August 17, 2006 Approval Process for Proposed Police Building on the Westside
Elector Response Forms will be available Wednesday, August 23rd for the Alternative Approval Process into the proposed construction of a new RCMP building on the Westside.
The Regional Board approved the use of the Alternative Approval Process to seek elector support to establish a new Service Area for the construction, operation and management of the new 1,520 square metre (16,400 square foot) detachment on a 1.14-hectare property at Highway 97 and Pamela Road that was purchased last. The Regional District proposes borrowing $8,260,859 for construction and will repay the debt over 20 years. A long-term lease agreement with the RCMP will ensure there is no increase in taxes while the building remains a rural detachment. It’s estimated there are 19,606 electors within the proposed Service Area from Trader’s Cove south to the Okanagan Connector, excluding First Nation lands.
The Alternative Approval Process allows the Regional District to proceed with adopting the new Service Area and Borrowing Bylaws unless at least ten per cent of qualified electors (1,960 electors) within the Service Area indicate by signing the Elector Response Forms, that the Board must obtain the assent of electors through a Referendum, before proceeding with the proposed land purchase. Signed forms must be returned by 4:00 pm on Tuesday, October 3rd to either the Regional District office or the Sub-office in the Westbank and District Chamber of Commerce.
As of Wednesday August 23rd, copies of the Notice to Electors, the proposed bylaws, a service area map and Elector Response Forms are available from the Regional District of Central Okanagan office, 1450 KLO Road and on the Regional District Website under “What’s New”. Elector Response Forms are also available at the Regional District Sub-office in the Westbank and District Chamber of Commerce office, 2375 Pamela Road in Westbank.
August 14, 2006 Leisure Guide Outlines Fall Recreational Activities on the Westside!
Are you thinking about trying a new sport or taking a personal improvement course? Perhaps you want to get more active and have some fun meeting other people. No matter what your motivation, the fall edition of the Westside Leisure Guide has everything you need to point you in the right direction! In fact, it’s the largest recreational guide we’ve ever distributed.
The 88-page Westside Leisure Guide is packed with parks and recreation activities and events from the Floating Bridge to Peachland. There’s something fun inside the guide to keep every member of your family active and busy throughout the coming fall season. Many programs are new and worth checking out such as: Mount Boucherie offerings in art therapy, black and white photography and scuba diving; Magical Monday’s and the Power Hour at the Johnson Bentley Memorial Aquatic Centre and the special fall fitness bonus offered by the Peachland Recreation Department.
The fall Westside Leisure Guide is being delivered in the Wednesday August 16th edition of the Westside Weekly. Keep your copy on hand as a quick reference for swimming lessons; public swim and skate times and programs to keep you actively engaged this fall. You can always download a copy from the Regional District website (www.regionaldistrict.com) or you may pick one up at any of the following locations:
- Westside Parks & Recreation office
- Mount Boucherie Community Centre
- Johnson-Bentley Memorial Aquatic Centre
- Webber Road Community Centre
- Westside Youth Centre
- Westbank & District Chamber of Commerce
- Sensisyusten Sports Complex
- Westbank Library branch
- District of Peachland Municipal office
- Peachland Community Centre
- Regional District of Central Okanagan office
Of course, the Westside Leisure Guide has your public skating program and schedule information for the Jim Lind Arena.
For more information on Westside Parks and Recreation services, please call 469-6160, E-mail recreation@cord.bc.ca or visit our extensive Westside Parks and Recreation section on the Regional District website.
August 11, 2006 Be Bear Aware In Regional Parks
It’s the time of year that Central Okanagan residents should raise their bear awareness radar.
As the regular high elevation food sources start to decline and the fruit crops ripen, bears make more visits into the valley. Recently, bears have been sighted by Regional Parks staff working along the second phase of the Mission Creek Greenway, and in Mission Creek, Kalamoir and Rose Valley Regional Parks. Given past experience, it’s expected as valley fruit becomes more plentiful, bears will also make appearances in Bertram Creek and Glen Canyon Regional Parks.
Communications Coordinator Bruce Smith says, “As bears are reported, signs will be posted advising users of bear activity in a specific park. You can reduce potential conflicts by staying well away from any bear that is spotted. When possible travel as a group, and make noise or carry something that makes noise, such as a bell while hiking along trails or paths.” Smith says, “It’s not unusual for bears to be encountered along local creeks and rivers, especially during the fall fish-spawning season, when this source of food is plentiful. Be aware that bears fishing for food may not hear you over the noise of the creek water.”
Provincial Conservation Officers are aware of the bear sightings and are monitoring the situation along with Regional Parks staff.
Central Okanagan Bear Aware Program Delivery Specialist Lonnie Ariss says, “People should respect all bears and anticipate and avoid encounters with them. Bears can be aggressive, especially when defending their food. Bears also have excellent senses of smell and hearing, and better sight than you might believe.” Learn what you can do to reduce potential bear conflicts in your neighbourhood and parks with naturalist Peter Wise in his Bear Aware presentation at the EECO Centre, Thursday August 24th starting at 7:00 pm.
For links to more information on bear awareness, visit What’s New on the Regional District website (www.regionaldistrict.com) or visit the Central Okanagan Bear Aware Program Delivery Specialists at the EECO Centre in Mission Creek Regional Park or contact them at 469-6142.
August 4, 2006 Physical Activity Telephone Questionnaire on the Westside
The Regional District of Central Okanagan is going to take a snapshot of how active Westside residents are. Thanks to funding from the BC Recreation and Parks Association, 400 residents will be selected at random and asked to answer a telephone questionnaire about their activity level.
