| Feature Type: | Provincial Park - Legally defined land area, under provincial jurisdiction, for camping, outdoor recreation, and preservation of wildlife. |
| Status: | Official |
| Name Authority: | BC Geographical Names Office |
| Relative Location: | W side of Okanagan River at Penticton, Similkameen Division Yale Land District |
| Latitude-Longitude: | 49°20'27"N, 119°34'53"W at the approximate centre of this feature. |
| Datum: | WGS84 |
| NTS Map: | 82E/5 |
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Origin Notes and History:
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Okanagan Falls Park established by Order in Council 532, 16 March 1956. Redescribed per OIC 1881/79. Conversion of OIC to Statute designation per Bill 17-2000: Protected Areas of British Columbia Act, 29 June 2000; the whole containing 2.2 ha. more or less. Name changed to sxwexwnitkw Park [a.k.a. Okanagan Falls Park] per Bill 8-2015: Protected Areas of British Columbia Amendment Act, 25 March 2015. Redescribed and name changed to sxwexwnitkw Park per Bill 15-2016: Protected Areas of British Columbia Amendment Act, 19 May 2016; the whole now containing approximately 2.6 hectares. An image of the written name shows the preferred orthography, as identified in Bill 15-2016. Source: BC place name cards & correspondence, and/or research by BC Chief Geographer & Geographical Names Office staff. |
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sxwexwnitkw means little falls and signifies a connection to Kettle Falls, which is known as big falls in the nsyilxcen [Okanagan] language. These two falls were the most important fishing sites in the Okanagan Nation's territory. (BC Newsroom press release dated 22 May 2015) Source: included with note |
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For more information about sxwexwnitkw Park, please see the BC Parks web page. Source: included with note |