Westbank Community Profile
Distances by road to various centers in the Pacific Northwest are shown below:
|
Kelowna |
12 km |
|
Penticton |
45 km |
|
Kamloops |
186 km (via Hwy 97) |
|
Vancouver |
446 km (via Hope-Princeton Hwy) |
|
Vancouver |
380 km via (Coquihalla) |
|
Calgary |
580 km |
|
Edmonton |
882 km |
|
Seattle |
490 km |
|
Spokane |
393 km |
|
Prince George |
670 km |
Westbank & District is located on the west side of Lake Okanagan opposite the City of Kelowna. Like most areas of the Okanagan, Westbank is a popular tourist destination as well as a popular location for those looking to move for a lifestyle change. The area has been experiencing tremendous growth in population as people move here to enjoy the “quality of life” – clean air, water, green space and a good climate all make Westbank a desirable place to live and work.
While Westbank is often thought of as part of Kelowna to those unfamiliar with the area, it is actually a separate and unique community part of the District of West Kelowna. Westbank is called the ‘Key to the Okanagan’ as it is the first community reached when traveling east to the Okanagan via the Okanagan Connector. Bordered by mountains to the west and Lake Okanagan to the east, Westbank & District lies nestled in some of the finest scenery in British Columbia.
Westbank, while growing rapidly as a residential community, is also developing as a place to do business. As with any area that feels rapid growth in population, opportunities for commercial and industrial development abound.
The community offers, in addition to the attributes already described, a friendly environment where you can still walk down the street and see smiling faces.
WESTBANK & DISTRICT CHAMBER OF COMMERCE
The purpose of the Westbank & District Chamber of Commerce is to, on behalf of the membership, locally and regionally,’ Advocate~Connect~Educate.’ We work with the local business community to ensure the the local area economic conditions remain at a level where business owners will be willing risk their resources in the local area.
The Chamber key in our logo symbolizes the fact that Westbank is the first Okanagan community reached by those traveling from the west over the Okanagan Connector.
We are the ‘key’ that unlocks the door to the Okanagan. If you look at the ‘key’ itself, you will note that its colours are primarily black with white trim. The black denotes the highway with the white representing the centre line. The configurations of a cloverleaf at the large end of the keynarrowing down to the finger of the key represents the road which points the way to Westbank. The gold trim is a symbol of the warmth and beauty of our community and the apple of our heritage.
HISTORY
The Westbank & District Chamber of Commerce was originally formed in the 1940′s and was called the Westbank Board of Trade. Amongst the pioneers that worked to form this body were people such as Dorothy Gellatly, known as Doro or Granny to many old-timers.
The Chamber is Incorporated federally under the Board of Trade Act and is required by law to annually advise the names of it’s council members to the Minister of Consumer & Corporate Affairs. The Act prescribes the mandate under which the Chamber must operate.
The Philosophy of the B.C. Chamber of Commerce (which we are members of), is to promote the economic, social and civic development of the community.
This means the Chamber is an advocate of development that will be for the benefit of the majority – not necessarily for business only. Perhaps a more acceptable and less misunderstood word would be enhancement. Development for development’s sake may not be the best for the community and the Chamber is very cognizant of this fact.
Specifically, the Westbank & District Chamber of Commerce, through it’s members and successive councils, attempted to promote the Westside as a good place to work, live and do business. Our many accomplishments speak for themselves and we do not plan to rest on our laurels for there is still much to be done.
The council or directors that have been elected are volunteers who give freely of their time because they believe the community needs leadership. Many devote countless hours for the betterment of the community in which we live, unsung heroes, yet important just the same.
Membership in the Chamber is not restricted to those in business. As the B.C. Chamber mandate says, it is open to those who have an interest in the community. If you are a concerned citizen you should consider joining.
LOCAL GOVERNMENT
The District Municipality of Westside was incorporated on December 6, 2007 and an elected Mayor along with 6 elected Councilors represent our local government.
SERVICES, FACILITIES & UTILITIES
Roads Westbank is located at the junction of the Okanagan Connector and Highway 97. The Okanagan Connector and the Coquihalla Highway offers increased access to/from the Lower Mainland and Vancouver which has greatly enhanced tourism and industry. Transport of goods in both directions is quick and economical. Highway 97 provides the North/South link to the USA and the Trans Canada Highway.
Airport While Westbank is served primarily by the Kelowna Airport some 30 kms to the north, it is also readily accessible to the Penticton airport which is approximately 55 kms south. Served by Air Canada, West Jet and Horizon Air, with daily direct flights to major cities across the country. Central Mountain Air, another regional carrier, offers flights to Kamloops, Williams Lake, and Prince George.
Utilities
| Telephone | B.C. Tel |
| Hydro | B.C. Hydro |
| Natural Gas | Terasen |
| Cable | Shaw Cable |
Fire Protection The Westside is presently served by the Westside Fire/Rescue Department, operated by the Regional District of Central Okanagan, which has a Fire Chief, two assistant Fire Chiefs, an Administrative Assistant, a Public Life/Fire Safety Educator, 16 full-time firefighters and approximately 60 Volunteer Firefighters. There are four firehalls located throughout the District with 10 trucks and a rescue vehicle equipped with the ‘Jaws of Life’and mountain rescue equipment.
