elaine.GODEGHESIHome Evaluation

YOUR OKANAGAN. YOUR NEXT CHAPTER.

A little clarity starts with a conversation.250 271 1224

VERNON / YOUR NEIGHBOURHOOD GUIDE

Bella Vista.

Orchards, honey farms and sunsets over Okanagan Lake

viewstrailsorchardsacreagegolfquiet
Find it on the mapExplore homes with Elaine
View over Kalamalka Lake and Coldstream Valley from Kickwillie Loop - Vernon - BC - CanadaApproximate location of Bella Vista
Vernon & Coldstream · regional view, not an exact neighbourhood view · credit & photograph date

Homes you might explore

  • lake view family homes
  • 1970s to 1990s homes on larger lots
  • newer strata developments
  • small acreages and orchard parcels

Parks & waterfront

  • Heritage Park
  • Kin Beach (below the hill)
  • Paddlewheel Park (short drive)

Trails & outdoor time

  • Grey Canal Trail: Bella Vista (Pinto Place or Sierra Road access)
  • Grey Canal Trail: Turtle Mountain section

Wine, food & local stops

  • Davison Orchards Country Village, 3111 Davison Road
  • Planet Bee Honey Farm & Honeymoon Meadery, 5011 Bella Vista Road
  • The Rise Resort dining

Exploring with a dog

  • Grey Canal Trail: Bella Vista and Heritage Park (dogs on leash)
  • Nearest off leash areas are downhill: Marshall Field, 6891 Okanagan Landing Road (designated area) and Hurlburt Park on Eastside Road

Ideas for a visit

  • Walk the Grey Canal Bella Vista section for lake views
  • Pick apples and pumpkins at Davison Orchards
  • Take a hive tour and taste mead at Planet Bee
  • Play a round at The Rise
  • Watch the sunset over Okanagan Lake from the hillside

Family outings

  • Start with Heritage Park. Plan a picnic or an unhurried outdoor visit around the facilities and access available.
  • Choose a walk from Grey Canal Trail: Bella Vista (Pinto Place or Sierra Road access). Match the route to your group; check surface, grade and seasonal access first.

Lake life & boating

  • A beach visit, a paddle or an afternoon on the water can shape a summer day. Use the public access points listed here; private beaches, marinas and resident amenities are not automatically available to visitors.
  • For boating, confirm launch access, moorage availability and any membership requirements directly. Owning a home nearby does not guarantee a slip.

Winter & mountain days

  • Make a mountain day of SilverStar: skiing, snowboarding, tubing or snowshoeing. Check the resort’s operating calendar and book the activity you want.
  • For a Nordic outing, explore cross-country skiing and snowshoeing at Sovereign Lake.

Schools to investigate

These are research starting points, not confirmation of catchment, admission or availability.

  • Ellison Elementary School elementary
  • Clarence Fulton Secondary School secondary
Check the school district directly
THE PLACE BEHIND THE ADDRESS

How Bella Vista took shape

Bella Vista is the hillside district west of downtown Vernon overlooking Okanagan Lake. Its name came from a 1921 public contest, won by W.L. Forrester for $25, for a new development above the lake. Grey Canal orchards shaped it, Davison Orchards dates to 1933, and the upper slopes hold newer view subdivisions.

Bella Vista means beautiful view, and the name was picked on purpose. L. Forrester won $25 for suggesting Bella Vista. The slopes had already been changed by the Grey Canal, the irrigation ditch built between 1906 and 1914 that turned dry benchland into orchards and ran until 1970. Parts of it are now the Grey Canal Trail through Bella Vista and around Turtle Mountain. Fruit growing carried on through the century. Tom Davison, who came from England after the First World War, started Davison Orchards in 1933, and his family still farms it today.

Planet Bee Honey Farm adds another farm stop on Bella Vista Road. Houses spread over the lower and middle slopes in the late twentieth century, many on larger lots, and the City now plans the area as two neighbourhoods, Bella Vista West and the East Bella Vista Highlands. Two large projects sit above them. The Rise golf community began play in 2008 on former O'Keefe and Greenhow ranch land. Higher up, Plenty of Fish founder Markus Frind began clearing a ranch of more than 800 acres for vineyards in 2019. The City ordered most of that work stopped in February 2021 while stormwater plans were prepared, after neighbours reported water running through their yards. Bella Vista keeps a semi rural feel at its upper edges, with farm parcels, larger lots and wide lake views, while the lower streets sit only minutes from downtown and the lake.

  1. 1921Public contest names the new lakeview development Bella Vista. Source

The homes & their setting

Mostly 1970s to 1990s houses on larger lots, lake view family homes, newer strata developments, and small acreages and orchard parcels on the upper slopes.

Building age, tenure, amenities and permitted uses vary by address. Explore the actual property documents with Elaine and the appropriate specialists.

Places with a story

  • Grey Canal Trail: Bella Vista — Follows the 1906 to 1914 irrigation canal that made the benchland orchards possible. History source
  • Davison Orchards — Family orchard founded in 1933 and still operating. History source

A little more local context

How did Bella Vista in Vernon get its name?

It was chosen in a 1921 public competition for a new development overlooking Okanagan Lake. W.L. Forrester won $25 for suggesting Bella Vista.

When was Davison Orchards founded?

Tom Davison started the orchard in 1933, after emigrating from England following the First World War. His family still runs it.

What happened with the vineyard above Bella Vista Road?

Markus Frind began clearing a large ranch there for vineyards in 2019. The City stopped most of the work in February 2021 until stormwater management plans were in place.

Story sources & editorial date

Editorial research supplied September 30, 2026. Historical accounts can differ; development references describe the research date and do not confirm current approvals or completion. Detailed origin stories have been held back where the supplied research identified insufficient evidence.

Keep the details current

Regional outings, not amenities within this neighbourhood. Travel depends on your starting address, route and winter road conditions.

skisilverstar.com · winter activities · sovereignlake.com · winter activities

This editorial guide draws on the supplied neighbourhood research. Amenities, businesses, dog rules, development plans and access can change. Confirm details with the operator, municipality, school district and property documents before relying on them. Map areas and centres are approximate; they are not legal boundaries or catchments.

Research links

Keep
exploring.

All Vernon neighbourhoods

YOUR NEXT CHAPTER IS PERSONAL

Let’s start
with you.

You bring the possibilities.
Elaine helps make the plan.

I’m thinking of buyingI’m thinking of selling
A few thoughtful questions. A clearer next step.
What’s your next?