2018 Central Okanagan Economic Profile Table of Contents

Total Page:16

File Type:pdf, Size:1020Kb

2018 Central Okanagan Economic Profile Table of Contents 2018 Central Okanagan Economic Profile Table of Contents Executive Summary .......................................................................................................1 The Central Okanagan ..................................................................................................1 Statistics Reporting ............................................................................................................2 Demographics ...............................................................................................................3 Population and Distribution ............................................................................................3 Age Distribution ...................................................................................................................4 Population Growth Projections ......................................................................................6 Aboriginal Population ........................................................................................................7 Migration .................................................................................................................................8 Income Distribution ............................................................................................................8 Labour Force and Education ..................................................................................... 11 Key Labour Force Statistics ............................................................................................ 11 Employment by Industry ................................................................................................. 11 Labour Force by Occupation ........................................................................................ 12 Commuting Patterns ........................................................................................................ 12 Education Attainment ...................................................................................................... 13 Education by Subject ....................................................................................................... 13 Key Industries ............................................................................................................. 14 Agriculture............................................................................................................................ 14 Viticulture ............................................................................................................................. 15 Agritourism .......................................................................................................................... 18 Tourism .................................................................................................................................. 19 Aerospace / Manufacturing ..........................................................................................20 Technology / Animation / Film ....................................................................................22 Retail Trade ......................................................................................................................... 26 Trade and Business.....................................................................................................27 Access and Proximity to Markets ................................................................................27 Business Counts .................................................................................................................27 Firms by Industry Sector ............................................................................................... 29 Tax Incentives ............................................................................................................ 30 Infrastructure .............................................................................................................. 31 Transportation .................................................................................................................... 31 Utilities .................................................................................................................................. 32 Life in the Okanagan ..................................................................................................33 Climate .................................................................................................................................. 33 Residential Real Estate ................................................................................................... 34 Education ..............................................................................................................................37 Health .................................................................................................................................... 39 Recreation ........................................................................................................................... 39 Cultural & Social Amenities ..........................................................................................40 Table of Contents Our Thriving Communities ....................................................................................... 42 District of Lake Country ................................................................................................. 43 Quick Facts ............................................................................................................... 43 Major Industries ....................................................................................................... 43 Community Infastructure .................................................................................... 43 Doing Business in the Community ...................................................................44 City of Kelowna ................................................................................................................. 45 Quick Facts ............................................................................................................... 45 Major Industries ....................................................................................................... 45 Community Infastructure .................................................................................... 45 Doing Business in the Community ...................................................................46 Westbank First Nation .................................................................................................... 47 Quick Facts ............................................................................................................... 47 Major Industries ....................................................................................................... 47 Community Infastructure .................................................................................... 47 Doing Business in the Community ................................................................... 48 City of West Kelowna ......................................................................................................49 Quick Facts ...............................................................................................................49 Major Industries .......................................................................................................49 Community Infastructure ....................................................................................49 Doing Business in the Community ...................................................................50 District of Peachland ........................................................................................................ 51 Quick Facts ................................................................................................................ 51 Major Industries ........................................................................................................ 51 Community Infastructure ..................................................................................... 51 Doing Business in the Community ................................................................... 52 Central Okanagan Electoral Area - East .................................................................. 53 Quick Facts ............................................................................................................... 53 Major Industries ....................................................................................................... 53 Community Infastructure .................................................................................... 53 Doing Business in the Community ................................................................... 54 Central Okanagan Electoral Area - West ................................................................. 55 Quick Facts ............................................................................................................... 55 Major Industries ....................................................................................................... 55 Community Infastructure .................................................................................... 55 Doing Business in the Community ................................................................... 56 Conclusion .......................................................................................................................................57
Recommended publications
  • G410020002/A N/A Client Ref
    Solicitation No. - N° de l'invitation Amd. No. - N° de la modif. Buyer ID - Id de l'acheteur G410020002/A N/A Client Ref. No. - N° de réf. du client File No. - N° du dossier CCC No./N° CCC - FMS No./N° VME G410020002 G410020002 RETURN BIDS TO: Title – Sujet: RETOURNER LES SOUMISSIONS À: PURCHASE OF AIR CARRIER FLIGHT MOVEMENT DATA AND AIR COMPANY PROFILE DATA Bids are to be submitted electronically Solicitation No. – N° de l’invitation Date by e-mail to the following addresses: G410020002 July 8, 2019 Client Reference No. – N° référence du client Attn : [email protected] GETS Reference No. – N° de reference de SEAG Bids will not be accepted by any File No. – N° de dossier CCC No. / N° CCC - FMS No. / N° VME other methods of delivery. G410020002 N/A Time Zone REQUEST FOR PROPOSAL Sollicitation Closes – L’invitation prend fin Fuseau horaire DEMANDE DE PROPOSITION at – à 02 :00 PM Eastern Standard on – le August 19, 2019 Time EST F.O.B. - F.A.B. Proposal To: Plant-Usine: Destination: Other-Autre: Canadian Transportation Agency Address Inquiries to : - Adresser toutes questions à: Email: We hereby offer to sell to Her Majesty the Queen in right [email protected] of Canada, in accordance with the terms and conditions set out herein, referred to herein or attached hereto, the Telephone No. –de téléphone : FAX No. – N° de FAX goods, services, and construction listed herein and on any Destination – of Goods, Services, and Construction: attached sheets at the price(s) set out thereof.
