Fintry Provincial Park & Estate
Fintry Provincial Park: A Living History
The rich and colourful history of the Fintry Delta provides residents with a window to the past and how the west side of the lake was settled and developed. Fintry Provincial Park was created in 1996 as the result of visionaries who worked together to save this property for public benefit.
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Prior to the creation of Fintry Provincial Park, sections of the delta were owned privately and went through various hands over the decades. Developers made several proposals to the Regional District Parks Advisory Committee, including offers to build condo developments and a golf course. In 1995, one such proposal asked the question: ‘What area of lakeshore within the development should be dedicated for park purposes?’ Regional District Administrator Al Harrison suggested there might be a way the Fintry Delta could be purchased under a partnership agreement with the Provincial Government and this property turned into a provincial park. Committee Chair Ben Lee, Regional Board Chair Robert Hobson, the Parks Advisory Board and Kelowna Mayor James H. Stuart agreed, recognizing the benefit to future generations. The property was purchased for $7,680,000 by the province and the Regional District in December 1995 and Fintry became a provincial park April 30, 1996.
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A number of the heritage buildings in the park have been restored, adding to the beauty of this magnificent park. The Manor House, Octagonal Dairy Barn, Haybarn-Granary and Packinghouse are all on the Canadian Register of Historic Places. Short’s Creek runs through the property and visitors can view the spectacular triple waterfall by climbing the 300+ steps to the top. The park covers 890 acres with almost two kilometres of waterfront, and the adjacent protected area covers an additional 1292 acres of James Cameron Dun-Waters’ former estate. In 2000, the Friends of Fintry Provincial Park Society formed and we continue to put much effort into restoring and showcasing the site through public tours and events.
Fintry Delta, 1930s
The Manor House, 1930s
Camping
Friends of Fintry are unable to help you with reservations or to answer questions concerning the Campground or Fintry Provincial Park and Protected Area.
The Provincial Park offers recently renovated (2008) campsites, a day use area, a group campsite with 2 large cooking shelters, 2 shower houses, a large children’s playground, and almost 2 kms of beautiful beach with a dock for boats and a boat launch. (Visit BC Parks for more information)
For Fintry Park camping reservations
Call 1-800-689-9025 or visit www.discovercamping.ca
For information about Fintry campground
Visit Explore Fintry Provincial Park or www.campokanagan.com
Total number of campsites
Total front country sites: 158
Total vehicle-accessible sites: 161
Total groupsites: 3
This park is proudly operated by: Kaloya Contracting Ltd. camping@campokanagan.ca
236-970-7815 Specify park name.
Explore Fintry Provincial Park
Count the stairs as you climb up to view Fintry’s triple waterfall. You can see much of the falls from only 100 stairs but keep going up the next 300+ stairs to the top for an amazing view. That waterfall had enough power to turn a Pelton wheel and provide power to the Manor House at a time when most residents were still using coal oil lights! When you walk near the falls, look for remnants of wire-wrapped wood pipes that were used as part of an irrigation system so unusual that European experts called it “impossible”.
BC Parks has a large camping and day-use area and 2km of beaches. There is a convenient boat launch at the park.
Visit the octagonal barn and barn complex area. This area was the core of Capt. James Dun-Waters’ agricultural operations. The Octagonal Barn, built in 1924, housed Dun-Waters’ Ayrshire dairy cows. It is believed to be the last structure of its kind in the province.
Fintry Public Beach