Between August 8th and 28th, Discovery Research will be contacting residents utilizing a measurement tool that was created by the BC Recreation and Parks Association to assist registered Active Communities in measuring and monitoring community physical activity levels. The tool incorporates the International Physical Activity Questionnaire and collects information from participants on all forms of energy expenditure done in the previous week (e.g., leisure time physical activity, domestic and gardening (yard) activities, work-related physical activity, and transport-related physical activity).
The tool was developed for the Active Communities Initiative in consultation with pilot communities and experts from the Canadian Fitness and Lifestyle Research Institute, University of Victoria School of Physical Education, and Provincial Health Services Authority. The purpose of this measurement tool is to allow registered Active Communities across British Columbia to obtain comparable data on physical activity and support communities in working towards increasing physical activity rates of British Columbians.
Westside Parks and Recreation Community Education/Recreation Program Coordinator Corie Griffiths says, “We’re pleased to receive this $5,000 grant from the BC Recreation and Parks Association. We’re committed to the Active Communities program and making it as easy as possible for Westside residents to get out and get active.”
Griffiths adds, “The data collected from the telephone questionnaires will help us carry out the Active Community Plan, providing residents of the Westside Electoral Area with a wide-range of recreational programs and services in order to achieve our goal of increasing the activity level by 20% by the year 2010. The information,” she says, “will also be used in the Central Okanagan Parks Master Plan.”
July 26, 2006 Westside Ready To Bloom For Competition Judges
The final blades of grass are being cut, gardens weeded and signs spruced up. That’s because the Westside comes under the Communities in Bloom microscope on Friday.
The Westside Communities in Bloom committee (Regional District of Central Okanagan, Westbank First Nation and Westbank and District Chamber of Commerce) is putting the finishing touches on its entry in the 2006 B.C. Communities in Bloom competition.
The Westside Electoral Area is up against entries from the City of Campbell River and the District of Mission in the 20,001 to 50,000 population category. Judges Debra Chaffee and Kathleen Reinheimer will visit the Westside and give points in eight judging categories including community involvement, tidiness, urban forests, landscaping, floral displays, turf and ground cover areas, environmental effort and cultural and heritage preservation. We’ll find out how we stacked up during the 3rd annual Communities in Bloom BC Awards in Prince George this September.
In addition, the local Communities in Bloom committee encourage residents and businesses to get involved by entering in three local competitions!
If you think you have the ‘Most beautiful street’, ‘Most beautiful yard’ or ‘Most beautiful strata’ on the Westside, register by contacting Westside Parks and Recreation at 469-6160 or by email recreation@cord.bc.ca. It doesn’t cost anything to enter the challenge but time is running out. The deadline for entries is 4:00 p.m. on Friday July 28th!
In early August, the local Communities in Bloom committee will judge all those entered in the ‘Most beautiful street, yard and strata’ competitions and announce the winners.
July 26, 2006 West Kelowna and Sunnyside Water Restrictions
The Regional District of Central Okanagan reminds customers of the West Kelowna and Sunnyside water systems that alternate day water restrictions are in place.
Communications Coordinator Bruce Smith says, “We’re asking West Kelowna and Sunnyside water customers to restrict their outdoor watering to even and odd numbered days. Those with even numbered addresses may water on even number calendar days, while those with odd number street addresses may water on odd numbered calendar days.”
He adds, “Even though the outdoor watering restrictions were introduced late last week, we haven’t seen any significant drop in demand on the two systems. The restrictions, were introduced after we saw large increases in water use during the recent hot, dry spell.”
“During the past few weeks,” Smith says, “We’ve seen water consumption jump more than 45 per cent in both the West Kelowna and Sunnyside systems over what it was in June. That kind of increase makes it more difficult to refill our reservoirs each day and ensure there’s an adequate supply of water for all residential customers and for fire protection.”
Smith says, “That’s why we’re asking customers of the two systems to cooperate with the alternate day water restrictions. For those with timers and irrigation systems, we would ask that they reset their systems to conform to the water restrictions and only water outside on the appropriate day that corresponds with their street address number.”
For more information on water conservation, visit the Regional District website, www.regionaldistrict.com.
The Regional District operates water systems in the following areas: Killiney Beach, Pritchard Drive, Falconridge, Sunnyside and Green Bay, West Kelowna Estates, Sunset Ranch, Star Place as well as in Westshore Estates. The eight systems provide water for over 2,500 customers.
July 25, 2006 Park Questionnaires for North Westside
The Regional District of Central Okanagan is checking out the park wish-list of North Westside residents.
After consulting with the North Westside Communities Association, it’s prepared two questionnaires that are being circulated throughout the community from Trader’s Cove north to the Regional District boundary. This area includes residents living in Trader’s Cove, Wilson Landing, Fintry and Killiney Beach.
“One questionnaire deals specifically with the recreational amenities that residents would like to see in the existing Killiney Beach Park” says the Regional District Communications Coordinator. Bruce Smith adds, “The results will be compiled and used by our Parks Planners as they develop a long-term master plan or future vision for the park.”
Smith says, “The second questionnaire will give the Regional District an outline of community priorities when it comes to specific recreational opportunities in a proposed Community Park that could be developed to serve the North Westside area.”
“There are approximately 3,500 residents who live in the area year round,” Smith says, “and many more who call the North Westside home on a seasonal basis. That’s why we’re taking the opportunity during the summer to ask residents to take a few minutes and complete the questionnaires and either mail or fax them back by Friday August 25th.” Each questionnaire is also available on the Regional District website (www.regionaldistrict.com) for residents to print out and send back.
Within the North Westside area, there are a total of 11 developed and undeveloped parks (including Trader’s Cove Regional Park and Fintry Provincial Park).
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