    [Show full text]
  • Okanagan Valley
    OKANAGAN VALLEY DESTINATION DEVELOPMENT STRATEGY HIGHLIGHTS MYRA CANYON Photo: Grant Harder THANK WHAT’S YOU INSIDE The Okanagan Valley Destination Thank you to our tourism partners 1. INTRODUCTION Development Strategy is the outcome who participated in the process by of a nineteen-month, iterative process attending community meetings, 2. REALIZING THE POTENTIAL of gathering, synthesizing, and participating in surveys and validating information with tourism interviews, engaging in follow-up 3. AT A GLANCE partners about the current status conversations, and forwarding 4. GEARING UP and future direction of tourism in relevant documents and insights. the Okanagan Valley planning area. Special thanks to the members of the Working Group, as well as the We thank the Syilx people and the facilitator of the destination Okanagan Nation on whose traditional development process. territories we gathered for meetings in Kelowna and Summerland. OKANAGAN VALLEY | 2 1 INTRODUCTION WHY A STRATEGY? District, and part of electoral area E (West Boundary) the creation of a provincial destination development of the Regional District of Kootenay Boundary. strategy thereby ensuring a truly integrated and The Okanagan Valley Destination Development Municipalities include Lake Country, Kelowna, West cohesive combination of bottom-up and top-down Strategy was developed to enhance the competitiveness Kelowna, Peachland, Summerland, Penticton, Oliver, destination planning. of the Okanagan Valley planning area over the next 10 Keremeos, and Osoyoos. The planning area includes years and beyond. The strategy was developed as part most of the Okanagan Valley, Sakha Lake, and the of Destination BC’s Destination Development Program Okanagan River. A KEY IMPERATIVE to support and guide the long-term growth of tourism in British Columbia.
    [Show full text]
  • Round 1 Votes (First Preferences) Question 2 - Round 2 Votes (After Second-Preference Transfers)
    Question 1 Question 2 - Round 1 votes (first preferences) Question 2 - Round 2 votes (after second-preference transfers) FPTP FPTP PR PR Total valid Invalid DMP DMP MMP MMP RUP RUP Total valid Invalid votes % votes % votes votes votes % votes % votes % votes votes Provincial total 845,235 61.30% 533,518 38.70% 1,378,753 10,209 244,973 29.45% 343,038 41.24% 243,749 29.31% 831,760 557,202 Totals by electoral district Abbotsford-Mission ABM 13,329 73.75% 4,743 26.25% 18,072 94 3,141 32.96% 3,701 38.84% 2,687 28.20% 9,529 8,637 Abbotsford South ABS 11,476 76.80% 3,467 23.20% 14,943 118 2,515 33.54% 2,886 38.49% 2,098 27.98% 7,499 7,562 Abbotsford West ABW 11,102 79.29% 2,899 20.71% 14,001 114 2,272 36.68% 2,295 37.05% 1,627 26.27% 6,194 7,921 Boundary-Similkameen BDS 10,838 68.68% 4,943 31.32% 15,781 183 2,459 27.96% 2,962 33.67% 3,375 38.37% 8,796 7,168 Burnaby-Deer Lake BND 7,821 62.59% 4,675 37.41% 12,496 94 2,628 33.96% 3,413 44.11% 1,697 21.93% 7,738 4,852 Burnaby-Edmonds BNE 7,724 60.35% 5,075 39.65% 12,799 103 2,841 33.75% 3,713 44.10% 1,865 22.15% 8,419 4,483 Burnaby-Lougheed BNL 8,648 57.89% 6,291 42.11% 14,939 109 3,025 31.22% 4,239 43.75% 2,425 25.03% 9,689 5,359 Burnaby North BNN 9,364 59.77% 6,304 40.23% 15,668 140 3,256 32.61% 4,308 43.14% 2,422 24.25% 9,986 5,822 Cariboo-Chilcotin CBC 8,002 76.48% 2,461 23.52% 10,463 82 1,353 26.20% 1,607 31.12% 2,204 42.68% 5,164 5,381 Cariboo North CBN 6,456 75.23% 2,126 24.77% 8,582 90 1,217 26.90% 1,376 30.42% 1,931 42.68% 4,524 4,148 Chilliwack CHC 9,908 74.55% 3,383 25.45% 13,291 102
    [Show full text]
  • Basin Architecture of the North Okanagan Valley Fill, British Columbia
