Peachland has ended Armstrong’s run as winner of the annual Okanagan WaterWise water conservation challenge.
Armstrong had won the title in 2015, 2017 and 2018, while Peachland won the title in 2016 and Oliver was the inaugural winner in 2014.
The challenge is based on signing up individual pledges in their communities to adopt water conservation measures in their homes.
Peachland increased their pledge commitment five-fold over last year, while Armstrong did so three-fold and third-place Osoyoos doubled their pledges.
The award was announced at the annual general meeting for the Okanagan Water Basin Board held today in Kelowna at the Rotary Centre for the Arts.
Peachland Mayor Cindy Fortin, vice-chair of the OBWB, said she was happy to lead a concentrated effort to upend Armstrong this year.
“I spent two days at the IGA store signing up pledges and was happy to do it. I did not want to receive cheese again as the consolation prize from Armstrong,” Fortin said.
“But it’s important to get the message out there about water conservation. Hopefully it will become just like recycling where we do it as part of our normal daily lives.”
Armstrong Mayor Chris Pieper accepted a freshly-picked peach from Fortin as the consolation prize this year, saluting both the efforts of his community and Peachland residents.
“We have three plaques at city hall for winning in past years, and will be ready to take a run at a fourth next year so watch out,” Chris Pieper said.
OBWB chair Sue McKortoff, mayor of Osoyoos, said the water challenge is a fun aspect of translating the message to Okanagan residents from Armstrong to Osoyoos of the need to preserve our water use in a water-stressed region.
“We have experienced varying degrees of drought and flood. And water, being the source of all life, requires everyone, residents and even visitors, the business community, government and utilities, to be good stewards, helping preserve and protect. it.”