A Synthesis Telescope at the Dominion Radio Astrophysical Observatory.

Image Credit: Mark Klotz via Flickr

THOMPSON-OKANAGAN - You may see them everyday, or have never heard of them before, but these are the places that we went and saw this year.

One thing you might not expect to find in Kamloops is one of the oldest Chinese cemeteries in the country. A remnant from when the railway was being built, the site still plays a roll in the local Chinese-Canadian community.

Looking northeast from the Chinese Cemetery in Kamloops.

(BRENDAN KERGIN / iNFOnews.ca)

Not far from that, but even more surprising are WWII era naval bunkers. Due to the city’s location on two train lines, it was the site of a military installation to store ammunition, among other things, away from vulnerable coastal positions with 22 re-enforced and camouflaged buildings.

One of the WW2 bunkers located in west Kamloops.

(BRENDAN KERGIN / iNFOnews.ca)

Next door is a much newer enterprise, though it looks even more formidable than a naval bunker. The address, 1460 Bunker Rd., may not sound like much, but the large building with formidable security is a data storage facility for businesses and the government.

We also stuck our nose into what causes Kamloops’s unique odour, the Domtar mill. Turns out the cause includes white liquor, digestion and wood chips.

Kristin Dangelmaier stands at the top of the Domtar building in Kamloops, in front of three of the pulp treatment ponds.

(ASHLEY LEGASSIC / iNFOnews.ca)

On the opposite end of the smell spectrum there’s a visit to the iris gardener of the North Okanagan, who has hundreds of varieties of the colourful blooms in her back yard. Marianne Unruh has turned the backyard to her Falkland home into the home for flowers with names like 'Glamazon.'

Falkland gardener Marianne Unruh has over 250 different colours of irises — and plans to have a lot more.

(CHARLOTTE HELSTON / iNFOnews.ca)

Go a little farther south to Kelowna and you’ll come upon a house that was on the market for $11 million. The 7,248 square foot home includes its own beach, among many other high-end features.

This home on Pritchard Drive in West Kelowna could be the most expensive ever sold in the Interior. It is listed at almost $11 million.

Image Credit: bcbusiness.ca

While that was the most spectacular house iNFOnews got into this year, we also took a look at some of the other real estate and rental highlights in the region.

And from close to home to a galaxy far, far away, the White Lake Basin near Penticton is home to the Dominion Radio Astrophysical Observatory, one of the most high tech observatories in the world.

A Synthesis Telescope at the Dominion Radio Astrophysical Observatory.

Image Credit: Mark Klotz via Flickr

We also took a drive down to Area 27, near Oliver, a place with with big dreams, that is now the largest racetrack in Canada west of Ontario.

Area 27 track layout

Image Credit: photo contrbuted

Finally, while it’s not about a place specifically, we took a look at the name Kamloops and while many may think it’s unique to our city, those eight letters have show up on Japanese street signs, a cat's food bowl and a crater on Mars (once the sign is installed).

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News from © iNFOnews, 2016