Water Water is provided by two main Irrigation Districts namely Westbank Irrigation and Lakeview Irrigation along with Sunnyside and Green Bay water systems operated by the Regional District. There are also several private water systems serving small pockets of residential development in the area and outlying properties have wells. There is an adequate supply of water for future development and plans are in place to provide the infrastructure to increase capacity when necessary.Additionally, the Westbank First Nation Band has completed a water system which draws from Okanagan Lake and has the capability to provide water for development of their properties and more.
Waste Water Management The Westside has a state of the art Westbank Biological Process wastewater treatment plant, operated by the Regional District, which has a capacity to serve the current population of the area plus an additional 10,000 people. All areas in the Westside are not yet on sewer; however, for environmental reasons, the long term plan is to provide sewers to all built up areas. For the past five years it has been a requirement that all new developments in the area be on sewer.
Police The Westside is presently policed by the Kelowna RCMP Detachment – Rural Detail This unit is Provincially funded and consists of 26 uniformed officers and 3 plain clothes investigators. Further support is provided by Kelowna Detachment Forensic Identification Services and Police Services. They work out of the new RCMP detachment located on Hwy 97 (northbound couplet) just north of the lights at Old Okanagan Hwy. The detachment must also serve Peachland and a large, rural area to the east of Kelowna, up to and including Big White Resort.
The Westside Citizen’s Patrol is a volunteer organization which is also involved with community policing.
Ambulance/Hospital There are two ambulances stationed in Westbank 24 hours per day with hospital services provided by the Kelowna Regional Hospital.
LOCAL INDUSTRY
Agriculture Long the mainstay of the local economy agriculture continues to be a dominant player in the production of various goods and provider of employment for residents. Many varieties of fruits from apples, pears, cherries, peaches and apricots are grown for export. Mission Hill Family Estates Winery is the major vintner in the area, Quail’s Gate Estate Winery, and Mt. Boucherie Estate Winery along with several cottage and farm gate wineries, are well known and specialize in unique wines of excellent quality.
Forestry Forestry continues to play a significant part in the local economy with Gorman Bros. Lumber employing over 225 people in its logging and milling operations. Additionally, there are numerous contractors who handle harvesting and trucking of logs to the mills.
Manufacturing There are four major manufacturers on the Westside that contribute significantly to the local economy. These are Air Liquide, Boxmaster, Northside Industries Inc. and West Manufacturing Ltd.
Construction Year end (2007) numbers show that building permits were taken out for 437 single family homes, 38 duplexes, 12 mobile homes and 20 multi-family dwellings (consisting of 537 units) in Westbank last year.
In total, 942 building permits, valued at $202.14 million were issued for the Westbank area.
Overall in the Central Okanagan, 1,101 building permits were issued in 2007, worth $236.75 million.
CORD statistics do not include the municipalities of Kelowna and Lake Country.
Building permits are issued for things as big as commercial and industrial buildings and as small as wood burning appliances and private swimming pools.
Building additions and alterations also require permits. All are included in the CORD numbers.
CORD also reported that 955 permits, worth $133.46 million, were completed in 2007.
REAL ESTATE
Stats for January 1, 2007 to December 31, 2007 in Sales. This is for the Glenrosa, Westside, Westbank, Shannon Lake & Lakeview Heights.
| Residential Sales | |
| Non Waterfront | 940 units at an average price of $381,396 |
| Waterfront | 48 units at an average price of $1,016,510 |
| Multi-Family (4-plex >& apartments) | 1 property sold (7 units) for $1,650,000 |
| Condominium Apartment | 74 units at an average price of $284,151 |
| Condominium Townhouse | 82 units at an average price of $313,682 |
| Lot Sales | |
| Non Waterfront | 27 lots at an average price of $245,933 |
| Acreage | 4 units at an average price of $1,987,500 |
| Waterfront | 1 lots at an average price of $1,285,00 |
TOURISM
Perhaps the fastest growing sector of our economy is tourism, primarily due to the establishment of a freewaylink to the lower mainland area of B.C. The Okanagan Connector and Coquihalla Highway have shortened the driving time to/from the Vancouver area to about 4 hours. Since the Okanagan offers year round recreation from skiing to golf and beaches, it is a natural alternative to the suppliers in the lower mainland because of prices, weather and natural beauty.
The Westbank area is a four season playground because of the year round facilities and attractions. People are drawn to the warm climate, good swimming and boating, beautiful scenery, and abundance of fresh fruit in season, and a wide range of tourist facilities. The hunting and fishing are also some of the best anywhere.
Crystal Mountain Ski Resort in Westbank offers a family style ski facility with a European flavour. For cross country skiers, Telemark offers an excellent setting.
The Westside offers some good beaches and sunbathing areas. Public boat launching and moorage are available. An extensive upgrading has been done to the Gellatly Bay area creating a linear lakefront recreation facility.
The Westside has numerous parks and attractions. Powers Creek & Bear Creek Provincial Park are some of the many excellent hiking trails available.
HERITAGE SITES
The Gellatly Bay Ferry Dock; The Fur Brigade Trail; The Westbank Yacht Club; The Westbank Museum & Arts and Craft Society; Gellatly Heritage Park; and the Gellatly Nut Farm all offer unique and interesting opportunities to explore local history with friends and family.
ACCOMMODATIONS
Westbank has a great variety of Bed & Breakfast accommodations as well as being served by the Comfort Inn, the Holiday Inn, Lake Okanagan Resort, Casa Loma and The Cove Lakeside Resort. Westbank has some of the finest lakefront camping and RV park facilities in the Province.
TRAVEL INFO CENTRE
The Westbank Visitor Centre operates year-round and provides information services to about 7,000 visitors per month in the summer months.