Downtown Summerland.

How Downtown Summerland took shape

Downtown Summerland sits on the flats once called West Summerland, land that was part of Penticton Indian Reserve No. 3 until a land exchange around 1905. Businesses moved up from the lakeshore after a 1922 fire, a late 1980s Tudor theme still shapes Main Street, and the 2026 OCP makes it the town's highest density growth area.

The level bench that holds downtown Summerland was syilx land long before it was a town. Johnny Pierre settled here in 1886 and recorded the land as a reserve, and the flats became Penticton Indian Reserve No. 3, held by Antoine and Johnny Pierre. In a land exchange around 1905, Reserve 3A was created near Faulder, and the flats became the site of the future downtown. At first the town's business was down on the lake in Lower Town, but the uplands filled in fast. The Summerland Supply Company building at Main Street and Victoria Road dates from those early years, and the Bank of Montreal on Main Street went up in 1917 to a design by architect Samuel Maclure. Then on March 13, 1922, fire swept Lower Town's business block.

Merchants, the post office and the Summerland Review rebuilt up here, on the flats then called West Summerland, which became the commercial core. 5 million. A clock tower at Main Street and Victoria Road was added in 1989. Some merchants later found the rules rigid and the lettering hard to read, but much of the look survives. Memorial Park, laid out in 1948 beside Wharton Street, is the green heart of downtown. 557 million Wharton Street revitalization, which linked the park to the shops and created Veterans Memorial Square, opened in April 2026. Homes near the core range from older houses on in town lots to townhomes and low rise condos.

The homes & their setting

Downtown holds most of Summerland's condo and townhome stock, alongside older bungalows and 1970s ranchers on side streets, so both strata and freehold options are common. The 2026 OCP names Downtown the highest density growth area, with four to six storeys in the core and the only place buildings taller than six storeys are allowed.

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

• Bank of Montreal, 9902 Main Street — Built in 1917 to a design by noted B.C. architect Samuel Maclure. History source
• Summerland Supply Company building — At Main Street and Victoria Road, listed as the oldest store on Main Street. History source
• Memorial Park — Laid out in 1948 on Wharton Street; its cenotaph was relocated in the 2025 and 2026 revitalization. History source
• Main Street clock tower — Added in 1989 by the family who ran the Summerland 5¢ to $1 Store, a symbol of the Tudor theme. History source