    BASIN ARCHITECTURE OF THE NORTH OKANAGAN VALLEY FILL, BRITISH COLUMBIA sandy Vanderburgh B.Sc., University of Calgary I984 M.Sc., University of Calgary 1987 THESIS SUBMITTED IN PARTIAL FULFILLMENT OF THE REQUIREMENTS FOR THE DEGREE OF DOCTOR OF PHILOSOPHY in the Department of Geography 0 Sandy Vanderburgh SIMON FRASER UNIVERSITY July 1993 All rights reserved. This work may not be reproduced in whole or in part, by photocopy or other means, without permission of the author. APPROVAL ' Name: Sandy Vanderburgh Degree: Doctor of Philosophy Title of Thesis: Basin Architecture Of The North Okanagan Valley Fill, British Columbia Examining Committee: Chair: Alison M. Gill Associate Professor Dr. M.C. Roberts, Protessor Senior Supervisor Idr. H. Hickin, professor Dr. Dirk Tempelman-Kluit, Director Cordilleran Division, Geological Survey of Canada Dr. R.W. Mathewes, Professor, Department of Biological Sciences Internal Examiner Dr. James A. Hunter, Senior scientist & Program Co-ordinator, Terrain Sciences Division Geological Survey of Canada External Examiner Date Approved: Julv 16. 1993 PARTIAL COPYRIGHT LICENSE 8* I hereby grant to Simon Fraser University the right to lend my thesis, projector extended essay (the title of which is shown below) to users of the Simon Fraser University Library, and to make partial or single copies only for such users or in response to a request from the library of any other university, or other educational institution, on its own behalf or for one of its users. I further agree that permission for multiple copying of this work for scholarly purposes may be granted by me or the Dean of Graduate Studies. It is understood that copying or publication of this work for financial gain shall not be allowed without my written permission.
    [Show full text]
  • Rural Food and Wine Tourism in Canada's South Okanagan Valley
    sustainability Article Rural Food and Wine Tourism in Canada’s South Okanagan Valley: Transformations for Food Sovereignty? Danielle Robinson 1,2 1 School of Business, Okanagan College, BC V1Y 4X8, Canada 2 Community, Culture and Global Studies, Irving K. Barber Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences, University of British Columbia Okanagan, Kelowna, V1V 1V7, Canada; [email protected] Abstract: This interdisciplinary research analyses the relationships between food sovereignty prin- ciples and food and wine tourism in rural contexts by asking how rural tourism stakeholders understand these concepts, mobilize the interrelationships, and to what purpose. Wine and food tourism is one of the fastest-growing rural tourism niches, with effects on the orientation of food systems, the livelihoods of producers, the viability of rural communities, and the biophysical environ- ment. Secondary research and semi-structured interviews provide insights into how qualities of food sovereignty transitions are conceptualized, recognized, developed, supported, and promoted in the case of British Columbia’s South Okanagan Valley. An appreciative approach was used because this research aims to understand rural food and wine tourism’s potential contribution to food sovereignty. Although the term ‘food sovereignty’ did not resonate for most participants, qualities of a transition towards food sovereignty such as reorienting agriculture, food processing and consumption to the local region, supporting rural economies and environmental sustainability were considered integral to rural food tourism. Participants saw future opportunities for rural food and wine tourism to serve broader transformative purposes that would benefit locals, visitors, and the environment. Research results could be used to inspire critical academic, community and policy dialogue about food sovereignty in wine and food tourism destinations.
