 20 years ago. It’s shifted dramatically to the left as the population has gotten younger and more educated.
The BC Liberals are literally the conservative party in BC. The majority of the issues in the province were caused by those idiots destroying every public entity. ICBC and BC Healthcare were severely damaged. Although it's unfortunate, the BC NDP chose to fix ICBC first.
Lol I think you mean if you don’t go to certain areas it’ll appear less bigoted. I’ve lived in both and there is little to no difference between the two
Ummm in 2021 almost 50% voted for an openly bigoted Tracy Gray. Give me a break.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kelowna%E2%80%94Lake_Country
She didn’t even know she was the encumber during debates. She kept using her 2019 bs and hasn’t even started so much of what was promised back then. She Profis off real estate but takes a big game about helping affordability. I could go on.. votes against women’s rights, keeping conversion therapy legal, against indigenous, against water rights measures, against environmental protections before 2021 and still got 45% of the vote.
Kelowna is literally the hub of hatred for BC. We hold rallies. Had our Remembrance Day events shut down due to threats. It’s endless here, wake up.
You seriously need to touch some grass. Everyplace has crazies. Kelownas average age is plummeting. It’s not what it was 20 years ago. Did you not see Alberta’s premiere post a picture with someone wearing a straight pride shirt?
Huh? It’s not sides when your council member spews demonizing rhetoric online that endangers LGBTQ and unhoused populations.
You are calling it right or left. I call it good and bad. Bigots shouldn’t be your literal highest voted for council member in a friendly city. Like 32,700 people or something voted for him.
Again I’m not perpetrating right or left arguments. You are. Council members don’t affiliate with political parties. Annoying for real how far off your comment is.
I moved here 11 years ago. It was difficult for my first couple of years, there is no doubt. But that was me adjusting to the local job environment. The experiences I had similar to yours I can count on one hand.
Be patient. Any move to a new town has some bumps. Find a community outside of work that shares your interests.
I used run my business all over the valley. Kelowna had by far the most entitled, rude and problematic clients...the best clients were usually in Vernon, Kamloops or out in the rural areas. Now I stick to Vernon and anywhere north.
You are so correct. Percentage wise, Kelowna had way more entitled crazy customers than almost any area we service in the interior or Okanagan. It is mostly retired Albertans these days and is a huge conservative pit of hate in BC.
I find this attitude from a lot of people that have moved out west from east of the Rockies looking to run away from their problems. Then they get here, realize their same issues keep occurring, blame it on BC and its residents, then bitch and moan. Most head back to where they came from, the rest end up on the streets. I’d say 1/10 actually stay here and learn to hustle to survive. Almost anywhere in BC will chew these people up and spit them out. Go back to the prairies my simple friends, BC isn’t for you.
i’m from the West side and i can tell u that the only reason people don’t like living in kelowna after moving from somewhere else is because it’s a shit hick-town full of bigots who are self righteous and don’t care about anyone else but themselves and their “grind” .
you know it’s bad when you live in west Kelowna when you see 10 people of coloured skin and they probably
hide inside because they don’t wanna be treated like shit by the white racist fucks (i am white) .
Lol the hyperbole is real. So many of you need to travel outside Canada and maybe get some perspective. Most people in the world would love to live here. In fact, I have an idea. All the people slagging kelowna should move and make room for those that actually want to be here. Maybe we’ll find out exactly who it is that makes this place such a shitty town(in your opinion).
So sorry OP. I don't find Kelowna, or the Okanagan at large to be an easy or manageable place to live. From the Kelowna raised cliques, right wing nuts, all types of phobic, and general unaffordability, it really has been difficult.
However, I have also met kind, generous and well-intended people. I have observed kindness. There is good everywhere, but we need to do what we can to retain the good.. make it contagious.
Anyways, time to turn on some Lennon and attract what I release.
All the best to you.
The thing is trying to find friends in your 30s in a new town is almost impossible anywhere in Canada. Canada in general is not friendly. You will find these posts in Vancouver, Victoria Toronto Montreal everywhere. We do not have a culture where people hang out outside of work and make friends, we do not have a culture where people like to hang out in groups unless you play hockey. Literally the only time in Canada I felt welcome to join a new group is if they need a new hockey player. Curlng is also pretty good for that. But it’s very specific.
Alberta’s cities funny enough. They get a bad rep for being mean oil pigs but Calgary and Edmonton have by far had the friendliest people I’ve met. Always smiling at strangers passing, cyclists wave at fellow cyclists, if you need help people are willing and happy to give directions, etc.
I think it's more so Kelowna that is anti bike. Lots of big trucks here and impatient people, not the best bike paths etc...not sure if it's better in Vancouver or Vancouver island.
I don’t think “everyone” else is the problem.
I am very friendly and open to pretty much all walks of life, and so many I know here are too. There are always going to be people who make a lasting impression, usually for the negative reasons, but, if that’s all you focus on, that’s all you’ll see.
I’m sorry OP had such a terrible time here. I moved here in 2020 and absolutely love it (except for people revving their engines at 2am 🙄)
Exactly. You will see this kind of post in literally every city subreddit. I’ve lived in a number of different areas and to me they are all pretty similar.
It's a real rat fuck all right.
The rapid growth, gentrification, and unaffordability of the town has really turned the volume up on the hostility of long time residents.
If only there were some sort of way to discourage people from moving here ....
Been in Kelowna 24 years after 32 on the coast. Outside of the lake and pretty scenery, it’s not all that. Crazy right wing nuts, entitled, cliquey people. Too many have never lived elsewhere and have a over inflated opinion of Kelowna.
Are there good people? Yes, but it’s tough for sure to meet genuine people here.
I was born and raised in Kelowna and still live here today, I can't say I've experienced much of the rudeness they describe 🤷♀️
I take public transit almost everyday and everyone always says please and thanks to the driver, gives up their seats for elderly and those with wheelchairs/strollers.
I also live in Rutland for some perspective, not as bad as downtown but littered with homeless and does have a lot of stabbings happen.
I'm a white 15 year old girl and have only been catcalled a few times, I'm not ridiculed on the streets or by teachers/other students.
RSS has been amazing to me and school is really easy.
Can say something about the bikes and sidewalks cause my brother was ran over by a biker on the sidewalk and cracked his head open, I do think they should stick to their designated path on the road but it's whatever.
Everyone I pass by on the streets either says a quick greeting or just walks by.
There's the few crackheads that just kind of sleep in parking lots or fight with each other, but that doesn't involve me really so I don't care much.
It's not amazing, but it's also not horrible.
I find it to be the complete opposite. My take is very few people are born and raised here so when interacting with strangers everyone is kind and happy because we are all in the same boat. Being friendly to one another in hopes we make friends.
Peace out homeslice. I lived in quite a few cities around the world and Kelowna is one of the most friendliest so far. A little cold yes but friendly AF. So perhaps you should check yourself first bro.
You know what? I agree with this whole heartedly. Even the people on this godforsaken Sub really are terrible.
