Electoral Area B, Okanagan-SimilkameenBritish Columbia

On hazards, Electoral Area B, Okanagan-Similkameen comes out behind almost every Canadian town

Area-wide: radon tests, counted over the Okanagan health region

More homes than usual carry radon here, 17% over the guideline where the typical town has 6.6%. At 1.21% of the land burned each year (46% within 25 km since 1986), Electoral Area B, Okanagan-Similkameen is in the very high wildfire band. Averaged over the years, quake damage costs $0.024 per $1,000 of buildings, lower than British Columbia’s towns ($0.36) and near Canadian towns ($0.030). Ministry of Environment and Climate Change Strategy has mapped the flood hazard here: one study on the national inventory.

Electoral Area B, Okanagan-Similkameen has warmer summers than British Columbia’s towns or Canadian towns: July afternoons reach 31.6°C

Snow peaks in December: 20 cm in a normal year. The year’s precipitation totals 344 mm, lower than both British Columbia’s towns (1,152 mm) and Canadian towns (883 mm). In January, overnight lows in Electoral Area B, Okanagan-Similkameen settle at −3.8°C.

Measured against local pay, Electoral Area B, Okanagan-Similkameen costs more to live in than 85% of Canadian towns

16% of households spent 30% or more of their income on shelter, lower than both British Columbia’s towns (21%) and Canadian towns (18%). Home ownership covers four in five households.

Violent crime weighs more where Electoral Area B, Okanagan-Similkameen is policed than in British Columbia’s towns or Canadian towns: a violent severity index of 144

These figures come from the closest detachment: none reports for Electoral Area B, Okanagan-Similkameen itself · Crime Severity Index, Violent Crime Severity Index, violent crime and property crime per 1,000 for the South Okanagan/Oliver detachment area

The index for the force that serves it came to 113, above British Columbia’s towns (83) and Canadian towns (67) alike. Its police area records 33.9 violent incidents per 1,000 residents a year. On top of that, across its police area, there are 39.9 property incidents per 1,000 residents a year.

Very good or excellent health for 52% of adults in Electoral Area B, Okanagan-Similkameen’s health region

Smoking is commoner than in the province: just over one in ten adults, against 8.9% for British Columbia. The three chronic conditions the survey tracks average 16% of adults, between British Columbia’s towns (15%) and Canadian towns (17%). Women in the region live to 84.1 and men to 78.2, 81.0 years taken together (2022/2024). What sets Electoral Area B, Okanagan-Similkameen apart within its region is a longer trip to hospital, 7.7 km for the average resident (3.7 km typical). For health survey and life expectancy, the only official count covers all of the Okanagan Health Service Delivery Area, Electoral Area B, Okanagan-Similkameen included.

An older town: 27% of people in Electoral Area B, Okanagan-Similkameen are 65 or over, more than in British Columbia’s towns and across Canadian towns

Children under 15 make up 12%, below British Columbia’s towns (14%) and Canadian towns (16%) alike. First Nations, Métis and Inuit people make up 8.5% of residents, higher than both British Columbia’s towns (5%) and Canadian towns (2.8%).

A larger share of people aged 15 to 64 are in work in Electoral Area B, Okanagan-Similkameen than in 89% of Canadian towns

Just over four in five commuters drove, below both British Columbia’s towns (87%) and Canadian towns (89%). On average, the journey to work lasts 24 min.

Electoral Area B, Okanagan-Similkameen in November: highs near 7°C, lows near freezing

In November, the normal is 28 mm of rain and snow. About 8 cm of snow falls in a normal November. Normal highs peak at 32°C in July; nights bottom out at −4°C in January. Hour-by-hour figures come from ECCC’s Osoyoos forecast, on the Weather page.

Electoral Area B, Okanagan-Similkameen sends Helena Konanz (Conservative Party of Canada) to the Commons from Similkameen—South Okanagan—West Kootenay

Across British Columbia, 20 of the 43 MPs sit with the Liberal Party of Canada.

The nearest public library to Electoral Area B, Okanagan-Similkameen is ORL: Keremeos Branch, 7.9 km away

After it comes ORL: Oliver Branch (Oliver), 14 km away.

Protected areas cover 42% of Electoral Area B, Okanagan-Similkameen

The nearest provincial park, Keremeos Columns Park, is 5.7 km away. Within 10 km, 26% of the land is protected, above British Columbia’s towns (6.7%) and Canadian towns (2.3%) alike. 31 protected areas lie within 10 km. OpenStreetMap shows one beach within 5 km, without a name.

No high school in or near Electoral Area B, Okanagan-Similkameen: the closest is 8 km off

Elementary school is 2.7 km away at the nearest, above British Columbia’s towns (0.6 km) and Canadian towns (0.5 km) alike.