Construction begins on Okanagan Gondola attraction near Kelowna | Daily Hive

Previous 2022 concept of the Okanagan Gondola. (Okanagan Gondola)

After years of planning and regulatory review, construction officially began Thursday on the new Okanagan Gondola outdoor recreation and sightseeing attraction just north of Kelowna in the interior of British Columbia.

It is being built on the side of a mountain immediately west of Kalamalka Lake, near a former quarry right next to Vancouver-based developer Wesbild’s Predator Lake gold course-oriented residential community.

Okanagan Gondola will rise 1,600 ft. (317 metres) from base to summit, with three gondola stations — the base station, a mid station, and a summit station. The property spans 285 acres, but only about 10 acres will be touched, with the remainder preserved for very low-impact, eco-friendly uses.

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Visitors will have panoramic views of the lake, mountains, and points beyond, and there will be meandering walking, hiking, and biking trails and elevated dining.

Location of the Okanagan Gondola site. (Google Maps)

Views of Kalamalka Lake from the future site of Okanagan Gondola. (Okanagan Gondola)

The mid station will be perched on the steepest slope on the site to enable a stunning natural vista, while the summit station — featuring a restaurant, cafe, event venue, and vista tower — will be on the highest point of the attraction.

The base terminal just off the highway will include a guest services building, parking, amphitheatre, plaza with tree forts and playground, cafe, and a farmers and artisan market, as well as food and beverage retail outlets.

Okanagan Gondola’s base terminal will be situated just off Highway 97. On the highway, travelling by vehicle, the attraction is located about 40 minutes north of downtown Kelowna and about 15 minutes south of Vernon.

Route of the Okanagan Gondola. (Okanagan Gondola)

Attraction layout of Okanagan Gondola. (Okanagan Gondola)

2025 revised concept of the Okanagan Gondola. (Okanagan Gondola)

“This is an exciting milestone for our team and our partners. We’re looking forward to building an experience that celebrates the landscape and spirit of the Okanagan region,” said Rupert Harper, general manager of Okanagan Gondola with Ridge North America, in a statement.

David McKenna, president of Ridge North America, added, “This project has the unique characteristic of creating something truly special for both residents and visitors. It’s rewarding to be part of something that connects people to the outdoors in such a meaningful way.”

2025 revised concept of the Okanagan Gondola. (Okanagan Gondola)

2025 revised concept of the Okanagan Gondola. (Okanagan Gondola)

2025 revised concept of the Okanagan Gondola. (Okanagan Gondola)

The company was also involved in the recently opened Golden Skybridge attraction near Golden, B.C., which is operated by the Pursuit Collection — the same owner and operator of FlyOver.

Upon inquiry, representatives with the attraction told Daily Hive Urbanized the gondola will open in Spring 2027, followed by the “adventure park” in Summer 2028.

Last year, Wesbild announced that the next residential development at their Predator Ridge community will be Western Canada’s very first The Ritz-Carlton Residences.

Okanagan Gondola is directly inspired by the success seen with the Sea to Sky Gondola near Squamish, which opened in 2014.

Another future gondola-based sightseeing and recreational attraction in B.C., currently in the proposal stage, is the Cascade Skyline Gondola just off Highway 1 in the Fraser Valley.

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