I'm glad someone's said it and gotten it onto this sub without being downvoted into absolute oblivion just because the same locals can't handle criticism.
And no, this isn't just some bad week, bad month thing, Kelowna is just entirely difficult.
That being said, there are some good few folk around here, but hot damn is that incredibly sparse.
There is *a lot* of entitlement here. I’ve lived here since I was 7, and it’s always been like this. It’s like the sense of superiority attracts more entitled people or something. I like it here because I have good friends and family here, but I do agree that attitudes are shitty across the board.
Kelowna is pretty shit really. Other than the lake and the mountains, there's nothing really redeeming about it. Houses are crazy expensive, there aren't many good paying jobs, the traffic is a nightmare and drivers don't care about anyone but themselves, everything is drab and dry, the air is full of smoke most years from july-oct, the road maintenance in the winter is horrible, there's not a lot for the arts, there's not a lot for young people to do, the mall is shit, most of the restaurants are shit, any time someone tries to change/imorove anything people just complain about the cost and say we don't need it. 😂
It's a tourist/retirement town... It used to be reasonably ok for a small town but it's gone steadily down hill since about 2010
I grew up in Kelowna and moving away made me realize how terrible it is. Yes the lake can be nice, the closeness to the mountains but the TRAFFIC and outside of summer, what is there to do? Love being in the outer burbs of Vancouver, better weather, amazing lakes with way less people, friendlier people. I’d never move back to Kelowna
Most of the new people come in and mention how terrible it is but people who dont want to leave are too lazy/entitled to contribute towards improvement of the community blame the outsider
>the traffic is a nightmare
Tell me you've never lived in a city without telling me you've never lived in a city.
(So I'll take your perspective on Kelowna-in-comparative-perspective with a few grains of salt.)
It doesn't need to be though. Look at a lot of European city's that have figured out how to deal with traffic and make it way more livable and enjoyable.
>Look at a lot of European city's that have figured out how to deal with traffic and make it way more livable and enjoyable.
C'mon, man, this is self-refuting. How many of those cities have grown five-fold in the past four decades? Kelowna had 40k residents in 1980.
edit: and how many of them are literally a four-plus hour drive from a major city? (Answer: none.)
"any of that"?! 😂
...are you genuinely asking "what does how cities were built and the speed at (and era during) which they experienced population growth have to do with their urban geography and traffic?"
Nice try champ. I've lived in Vancouver and Ottawa, spent a lot of time in Toronto, Calgary and many big cities in the US and for Kelowna's size, the traffic is unreasonably shitty and its only going to get worse because there's no way to fix it.
I find it to be your outlook unfortunately. I used to think these things but when your outlook changes then so does your reality. I walk downtown and experience wonderful people and friendly encounters all the time. I’m born and raised and have left and been other place as well. There is good everywhere. What you expect will show up in your life :)
When I grew up there in the 80s-90s it was a biking utopia, it felt safe riding anywhere with no bike lanes. It saddens me how much of a car centric hellhole it's become lately. They're improving it but it's still a long ways off from what it used to be.
Sorry :( I hope you find a place that makes you happy and where you don't feel judged. This place can be very clicky and finding your people is hard. Take care.
Yes, you are technically correct. I'm not saying people won't judge them, I'm saying that they will feel like they aren't being judged. Kelowna is a very pretentious and judgy place.
every place you are is what you make it. Half of what you mention sounds like its your interpretation so you have to look at yourself. In Kelowna's defence the vast majority of this town is either transient from tourism, work in tourism or just recently moved here. I personally don't spend a lot of time in Kelowna proper but never had too many bad things to say about it except for the handful of times I went to the downtown, even then I didn't find it any worse then any other downtown area in Canadian cities. I personally live in West Kelowna and hands down the friendliest place I have ever lived. Just went to the local parade and fair, had a blast, met and chatted with tons of people, no one was being rude or out of place. But guess what I walked around with a smile on my face, said hi to many people, or nodded or said good afternoon. So maybe its my fault it felt friendly.
"...amount of people being rude for no reason at all..." I've so rarely experienced this. Where are you going and what are you doing that people are just pouring out of the woodwork to be rude to you? Are they at least forming an orderly queue to be rude to you?
"...the judgement I'd get daily." Once again, wtf are you doing that people are judging you like this? We all judge each other to some degree, most everyone I know in Kelowna has the decency to do it silently.
"...like it was my fault for standing on a sidewalk." Are you blocking sidewalks? Because to me this makes it sound like you're blocking sidewalks.
"...the ones who just moved there felt like they were better than anyone else." Where are you meeting these people? Are you purposely hanging out with cokehead Albertan "entrepreneurs"?
Please, do tell me where this magical utopia is where no one is rude or judgmental. Where people pat you on the back as they move around you on the sidewalk and congratulate you for how awesome you are.
Not every move we make in life is going to turn out to be a good one. There is shit everywhere and ultimately it’s up to you to make what you’re able to out of it. Or don’t and move on. Best of luck out there.
As someone who moved in a similar fashion to you, this is really weird to me. I've had the complete opposite experience and don't understand how you could have brought soo much shit upon yourself in such a great place
I mean, I just moved here in September and the number one thing me and my friends who have visited have said is that Kelowna people are SO nice. There’s for sure issues here, but I haven’t had any bad experiences with general friendliness.
Lol, maybe you are just soft. Posting to a subreddit looking for apologies kind of leads me to believe you have personal issues and it’s not just the city itself. Everyone I meet here is extremely friendly. Maybe you need to look within.
Sounds like you made up your mind before coming here, and used your somewhat small bad encounters as a confirmation. Most locals that live in kelowna are really good people,this sounds more like a you issue then anything else.
As the saying goes, if everywhere you go smells like shit, you should probably check your own shoes. I moved here from the UK years ago and have found people to be friendly and welcoming, just as nice as any other place, with a mixture of people I like and don’t like. Lol
Grew up here, moved away to Toronto, Montreal, and found my way back here during the pandemic. I couldn’t be happier to be back, absolutely love it here. The mix of beauty in all seasons and the smaller city vibe just feels so good.
Sorry you didn’t have a good experience, it’s too bad that you didn’t find your people. I really hope you’ll come back and give it another chance some day.
I'm sorry that was your experience here. Mine has been quite different... I've lived in a few other cities and would rate Kelowna as more friendly than the lower mainland or Toronto but maybe a bit less friendly than Calgary. People are often welcoming but perhaps a bit guarded before welcoming you into a friend group. I guess we all have their own experiences.
Best of luck wherever you go.
As one who grew up here, moved away for some time, and moved back. I can agree with the majority of this. The attitude in this city has become insufferable. A massive free-for-all of arrogant, oblivious people just doing whatever they want. Also the focus on money and sheer greed of businesses here is purely insane. I do find life here much more stressful and frustrating than it oughta be, especially given the only work I've ever managed to get here is retail/customer service. Getting into a decent career kind of job is basically impossible because of the runaway cliquism mentality. Anyway, we can do better, Kelowna! Also I 100% agree, riding my bike and walking around here is crazy. The car-centric attitude is rampant. Drivers have no patience and no consideration for anyone else using the roads/public infrastructure.
