Mayor Milsom's 2024 Year in Review

Tuesday, Dec. 24, 2024

This year was a remarkable one for West Kelowna, filled with significant milestones and progress as we continue to work together to build a vibrant and resilient community. Guided by Council’s Strategic Priorities, we achieved key accomplishments that reflect our City’s growth, innovation, and dedication to serving our residents.

In 2024, West Kelowna surpassed 40,000 residents, a clear sign of our City’s dynamic growth and the strong community spirit that makes this such a great place to live.

One of this year’s major highlights was the opening of our first purpose-built City Hall/Library Building at 3731 Old Okanagan Highway. On June 29, we celebrated this exciting milestone along with the Okanagan Regional Library (ORL), our community, and our good neighbour, Westbank First Nation. The building also hosts MP and MLA offices on the main floor and an ICBC driver services pilot project on the second floor, who we were also grateful to have join us at the official opening.

Another historic achievement came on May 31, when we officially opened the state-of-the-art Rose Valley Water Treatment Plant. This event was an opportunity to celebrate the plant’s importance to the community, and give the public a look inside and learn about the processes used – coagulation, flocculation, dissolved air flotation, filtration, ultraviolet (UV) disinfection and chlorination – to treat our drinking water. This historic occasion marked the completion of a major infrastructure project to provide safe water that meets the Canadian Drinking Water Guidelines. Council has also approved important infrastructure improvements to address the fluctuating source water conditions in the Rose Valley Reservoir, before it enters the plant.

We also made significant progress in improving active transportation infrastructure. The Shannon Lake Active Transportation Corridor Project moved forward, including a new roundabout to enhance traffic flow and a multi-use path between Westbank First Nation and the Swite Road entrance of Shannon Lake Regional Park for cyclists and pedestrians, with additional work planned for next year.

In response to climate adaptation and the increasing risk of wildfires, we finished construction on a comprehensive fire evacuation egress, connecting the Casa Loma and Lakeview Heights neighborhoods. The egress will increase the safety of residents in Casa Loma and will be used when the primary route is impassible. Another egress option for the Glenrosa neighbourhood was also completed this year, connecting Inverness Road to Pleasantview Road and ultimately Lower Glenrosa Road. As part of the egress work in Glenrosa, we also enhanced pedestrian safety around Webber Road Elementary School with nearly 200 meters of new sidewalks, stormwater upgrades and additional parallel parking.

In addition to these infrastructure successes, we advanced key plans that will guide the city’s future. Council adopted updated the Parks Master Plan and the Recreational Trails Master Plan, shaped by public input gathered over two years, which will inform future capital investments. 

This year marked the creation of our first Infill Housing Strategy, designed to align with the Housing Needs Assessment and Official Community Plan and to help achieve provincial housing requirements.

Meanwhile, our Accessibility and Inclusion Committee began developing West Kelowna’s first Accessibility & Inclusion Plan. With input gathered from two rounds of public engagement, the plan will improve accessibility options across our community.

Council also adopted the 2025 Community Wildfire Resiliency Plan (CWRP) and updated wildfire mitigation policy. West Kelowna Fire Rescue staff led the plan update, which incorporated public input gathered during community and stakeholder engagement in the fall. The 2025 CWRP will help the City and West Kelowna Fire Rescue develop achievable and strategic action items to enhance community wildfire resiliency while prioritizing wildfire risk management in the wildland urban interface, where homes and buildings intersect with forested areas.

We also took the next steps in creating the West Kelowna Economic Development Corporation. Councillor Tasha Da Silva and Deputy Chief Administrative Officer Trevor Seibel were appointed as the first directors to serve on an interim basis to facilitate the necessary incorporation processes.

At the Union of BC Municipalities (UBCM) conference in September, Council advocated for solutions to key regional issues, including social housing shortfalls, wildfire mitigation, power redundancy timelines, and improvements to the Highway 97 Couplet. Council also participated in meetings with the Southern Interior Local Government Association (SILGA) to address regional challenges in collaboration with the Provincial Government.

West Kelowna’s arts and culture scene continued to flourish this year, with expanded and increasingly popular City events such as Music in the Park, Spring and Fall Art Exhibitions, Peruse the Parks, Park and Dome Play Days, Halloween DJ Skate, the Polar Pancake Pajama Party, Light Up, and the Twinkle Tour. The City also supported and participated in community-led events like Westside Daze and Canada Day.

The Fire Hall #32 Replacement Project also got underway, with completion set for fall 2025. Once finished, our community will benefit from a new fire hall with room for future growth, improved park space, a new community centre and more.

As we reflect on this busy and successful year, I am proud of the progress we have made together. We thank the community for their support of our projects, services, and engagement initiatives, as well as for providing valuable input and your ongoing participation in meetings and events throughout the year – we could not do it without you.

Our accomplishments are also a testament to the hard work, dedication, and collaboration of Council, City staff, and our entire community, including everyone’s contributions to the Rose Valley Water Treatment Plant and Transmission Mains project, which received the prestigious Project of the Year award from the Public Works Association of British Columbia for its innovative design, unique features, and complexity.

Together, we are shaping a bright future for West Kelowna.

Looking ahead to 2025, I am excited for the opportunities that lie before us. I want to thank everyone for their continued contributions to making West Kelowna a wonderful place to live, work, and play. 

Wishing you all a joyful holiday season filled with kindness and time with loved ones. Here’s to a safe, happy, and successful 2025!