West Kelowna Mayor Doug Findlater and councillors attending the Union of BC Municipalities meetings this week are lobbying for Crown land grants.
“When the District of West Kelowna incorporated, the province advised us that we would be supported in securing appropriate Crown land for municipal purposes,” Findlater said in a statement released Monday afternoon. “The District needs land for a variety of our functions, including a works yard, fire hall and municipal hall…As yet we have not been successful in securing Crown land grants.”
The local politicians lobbied Minister of Community, Sport and Cultural Development Bill Bennett for support on the issue and let him know a review of government services is also underway within the municipality.
“When West Kelowna incorporated and took over many services previously provided by other governments, there was no formal review of services at the time,” said Findlater. “Five years later, we are taking a look at what services we received from others and analyzing them with what is best for the West Kelowna taxpayer in mind.”
Mayors from around the province united during the first day of the week-long conference and began by addressing national infrastructure concerns, endorsing a statement to demanding the provincial and federal governments address the state of many community’s aging infrastructure.