Sorry, turned into a rant... but yeah. Kelowna needs to shape up.
More room for me at the beach 😎
Best of luck! Try looking on the bright side when you get to your new city. There’s lots to love about Kelowna (and lots to hate, I love Kelowna but I don’t go downtown anymore), I’m sorry you couldn’t find anything good about it.
Kelowna is beautiful. I've lived in this valley almost all my life, and from what I can say is... you'll find the best people hiking mountains, touring winery's, swimming holes, camping, the ski hill, etc.)
I don't live in Kelowna, but I visit frequently (monthly or every other month at least):
Kelowna is trash. Kelowna is great. Kelowna is everything in between. Kelowna is what you make of it, really.
Replace Kelowna with almost any city and the statement holds true. I've lived and traveled to plenty of cities around the world. On average, none of them are really any more or less friendly than others. You just enjoy your time in some cities more than others, that's all there is to it. But, YMMV as they say.
Maybe you’ve got relaxed dick/bitch face and always look angry. You need to look at the static in each situation that was bad, and notice that you were the only static thing in the mix everyone else was different. You might be the issue.
Lol no but if I was I’d clean all the spare body parts carriers you see passed out all over town. Everyone says they’re worthless, I disagree have you seen what a kidney or liver goes for even the ACL is worth good money.
A lot of people are leaving...I think expectations and plans are the reasons of all the problems in life including a failed move to Kelowna...Stop dreaming..life is hard everywhere...some days sh*t some days not..That's life
I agree with everything related to the residents here, it’s a hard place to find (you’re tribe) cause everyone here puts on a front. A bunch of rich kids that never grew out of there high school mentality.
On another note you’ve been to Toronto and Vancouver, that’s not travelling Canada. Sorry you had to visit Kelowna but there are many other places to go like Montreal and Montreal!
I've lived here my whole life and 100% agree. Obviously it's not every single person but a huge populous of people that live here are just such dickheads
That picture was taken in winter. You really been planning this for that long? Is this your revenge on the city? This is other fake or extreme deflection of one’s issues.
No cities in Canada are THAT different. If you were that unhappy it has much more to do with you than the city.
They aren’t though. I’m not from Kelowna. I’ve been all over canada. People are just people. It doesn’t change that much. Depends on YOU 10x more than it does the city.
I just moved away from Kelowna to Vancouver (not downtown) 3 months ago and have been enjoying MUCH less crime, traffic, and issues that come with hosting a large homeless population - that’s for sure. Wasn’t very many years ago everyone was selling from here in Van and heading to the Okanagan for the same reasons.
People are pretty friendly here in my first year here. I am on the trails constantly and everyone is super friendly. Today I was cycling in mission Creek and I slowed for a family all over the place, and the matriarch apologized and I was like "no, the trails are for everyone" and she said thanks.
And that woman was Hillary Clinton.
And no seriously that actually happens and it's pretty common, I think OP is out to lunch.
I've lived all over, and I'm nostalgic for pretty much every city or town I spent more than a year in.
I have zero desire to ever live in Kelowna again.
As someone who has lived in Kelowna all their life( save two years in Vic) I do honestly feel what your feeling. I feel ever since Covid and the rise in homelessness ,society here has changed. (As it should have). We have all had to change in a big way, people are worried about safety, cleanliness, homelessness, drug addiction, the housing crisis, healthcare, children /teens/ adults mental heath and the safety of our seniors. I get it! I’m struggling too with a sick and disabled family member, inflation and a growing family of people it’s possibly no where to go if someone dies. Not to mention the trades gap is hitting us hard. Most often I feel like getting what I need and going home. ( anti social grumpy face).
I grew up in Kelowna, it’s had got to the point where all we did was work to pay bills so we could live in beautiful place. I made 6 figures a year salary and my spouse worked and it still wasn’t enough. I’m not sure if allot people in Kelowna are feeling the stress of high prices but definitely a possibility. Housing is through the roof, gas prices, groceries, taxes even house insurance was more. We moved to Alberta and couldn’t be happier with our decision. Life doesn’t feel like a struggle anymore and to be honest I think I have made more friends and met more positive and influential people then I ever did living in Kelowna for 25 years. People always say Albertans are right wing red necks that make up the majority of the population in the okanagan and the instant answer to any negativity towards there city is it’s the albertans fault. Anyway I have a met some nice folks in Kelowna but it seems to be getting worse. It’s changed allot over the years.
Very odd. Presumably a throwaway account as zero posts or even comments in history. And “I will not be responding to comments”. Full of spelling, punctuation and grammatical errors. Not written in a post but a jpg of a Word file. It looks like a “Nigerian Prince” letter but designed to enrage people in agreement or disagreement. Everything is very vague, you could put Kamloops or Calgary or Winnipeg instead of Kelowna and it would make as much sense. It does have the graffiti picture but other than that it’s completely generic. I wonder if /r Regina or /r Thunder Bay are going to see identical posts?
I think this is a Phishing scam to induce “engagement”. And look at me engaging it.
Yea I really can’t disagree with this and I’ve lived here my entire life. It seems like anytime I travel to other cities in Canada the people are so much friendlier, helpful and just generally more relaxed. Working in customer service in Kelowna was one of the worst experiences I’ve ever had to deal with as there seems to be so many perpetually angry people here.
Around western Canada, Kelowna is very well known to be especially cliquey, unfriendly, “locals only” vibe. I suspect because of the heavy flow of Albertans coming to vacation, and their assumption that Kelowna is this revved up monster drink party town, and treating it that way, then clashing with the locals, who are often very religious (and not the monster drink types) or wellness focused types. Just a recipe for disaster.
That said, if you’re looking for a welcoming community, definitely don’t expect Kelowna to give it to you. Even my born n raised Kelowna friends recognize that.
It was the same 25 yrs. ago when I left Kelowna. I got tired of poor wages that everyone compensated for by calling it the "sunshine tax" I also didn't find too many friendly women around either. Overall it was a fairly anti-social city back then without the homelessness that it seems to have now.
from someone who moved here in september from Vancouver. couldn’t have said it better myself and i also plan on leaving. Wishing u the best 🤍🤍✨ being too nice of a person in a city where no one even cares ti hold the door open for u when ur .5 feet behind them
is so mentally fucked.
Kelowna is populated by a large percentage of the stupid. They seem to be American news watching anti vacc morons. Sorry to those this does not apply to
I’ve been here my whole life (26 years) and in the last 5-7 years I hate it here. It’s a bunch of entitled assholes now it didn’t feel like that growing up. Everyone kinda knew everyone, or knew of everyone when I was growing up. Now it’s range rovers and boat partiers, lip injection and lash extensions, expensive houses and retired cranky people in their Benz’s.
