Adopted 1 December 1955 on 82 E/NW, as labelled on BC map 4K, Kettle River, 1922.

Source: BC place name cards, or correspondence to/from BC's Chief Geographer or BC Geographical Names Office

Labelled "West Fork Bellevue Creek" on early maps.

Source: BC place name cards, or correspondence to/from BC's Chief Geographer or BC Geographical Names Office

After Augustus Gillard ( - 1898) who pre-empted at the site of Kelowna in 1862. Gillard was born in France; a blacksmith by trade, he had participated in the California gold rush, 1850, before arriving in the Okanagan. (12th Report of the Okanagan Historical Society, 1948, citing Ok. 6:49).

Source: included with note

Named after Augustus Gillard (1825 - 1898), who in 1862 pre-empted L580 at what would later become Kelowna, and who in a curious way is closely connected with the provenance of the name Kelowna: "Gillard, a husky, hairy Frenchman dwelt here in a primitive hut that was partly underground like a keekwillie (sic). One day some passing Indians saw him emerge from it like a bear from its den. 'Kimach touche', 'kimach touche' they said to one another, meaning 'brown bear' or 'bear-face', and this became [Gillard's] nickname and the name of his place. When the embryo city began in 1892, the few white residents thought this name too awkward and chose instead another native bear-name, that of the grizzly bear, 'kelowna'." (12th Report of the Okanagan Historical Society, 1948, p.207).

Source: included with note