Issue link: http://digital.canadawide.com/i/118157
landmarks The Holey Sea by Kerry Banks >> photograph by Gunter Marx Few naturally occurring phenomena can rival the strange, psychedelic splendour of Spotted Lake. Located nine kilometres west of Osoyoos, this alkaline mystery contains an unusually high concentration of calcium, sodium, magnesium sulphates and other minerals. In summer, when most of the lake water evaporates, these sulphates then crystallize and form circles in hues that change daily, depending upon each circle's mineral content and reflections from the sky. Spotted Lake (known as Ki'lil'xw in the Nsyilxcen language) has long been regarded as a spiritual site by those who attribute therapeutic powers to its rainbow- 58 W E S T W O R L D p58-59_Landmarks.indd 58 >> coloured pools, and ceremonial cairns, some of them ancient, are scattered throughout the area. Despite its cultural importance, however, the site remained the property of the Ernest Smith family of Osoyoos for generations, until 2001, when the lake and surrounding 22-hectare property were purchased by the Okanagan Nations Alliance and the then Department of Indian Affairs. Today, permission from the Osoyoos Indian Band is needed to explore the lake, but the landmark can be photographed from Highway 3. Meanwhile, plans are underway for a viewing boardwalk that will open to the public. i 250-495-5410; destinationosoyoos.com SUMMER 2012 4/19/12 7:30:29 AM