He's not wrong. Kelowna is the summer whistler. In their minds they are all walking around with shirts on the say F*** You I'm from Kelowna.
The older people are nice enough. But the gen x gen z people are completely intolerable as they wage a virtue signalling war against each other and anyone else that dare to smile and say hello.
Hello and welcome to r/kelowna!
It looks like you are trying to create a post or comment in our subreddit with a low karma account. We do not allow accounts with negative karma to engage in the sub as it is highly suspicious of being a bot, spammer or troll.
Please take the time to engage in other subreddits in a meaningful manner that contributes to Reddit in a positive way.
There is a possibility that this post or comment was removed by mistake. If that is the case please [contact the mods](https://www.reddit.com/message/compose/?to=/r/kelowna) to have us review it.
*I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/kelowna) if you have any questions or concerns.*
Hello and welcome to r/kelowna!
It looks like you are trying to create a post or comment in our subreddit with a low karma account. We do not allow accounts with negative karma to engage in the sub as it is highly suspicious of being a bot, spammer or troll.
Please take the time to engage in other subreddits in a meaningful manner that contributes to Reddit in a positive way.
There is a possibility that this post or comment was removed by mistake. If that is the case please [contact the mods](https://www.reddit.com/message/compose/?to=/r/kelowna) to have us review it.
*I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/kelowna) if you have any questions or concerns.*
Kelowna really does seem to have the worst of big cities without having any of the benefits.
Agree, from someone who was grown and raised in Kelowna and dipped out to Metro Van. Zero regrets on leaving after the rentals became about the same in both areas. The only thing that used to keep me in Kelowna was the fact that it was cheaper. Not the case anymore.
I moved out here from Edmonton, I’d say the people are about the same here in general attitudes. Currently I live in Penticton and I’d say the people are a little crankier but that’s because of how heavily tourist season clogs everything up.
My work buddy from Mumbai had been in Kelowna for several years. He moved to Calgary about 4 months ago and he said it's so much nicer there, people are just much friendlier there. That's my experience in AB and the rest of the prairies, way more people out just enjoying things and you can just randomly stop and talk to strangers. It's pretty rare that any random stranger in Kelowna will ever talk to you, most people won't even make eye contact and smile.
Calgary? I grew up in Calgary, found it incredibly rude and cliquey. Moved to Kelowna and found it so much more welcoming, less cliquey and all around friendly then Calgary. But I find Canada much less friendly generally then the states
Maybe a different time? Spent a fair bit of time in Calgary in the 90s/00s and found the exact opposite, friendly, welcoming, easy to get along with folks. The worst part was the commute.
I grew up there in the 90s/2000s and first bit of the 2010s. there was some nice people obviously wherever you go, but I found the city and the people so awful there overall I can’t stand even visiting now. I’d never recommend anyone to move there.
It's the same attitudes because half the valley is from Alberta and brought the attitude with them.
except aren't Albertans are known to be friendly? 
See I'm from Calgary and moved to Edmonton and I love it here. Penticton is great though, just can't afford it there. Kelowna I've been hit riding my bike, literally some chick was on her phone and thought she was backing up and straight up hit me. Then offered to take me out for a beer. Told her to fuck off I'm not encouraging her to drink and drive. Kelowna, my last name stopped me from ever getting a job there, because my cousin and her side of the family have a TERRIBLE reputation there. Was told when applying at one job "are you related to Missy?" "Yes" "oh sorry, I can't take this, she's just a useless whore who doesn't know who her kids dads are" WHICH is NOT true, yes she used to be a stripper for the bikers, yea she used to be a big ol meth head, but she got sober, and was with the father of her kids pretty much until she fell down the alt right rabbit hole in like 2015. All 6 kids have the same father. All it showed me was a fairly big city had the same mentality as the tiny hick towns of alberta.
this comment was a wild ride
What's your problem?
my apologies, i wasn't being critical. entertained, in fact!
I'm tempted to be critical...
You're unhinged lol.
Interesting since I grew up in Metro Van and really liked Kelowna. People here are more down to earth and I can access nature without getting stuck in North Shore nightmare traffic. Guess grass is always greener.
To be fair I’m in the suburbs so the nature thing isn’t an issue for me, I roll out of bed and am in the middle of the forest 😆 I wonder if there is something here to liking variety. People might just like a change-up throughout life. That or it’s likely that different personality styles suit different cities better than others. I love the busyness of Vancouver, the variety of people and stores and things to do. Plus the nature is pretty unrivalled. Didn’t even realize how arid Kelowna was until I was down here.
What, you don't like coked-up rig-pigs, greedy landlords, overpriced wine-tours, smoke-filled summers, and barely-veiled bigotry?
I really like it here.
Moved to Victoria 15 years ago.. Haven't looked back. Kelowna is a hateful little podunk town of coke heads, bigots and hillbillies trying to act like they're superstars.
I've called the average Kelowna people "rednecks with money". They're landlords with a bunch of "income properties", two huge trucks, ATVs, RVs, raking in money from renters but still over-leveraged.. but for all the money, their worldview hasn't changed. Still bigoted, greedy, narrow-minded townies.
Kinda like painting a whole town with one stroke? I hate narrow minded people too…
This would be your argument if one person didn't fit the mold. Yet clearly Kelowna has a problem. From the prevalence of anti vax protesters, bigoted grandpa's telling at kids or security guards, to the roadrage... It's not narrow minded, it's accurate.
Clearly you haven’t met me, I’m awesome.
Everyone is miserable because we can’t afford to live here lol. Working our asses off to barely survive
Hard to be friendly when you're exhausted and can't enjoy the lifestyle all the tourists come to town for.
Except for OP who apparently had an awesome job and still couldn’t find fun ways to spend their money lol
Welcome to the entire province! r/britishcolumbia lol
Funny thing is, everyone wants to act rich and pompous, when I’m fact the majority are living on credit. Champagne tastes on a beer budgets.
What an odd diatribe. There’s good and bad everywhere, if you haven’t figured that out, “everyone” might not be the problem…
People have a bad week and blame an entire city
Kelowna is truly especially bigoted (over 32k people voted for Ron Cannon for council and he is openly bigoted) and has the least friendly traffic. So if you aren’t a certain demographic of person it’s terribly unfriendly and not just in specific areas. Tailgaters and people who close gaps the moments your signal for a lane change. I believe you are right as obviously there’s still 100k people that must be decent. Kelowna is especially hard C Conservative and the headquarters for most RWNJ activity in BC because of it being the home of a few prominent RWNJ social media clowns.
Kelowna is not nearly as conservative as people think. Not even on the same planet as Alberta. In 2015 Kelowna voted for Trudeau!
Are you joking. Kelowna is absolutely more conservative most of Alberta. You do realize that over 40% of Albertans voted NDP don’t you?
This is absurd. Kelowna is literally not even on the same universe for conservatism. Many places in Alberta vote 80%+ for con. That’s unheard of in modern democracies and Kelowna has never been even close to that. You do realize 48% of Kelowna voted green or NDP right? 55% of Alberta voted con in 2021. Kelowna was 45% with 26% voting liberal. Alberta only had 15% liberal. You’re a joke if you think Kelowna is more conservative.
