Is Living in Upper Mission Worth the Hype?

I may be coming at this blog post today with a little bias in me, full disclosure, I live in Upper Mission.

So do I think it's worth the hype?

Of course I do! But that isn't what this post is about, I want to introduce you to what it's like living in the Upper Mission, in southeast Kelowna.

The video below gives you a great explanation of where Upper Mission is, head up Lakeshore to Barnaby, this is the northern 'border' of the community. If you continue south on Lakeshore it will eventually give you an option to continue up Upper Mission Drive or to go right down Chute Lake.

If you go right down Chute Lake Road you will run into the southern 'border' street of Upper Mission in Lark, before it turns into Kettle Valley.

Isn't Kettle Valley Part of Upper Mission?

I would argue that it is. In fact I would argue that Crawford Estates, Kettle Valley, Thompson Flats and parts of Lower Mission are all a part of the Upper Mission.

The city of Kelowna had to make some boundaries when it comes to growth, taxation and school districts so that's why the separation. 

These two communities are so intertwined that they are a part of the same school district for Kelowna's southeast. 

Elementary school for both Upper Mission and Kettle Valley is Chute Lake Elementary. The middle school for Upper Mission and Kettle Valley is Canyon Falls Middle School and the high school for Upper Mission is Okanagan Mission Secondary or OKM.

What is There to do in Upper Mission?

Upper Mission is home to Kelowna Mountain, which as of this publication, is shut down. That said, Kelowna Mountain is still pretty fantastic for mountain biking as well as hiking.

Located right off of Upper Mission Drive, Kelowna Mountain is literally in the heart of Upper Mission.

If you're a lover of hiking then you should certainly check out Lebanon Creek which is at the end of Kettle Valley. You can get started at Lebanon Creek and hike towards Kettle Valley off of Lakeshore Road.

You can also start at John's Family Conservatory which is above Kettle Valley, you get there by taking Upper Mission Road and just follow it after it turns to dirt road, you'll find the parking lot there on the right hand side.

If being outside and getting fresh air and exercise isn't your jam, then check out Dunnenzies, Barn Owl Brewing, Kettle Valley Pub on Main or grab some Dominoes or Papitos and head down to Hobson Beach, Bertram Park or even down to Gyro Beach for a picnic.

All of these beaches and parks are less than a 10 minute commute coming from Upper Mission.

What is the Commute Like Coming from Upper Mission?

The locals will tell you that it will take you 15 minutes to get anywhere in Kelowna, that is certainly true outside of high traffic and tourist season.

If you are heading into the office from Upper Mission from September to June, make sure you leave some time to get where you are going. 

Coming out of Upper Mission between 8-9am can certainly be a nightmare, if sitting in traffic isn't the funnest thing you can think of doing first thing in the morning. If you leave early enough, then that commute time of 15 minutes doesn't matter what time of the year it is.

Getting up to UBCO will take you about 25 minutes with the traffic and the airport will tack on another 10 minutes, give or take.

For grocery shopping you WILL need your vehicle or you can take the bus, either way I would venture to guess that most of your groceries will be bought at the Save-On on Lakeshore which is a quick 10 minute drive. Otherwise you are headed to Superstore (15-20 minutes), Wal-Mart (15-20 Minutes) or Costco (same time) to get your shopping done.

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The Upper Mission video is below, if you want to subscribe to the channel you can do that here.