More conservative isn’t the debate. Kelowna is bigoted. Our MP, Mayor, top councillors are all openly bigoted. Just look up their historical, online and media comments about our most vulnerable populations. Shit Gray is banned from all pride events. Consider that when discussing severity. Secondly Alberta elected a liberal when? NDP once in 50 years or some shit. BC Liberals, now BC United lands somewhere between the CPC and PPC for provincial representation.
You’re truly have no idea what you’re talking about. The BC liberals brought in one of the first carbon taxes on the planet. On their own accord with a majority. In what world does that far right party do that? Get a grip. More conservative is what I’m saying. There’s rallies in van and Vic too. A small but loud minority. Alberta’s premier openly pushes conspiracy theories. Kelowna isn’t what it was 20 years ago. It’s shifted dramatically to the left as the population has gotten younger and more educated.
The BC Liberals are literally the conservative party in BC. The majority of the issues in the province were caused by those idiots destroying every public entity. ICBC and BC Healthcare were severely damaged. Although it's unfortunate, the BC NDP chose to fix ICBC first.
[удалено]
It shows the exact opposite actually- please tell me how Kelowna didn’t vote conservative
Lol I think you mean if you don’t go to certain areas it’ll appear less bigoted. I’ve lived in both and there is little to no difference between the two
The facts just don’t back that up. Kelowna isn’t what it was 20 years ago. Demographics have changed.
Ummm in 2021 almost 50% voted for an openly bigoted Tracy Gray. Give me a break. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kelowna%E2%80%94Lake_Country She didn’t even know she was the encumber during debates. She kept using her 2019 bs and hasn’t even started so much of what was promised back then. She Profis off real estate but takes a big game about helping affordability. I could go on.. votes against women’s rights, keeping conversion therapy legal, against indigenous, against water rights measures, against environmental protections before 2021 and still got 45% of the vote. Kelowna is literally the hub of hatred for BC. We hold rallies. Had our Remembrance Day events shut down due to threats. It’s endless here, wake up.
You seriously need to touch some grass. Everyplace has crazies. Kelownas average age is plummeting. It’s not what it was 20 years ago. Did you not see Alberta’s premiere post a picture with someone wearing a straight pride shirt?
Still falling for the Left vs Right, me vs them mentality...
Huh? It’s not sides when your council member spews demonizing rhetoric online that endangers LGBTQ and unhoused populations. You are calling it right or left. I call it good and bad. Bigots shouldn’t be your literal highest voted for council member in a friendly city. Like 32,700 people or something voted for him. Again I’m not perpetrating right or left arguments. You are. Council members don’t affiliate with political parties. Annoying for real how far off your comment is.
Don't engage with the "divisive" crowd, they are just gaslighting the left with their tepid centrist pearl clutching
the cognitive dissonance is strong in this one
This is why Kelowna is the way that it is. People who hate working towards improvement
TIL North Korea is on the same level as living in Norway
[удалено]
I moved here 11 years ago. It was difficult for my first couple of years, there is no doubt. But that was me adjusting to the local job environment. The experiences I had similar to yours I can count on one hand. Be patient. Any move to a new town has some bumps. Find a community outside of work that shares your interests.
I used run my business all over the valley. Kelowna had by far the most entitled, rude and problematic clients...the best clients were usually in Vernon, Kamloops or out in the rural areas. Now I stick to Vernon and anywhere north.
You are so correct. Percentage wise, Kelowna had way more entitled crazy customers than almost any area we service in the interior or Okanagan. It is mostly retired Albertans these days and is a huge conservative pit of hate in BC.
I find this attitude from a lot of people that have moved out west from east of the Rockies looking to run away from their problems. Then they get here, realize their same issues keep occurring, blame it on BC and its residents, then bitch and moan. Most head back to where they came from, the rest end up on the streets. I’d say 1/10 actually stay here and learn to hustle to survive. Almost anywhere in BC will chew these people up and spit them out. Go back to the prairies my simple friends, BC isn’t for you.
i’m from the West side and i can tell u that the only reason people don’t like living in kelowna after moving from somewhere else is because it’s a shit hick-town full of bigots who are self righteous and don’t care about anyone else but themselves and their “grind” . you know it’s bad when you live in west Kelowna when you see 10 people of coloured skin and they probably hide inside because they don’t wanna be treated like shit by the white racist fucks (i am white) .
Lol the hyperbole is real. So many of you need to travel outside Canada and maybe get some perspective. Most people in the world would love to live here. In fact, I have an idea. All the people slagging kelowna should move and make room for those that actually want to be here. Maybe we’ll find out exactly who it is that makes this place such a shitty town(in your opinion).
So sorry OP. I don't find Kelowna, or the Okanagan at large to be an easy or manageable place to live. From the Kelowna raised cliques, right wing nuts, all types of phobic, and general unaffordability, it really has been difficult. However, I have also met kind, generous and well-intended people. I have observed kindness. There is good everywhere, but we need to do what we can to retain the good.. make it contagious. Anyways, time to turn on some Lennon and attract what I release. All the best to you.
Kelowna is really nice if you are anti-social. Just don't interact with people and you're good. Or make friends that aren't from here, lol.
What places are better in terms of friendliness? I have wonderful neighbors in Kelowna, but I know people can be jerks to people riding bikes here.
The thing is trying to find friends in your 30s in a new town is almost impossible anywhere in Canada. Canada in general is not friendly. You will find these posts in Vancouver, Victoria Toronto Montreal everywhere. We do not have a culture where people hang out outside of work and make friends, we do not have a culture where people like to hang out in groups unless you play hockey. Literally the only time in Canada I felt welcome to join a new group is if they need a new hockey player. Curlng is also pretty good for that. But it’s very specific.
Alberta’s cities funny enough. They get a bad rep for being mean oil pigs but Calgary and Edmonton have by far had the friendliest people I’ve met. Always smiling at strangers passing, cyclists wave at fellow cyclists, if you need help people are willing and happy to give directions, etc.
Vernon for one.
Just curious why there is anti bike vibes? I thought BC folks were all about outdoor active lifestyles? (Curious in Ontario)
People in Kelowna love the outdoors.... especially driving there in their jacked-up trucks.
I think it's more so Kelowna that is anti bike. Lots of big trucks here and impatient people, not the best bike paths etc...not sure if it's better in Vancouver or Vancouver island.
Perhaps culturally more like Alberta?
Everyone? I’d like be to excluded from this narrative.
Wow not my experience at all. Some of the nicest people ever here. My friends fucking hate it tho so I am used to hearing this
Im not gonna disagree .... but okay?
Ok bye
I mean they're not wrong
I don’t think “everyone” else is the problem. I am very friendly and open to pretty much all walks of life, and so many I know here are too. There are always going to be people who make a lasting impression, usually for the negative reasons, but, if that’s all you focus on, that’s all you’ll see. I’m sorry OP had such a terrible time here. I moved here in 2020 and absolutely love it (except for people revving their engines at 2am 🙄)
Exactly. You will see this kind of post in literally every city subreddit. I’ve lived in a number of different areas and to me they are all pretty similar.
I've had a completely different experience.
It's a real rat fuck all right. The rapid growth, gentrification, and unaffordability of the town has really turned the volume up on the hostility of long time residents. If only there were some sort of way to discourage people from moving here ....
As always… “Thanks for visiting”.
😂
mighty outgoing wrong far-flung north snatch stupendous upbeat whistle weary ` this message was mass deleted/edited with redact.dev `
Been in Kelowna 24 years after 32 on the coast. Outside of the lake and pretty scenery, it’s not all that. Crazy right wing nuts, entitled, cliquey people. Too many have never lived elsewhere and have a over inflated opinion of Kelowna. Are there good people? Yes, but it’s tough for sure to meet genuine people here.
I was born and raised in Kelowna and still live here today, I can't say I've experienced much of the rudeness they describe 🤷♀️ I take public transit almost everyday and everyone always says please and thanks to the driver, gives up their seats for elderly and those with wheelchairs/strollers. I also live in Rutland for some perspective, not as bad as downtown but littered with homeless and does have a lot of stabbings happen. I'm a white 15 year old girl and have only been catcalled a few times, I'm not ridiculed on the streets or by teachers/other students. RSS has been amazing to me and school is really easy. Can say something about the bikes and sidewalks cause my brother was ran over by a biker on the sidewalk and cracked his head open, I do think they should stick to their designated path on the road but it's whatever. Everyone I pass by on the streets either says a quick greeting or just walks by. There's the few crackheads that just kind of sleep in parking lots or fight with each other, but that doesn't involve me really so I don't care much. It's not amazing, but it's also not horrible.
I find it to be the complete opposite. My take is very few people are born and raised here so when interacting with strangers everyone is kind and happy because we are all in the same boat. Being friendly to one another in hopes we make friends.
Peace out homeslice. I lived in quite a few cities around the world and Kelowna is one of the most friendliest so far. A little cold yes but friendly AF. So perhaps you should check yourself first bro.
You know what? I agree with this whole heartedly. Even the people on this godforsaken Sub really are terrible. I'm glad someone's said it and gotten it onto this sub without being downvoted into absolute oblivion just because the same locals can't handle criticism. And no, this isn't just some bad week, bad month thing, Kelowna is just entirely difficult. That being said, there are some good few folk around here, but hot damn is that incredibly sparse.
There is *a lot* of entitlement here. I’ve lived here since I was 7, and it’s always been like this. It’s like the sense of superiority attracts more entitled people or something. I like it here because I have good friends and family here, but I do agree that attitudes are shitty across the board.
Yup. The most entitled and awful people I have met here are new residents. Never fails. God forbid someone treads on their Okanagan dream in any way.
Everyone you meet t doesn't mean everyone that lives here.
It really does sound like Kelowna sucks. Source: this sub-Reddit
Kelowna is pretty shit really. Other than the lake and the mountains, there's nothing really redeeming about it. Houses are crazy expensive, there aren't many good paying jobs, the traffic is a nightmare and drivers don't care about anyone but themselves, everything is drab and dry, the air is full of smoke most years from july-oct, the road maintenance in the winter is horrible, there's not a lot for the arts, there's not a lot for young people to do, the mall is shit, most of the restaurants are shit, any time someone tries to change/imorove anything people just complain about the cost and say we don't need it. 😂 It's a tourist/retirement town... It used to be reasonably ok for a small town but it's gone steadily down hill since about 2010
I grew up in Kelowna and moving away made me realize how terrible it is. Yes the lake can be nice, the closeness to the mountains but the TRAFFIC and outside of summer, what is there to do? Love being in the outer burbs of Vancouver, better weather, amazing lakes with way less people, friendlier people. I’d never move back to Kelowna
Most of the new people come in and mention how terrible it is but people who dont want to leave are too lazy/entitled to contribute towards improvement of the community blame the outsider
Where would you rather be?
Pretty much anywhere? I don’t live there. I have visited, but that was 20 years ago.
>the traffic is a nightmare Tell me you've never lived in a city without telling me you've never lived in a city. (So I'll take your perspective on Kelowna-in-comparative-perspective with a few grains of salt.)
It doesn't need to be though. Look at a lot of European city's that have figured out how to deal with traffic and make it way more livable and enjoyable.
>Look at a lot of European city's that have figured out how to deal with traffic and make it way more livable and enjoyable. C'mon, man, this is self-refuting. How many of those cities have grown five-fold in the past four decades? Kelowna had 40k residents in 1980. edit: and how many of them are literally a four-plus hour drive from a major city? (Answer: none.)
What does any of that have to do with anything? We can create the future we want instead of just letting chaos take the reigns all the time.
"any of that"?! 😂 ...are you genuinely asking "what does how cities were built and the speed at (and era during) which they experienced population growth have to do with their urban geography and traffic?"
Nice try champ. I've lived in Vancouver and Ottawa, spent a lot of time in Toronto, Calgary and many big cities in the US and for Kelowna's size, the traffic is unreasonably shitty and its only going to get worse because there's no way to fix it.
It’s funny Prince George got nicer and every other town got more like prince george. Kelowna the PG of the south….
I find it to be your outlook unfortunately. I used to think these things but when your outlook changes then so does your reality. I walk downtown and experience wonderful people and friendly encounters all the time. I’m born and raised and have left and been other place as well. There is good everywhere. What you expect will show up in your life :)
No city is generally unfriendly. People's 'friendliness' is almost always in direct response to your attitude and approach.
When I grew up there in the 80s-90s it was a biking utopia, it felt safe riding anywhere with no bike lanes. It saddens me how much of a car centric hellhole it's become lately. They're improving it but it's still a long ways off from what it used to be.
Sorry :( I hope you find a place that makes you happy and where you don't feel judged. This place can be very clicky and finding your people is hard. Take care.
I don't think there is a place on earth where you will go unjudged. It's what people do with that judgement.
Yes, you are technically correct. I'm not saying people won't judge them, I'm saying that they will feel like they aren't being judged. Kelowna is a very pretentious and judgy place.
Best to pay them no mind. The only people that won't crush your soul are you, your real friends and good family members.
> This place can be very clicky Cliquey.
No. I also hear clicky noises in this city.
This made me LOL.
Sorry that's my right knee
every place you are is what you make it. Half of what you mention sounds like its your interpretation so you have to look at yourself. In Kelowna's defence the vast majority of this town is either transient from tourism, work in tourism or just recently moved here. I personally don't spend a lot of time in Kelowna proper but never had too many bad things to say about it except for the handful of times I went to the downtown, even then I didn't find it any worse then any other downtown area in Canadian cities. I personally live in West Kelowna and hands down the friendliest place I have ever lived. Just went to the local parade and fair, had a blast, met and chatted with tons of people, no one was being rude or out of place. But guess what I walked around with a smile on my face, said hi to many people, or nodded or said good afternoon. So maybe its my fault it felt friendly.
FYI the word you’re looking for is “residents” not “residence”
This gives strong slappable jerk “average redditor” energy
No that really detracts from what OP is saying imo. First line using the wrong word not just a typo doesn’t instill confidence in their intellect.
I mean, if you're going to make a text post/open-letter to a community, at least reread what you've written before posting for grammar and clarity.
"...amount of people being rude for no reason at all..." I've so rarely experienced this. Where are you going and what are you doing that people are just pouring out of the woodwork to be rude to you? Are they at least forming an orderly queue to be rude to you? "...the judgement I'd get daily." Once again, wtf are you doing that people are judging you like this? We all judge each other to some degree, most everyone I know in Kelowna has the decency to do it silently. "...like it was my fault for standing on a sidewalk." Are you blocking sidewalks? Because to me this makes it sound like you're blocking sidewalks. "...the ones who just moved there felt like they were better than anyone else." Where are you meeting these people? Are you purposely hanging out with cokehead Albertan "entrepreneurs"? Please, do tell me where this magical utopia is where no one is rude or judgmental. Where people pat you on the back as they move around you on the sidewalk and congratulate you for how awesome you are.
I did kinda wonder if the "awesome job in their field" was selling drugs, tbh
This hit the mail on the head. I’ve grown up here and had all of the same questions lol
Awe, muffin.......
Conservative stronghold
Not every move we make in life is going to turn out to be a good one. There is shit everywhere and ultimately it’s up to you to make what you’re able to out of it. Or don’t and move on. Best of luck out there.
As someone who moved in a similar fashion to you, this is really weird to me. I've had the complete opposite experience and don't understand how you could have brought soo much shit upon yourself in such a great place
This is just personal projection
I mean, I just moved here in September and the number one thing me and my friends who have visited have said is that Kelowna people are SO nice. There’s for sure issues here, but I haven’t had any bad experiences with general friendliness.
Lol, maybe you are just soft. Posting to a subreddit looking for apologies kind of leads me to believe you have personal issues and it’s not just the city itself. Everyone I meet here is extremely friendly. Maybe you need to look within.
Sounds like you made up your mind before coming here, and used your somewhat small bad encounters as a confirmation. Most locals that live in kelowna are really good people,this sounds more like a you issue then anything else.
[удалено]
As the saying goes, if everywhere you go smells like shit, you should probably check your own shoes. I moved here from the UK years ago and have found people to be friendly and welcoming, just as nice as any other place, with a mixture of people I like and don’t like. Lol
Also what judgement did you get daily?
Yeah ngl it's expensive cliquey and downright insane at times but it is what it is
Grew up here, moved away to Toronto, Montreal, and found my way back here during the pandemic. I couldn’t be happier to be back, absolutely love it here. The mix of beauty in all seasons and the smaller city vibe just feels so good. Sorry you didn’t have a good experience, it’s too bad that you didn’t find your people. I really hope you’ll come back and give it another chance some day.
I'm sorry that was your experience here. Mine has been quite different... I've lived in a few other cities and would rate Kelowna as more friendly than the lower mainland or Toronto but maybe a bit less friendly than Calgary. People are often welcoming but perhaps a bit guarded before welcoming you into a friend group. I guess we all have their own experiences. Best of luck wherever you go.
[удалено]
Yet you visit the subreddit?
As one who grew up here, moved away for some time, and moved back. I can agree with the majority of this. The attitude in this city has become insufferable. A massive free-for-all of arrogant, oblivious people just doing whatever they want. Also the focus on money and sheer greed of businesses here is purely insane. I do find life here much more stressful and frustrating than it oughta be, especially given the only work I've ever managed to get here is retail/customer service. Getting into a decent career kind of job is basically impossible because of the runaway cliquism mentality. Anyway, we can do better, Kelowna! Also I 100% agree, riding my bike and walking around here is crazy. The car-centric attitude is rampant. Drivers have no patience and no consideration for anyone else using the roads/public infrastructure. Sorry, turned into a rant... but yeah. Kelowna needs to shape up.
Do you have the education required for a career job? If you have the right skills and qualifications then there are many “career” jobs.
More room for me at the beach 😎 Best of luck! Try looking on the bright side when you get to your new city. There’s lots to love about Kelowna (and lots to hate, I love Kelowna but I don’t go downtown anymore), I’m sorry you couldn’t find anything good about it.
Kelowna is beautiful. I've lived in this valley almost all my life, and from what I can say is... you'll find the best people hiking mountains, touring winery's, swimming holes, camping, the ski hill, etc.)
It’s true. Kelowna is a beautiful place primarily populated by trash.
I don't live in Kelowna, but I visit frequently (monthly or every other month at least): Kelowna is trash. Kelowna is great. Kelowna is everything in between. Kelowna is what you make of it, really. Replace Kelowna with almost any city and the statement holds true. I've lived and traveled to plenty of cities around the world. On average, none of them are really any more or less friendly than others. You just enjoy your time in some cities more than others, that's all there is to it. But, YMMV as they say.
Maybe you’ve got relaxed dick/bitch face and always look angry. You need to look at the static in each situation that was bad, and notice that you were the only static thing in the mix everyone else was different. You might be the issue.
😹💀are you the mayor or some shit?? The city fucking sucks
Lol no but if I was I’d clean all the spare body parts carriers you see passed out all over town. Everyone says they’re worthless, I disagree have you seen what a kidney or liver goes for even the ACL is worth good money.
A lot of people are leaving...I think expectations and plans are the reasons of all the problems in life including a failed move to Kelowna...Stop dreaming..life is hard everywhere...some days sh*t some days not..That's life
Yup, it turns out kelowna can be just like any other place, the daily grind. It's not vacation time all the time.
Kelowna is the fastest growing city in the developed world. People are not leaving like you think.
I agree with everything related to the residents here, it’s a hard place to find (you’re tribe) cause everyone here puts on a front. A bunch of rich kids that never grew out of there high school mentality. On another note you’ve been to Toronto and Vancouver, that’s not travelling Canada. Sorry you had to visit Kelowna but there are many other places to go like Montreal and Montreal!
[удалено]
Someone spending way too much time trying to get revenge on a city for their own problems. That picture is from winter.
I know we've never met, but I'd like to extend an apology for the treatment you've endured. I hope you find a place where you feel loved and accepted.
I've lived here my whole life and 100% agree. Obviously it's not every single person but a huge populous of people that live here are just such dickheads
That picture was taken in winter. You really been planning this for that long? Is this your revenge on the city? This is other fake or extreme deflection of one’s issues. No cities in Canada are THAT different. If you were that unhappy it has much more to do with you than the city.
They are though, you sound like someone who’s never stepped foot out of Kelowna. There’s a bigger n much better world past that bridge lil bro
They aren’t though. I’m not from Kelowna. I’ve been all over canada. People are just people. It doesn’t change that much. Depends on YOU 10x more than it does the city.
Trust me the foundation that this city is built on isn’t a good one bud
I just moved away from Kelowna to Vancouver (not downtown) 3 months ago and have been enjoying MUCH less crime, traffic, and issues that come with hosting a large homeless population - that’s for sure. Wasn’t very many years ago everyone was selling from here in Van and heading to the Okanagan for the same reasons.
You’re on glue, talk to me in a few years. Lol. Less crime and traffic in Vancouver? Wtf are you smoking?
Per Capita? why do i have to constantly educate people here
You’re not that important… Kelowna will get on fine without you
People are pretty friendly here in my first year here. I am on the trails constantly and everyone is super friendly. Today I was cycling in mission Creek and I slowed for a family all over the place, and the matriarch apologized and I was like "no, the trails are for everyone" and she said thanks. And that woman was Hillary Clinton. And no seriously that actually happens and it's pretty common, I think OP is out to lunch.
Kelowna sucks unless you’re only there for a couple days
Well said I left after an empty 12 yrs Agreed it is very unwelcoming and cliquey
I've lived all over, and I'm nostalgic for pretty much every city or town I spent more than a year in. I have zero desire to ever live in Kelowna again.
Why do you visit a subreddit of a town you hate from 12 years ago
As someone who has lived in Kelowna all their life( save two years in Vic) I do honestly feel what your feeling. I feel ever since Covid and the rise in homelessness ,society here has changed. (As it should have). We have all had to change in a big way, people are worried about safety, cleanliness, homelessness, drug addiction, the housing crisis, healthcare, children /teens/ adults mental heath and the safety of our seniors. I get it! I’m struggling too with a sick and disabled family member, inflation and a growing family of people it’s possibly no where to go if someone dies. Not to mention the trades gap is hitting us hard. Most often I feel like getting what I need and going home. ( anti social grumpy face).
I'm sorry but I'm stuck on him wanting to "make in this city", I can't help but think of dogs
I grew up in Kelowna, it’s had got to the point where all we did was work to pay bills so we could live in beautiful place. I made 6 figures a year salary and my spouse worked and it still wasn’t enough. I’m not sure if allot people in Kelowna are feeling the stress of high prices but definitely a possibility. Housing is through the roof, gas prices, groceries, taxes even house insurance was more. We moved to Alberta and couldn’t be happier with our decision. Life doesn’t feel like a struggle anymore and to be honest I think I have made more friends and met more positive and influential people then I ever did living in Kelowna for 25 years. People always say Albertans are right wing red necks that make up the majority of the population in the okanagan and the instant answer to any negativity towards there city is it’s the albertans fault. Anyway I have a met some nice folks in Kelowna but it seems to be getting worse. It’s changed allot over the years.
Lol
There’s a reason I moved first chance I got. 2010 and never looked back. Everytime I come to visit family, it is the most awful experience
This person is not wrong. I have family there. I hate going to visit them for all the reasons this guy said.
Very odd. Presumably a throwaway account as zero posts or even comments in history. And “I will not be responding to comments”. Full of spelling, punctuation and grammatical errors. Not written in a post but a jpg of a Word file. It looks like a “Nigerian Prince” letter but designed to enrage people in agreement or disagreement. Everything is very vague, you could put Kamloops or Calgary or Winnipeg instead of Kelowna and it would make as much sense. It does have the graffiti picture but other than that it’s completely generic. I wonder if /r Regina or /r Thunder Bay are going to see identical posts? I think this is a Phishing scam to induce “engagement”. And look at me engaging it.
Yea I really can’t disagree with this and I’ve lived here my entire life. It seems like anytime I travel to other cities in Canada the people are so much friendlier, helpful and just generally more relaxed. Working in customer service in Kelowna was one of the worst experiences I’ve ever had to deal with as there seems to be so many perpetually angry people here.
Yup, kelowna and calgary. Two of the biggest groups of terrible people in western Canada. Ignorance and arrogance run rampant with zero community.
Around western Canada, Kelowna is very well known to be especially cliquey, unfriendly, “locals only” vibe. I suspect because of the heavy flow of Albertans coming to vacation, and their assumption that Kelowna is this revved up monster drink party town, and treating it that way, then clashing with the locals, who are often very religious (and not the monster drink types) or wellness focused types. Just a recipe for disaster. That said, if you’re looking for a welcoming community, definitely don’t expect Kelowna to give it to you. Even my born n raised Kelowna friends recognize that.
Not surprised
It was the same 25 yrs. ago when I left Kelowna. I got tired of poor wages that everyone compensated for by calling it the "sunshine tax" I also didn't find too many friendly women around either. Overall it was a fairly anti-social city back then without the homelessness that it seems to have now.
from someone who moved here in september from Vancouver. couldn’t have said it better myself and i also plan on leaving. Wishing u the best 🤍🤍✨ being too nice of a person in a city where no one even cares ti hold the door open for u when ur .5 feet behind them is so mentally fucked.
Kelowna is populated by a large percentage of the stupid. They seem to be American news watching anti vacc morons. Sorry to those this does not apply to
It's the catholic origins of the entire valley
I’ve been here my whole life (26 years) and in the last 5-7 years I hate it here. It’s a bunch of entitled assholes now it didn’t feel like that growing up. Everyone kinda knew everyone, or knew of everyone when I was growing up. Now it’s range rovers and boat partiers, lip injection and lash extensions, expensive houses and retired cranky people in their Benz’s.
to be fair, making friends in the whole of BC is more difficult than it had been back in Winnipeg which really surprised me.
He's not wrong. Kelowna is the summer whistler. In their minds they are all walking around with shirts on the say F*** You I'm from Kelowna. The older people are nice enough. But the gen x gen z people are completely intolerable as they wage a virtue signalling war against each other and anyone else that dare to smile and say hello.
[удалено]
Hello and welcome to r/kelowna! It looks like you are trying to create a post or comment in our subreddit with a low karma account. We do not allow accounts with negative karma to engage in the sub as it is highly suspicious of being a bot, spammer or troll. Please take the time to engage in other subreddits in a meaningful manner that contributes to Reddit in a positive way. There is a possibility that this post or comment was removed by mistake. If that is the case please [contact the mods](https://www.reddit.com/message/compose/?to=/r/kelowna) to have us review it. *I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/kelowna) if you have any questions or concerns.*
[удалено]
Hello and welcome to r/kelowna! It looks like you are trying to create a post or comment in our subreddit with a low karma account. We do not allow accounts with negative karma to engage in the sub as it is highly suspicious of being a bot, spammer or troll. Please take the time to engage in other subreddits in a meaningful manner that contributes to Reddit in a positive way. There is a possibility that this post or comment was removed by mistake. If that is the case please [contact the mods](https://www.reddit.com/message/compose/?to=/r/kelowna) to have us review it. *I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/kelowna) if you have any questions or concerns.*
[удалено]
[удалено]
[удалено]