    [Show full text]
  • Interim Report on Statutory Offices
    Select Standing Committee on Finance and Government Services INTERIM REPORT ON STATUTORY OFFICES August 2021 First Report Second Session, 42nd Parliament August 24, 2021 To the Honourable Legislative Assembly of the Province of British Columbia Honourable Members: I have the honour to present herewith the First Report of the Select Standing Committee on Finance and Government Services for the Second Session of the 42nd Parliament entitled Interim Report on Statutory Offices. Respectfully submitted on behalf of the Committee, Janet Routledge, MLA Chair Interim Report on Statutory Offices 2 CONTENTS Composition of the Committee 4 Terms of 5 Reference 5 Introduction 7 Office of the Auditor General 8 Office of the Conflict of Interest Commissioner 10 Elections BC 12 Office of the Human Rights Commissioner 14 Office of the Information and Privacy Commissioner and Registrar of Lobbyists 16 Office of the Merit Commissioner 18 Office of the Ombudsperson 19 Office of the Police Complaint Commissioner 21 Office of the Representative for Children and Youth 23 Interim Report on Statutory Offices 3 COMPOSITION OF THE COMMITTEE Members Janet Routledge, MLA, Chair Greg Kyllo, MLA Burnaby North Shuswap Ben Stewart, MLA, Deputy Chair Grace Lore, MLA Kelowna West Victoria-Beacon Hill Pam Alexis, MLA Harwinder Sandhu, MLA Abbotsford-Mission Vernon-Monashee Lorne Doerkson, MLA Mike Starchuk, MLA Cariboo-Chilchotin Surrey-Cloverdale Megan Dykeman, MLA Langley East Committee Staff Jennifer Arril, Clerk of Committees Karan Riarh, Senior Research Analyst Natalie Beaton and Jenny Byford, Committee Researchers Stephanie Raymond, Committees Assistant Interim Report on Statutory Offices 4 TERMS OF REFERENCE On April 15, 2021, the Legislative Assembly agreed that the vii.
    [Show full text]
  • General Statistics Based on 2016 Census Data
    GENERAL STATISTICS BASED ON 2016 CENSUS DATA Total Land Area Total Land Area (by region) (92,518,600 hectares) (92,518,600 hectares) 4,615,910 ALR non-ALR Peace River 22% Thompson-Okanagan 10% North Coast 13% Vancouver Island-Coast 9% Nechako Cariboo 21% 14% 87,902,700 Kootenay 6% Mainland-South Coast 4% Total Land & Population (by region) (BC total - Area - 92,518,600 (hectares) & Population - 4,648,055 (people)) Cariboo 13,128,585 156,494 5,772,130 Area Kootenay Population 151,403 3,630,331 Mainland-South Coast 2,832,000 19,202,453 Nechako 38,636 12,424,002 North Coast 55,500 20,249,862 Peace River 68,335 9,419,776 Thompson-Okanagan 546,287 8,423,161 Vancouver Island-Coast 799,400 GROW | bcaitc.ca 1 Total Land in ALR (etare by region) Total Nuber o ar (BC inal Report Number - 4,615,909 hectares) (BC total - 17,528) Cariboo 1,327,423 Cariboo 1,411 Kootenay 381,551 Kootenay 1,157 Mainland-South Coast 161,961 Mainland-South Coast 5,217 Nechako 747 Nechako 373,544 North Coast 116 North Coast 109,187 Peace River 1,335 Peace River 1,333,209 Thompson-Okanagan 4,759 Thompson-Okanagan 808,838 Vancouver Island-Coast 2,786 Vancouver Island-Coast 120,082 As the ALR has inclusions and exclusions throughout the year the total of the regional hectares does not equal the BC total as they were extracted from the ALC database at different times. Total Area o ar (etare) Total Gro ar Reeipt (illion) (BC total - 6,400,549) (BC total - 3,7294) Cariboo 1,160,536 Cariboo 1063 Kootenay 314,142 Kootenay 909 Mainland-South Coast 265,367 Mainland-South Coast 2,4352
    [Show full text]
  • LIST of YOUR MLAS in the PROVINCE of BRITISH COLUMBIA As of April 2021
    LIST OF YOUR MLAS IN THE PROVINCE OF BRITISH COLUMBIA As of April 2021 NAME RIDING CAUCUS Bruce Banman Abbotsford South BC Liberal Party Michael de Jong, Q.C. Abbotsford West BC Liberal Party Pam Alexis Abbotsford-Mission BC NDP Roly Russell Boundary-Similkameen BC NDP Janet Routledge Burnaby North BC NDP Hon. Anne Kang Burnaby-Deer Lake BC NDP Hon. Raj Chouhan Burnaby-Edmonds BC NDP Hon. Katrina Chen Burnaby-Lougheed BC NDP Coralee Oakes Cariboo North BC Liberal Party Lorne Doerkson Cariboo-Chilcotin BC Liberal Party Dan Coulter Chilliwack BC NDP Kelli Paddon Chilliwack-Kent BC NDP Doug Clovechok Columbia River-Revelstoke BC Liberal Party Fin Donnelly Coquitlam-Burke Mountain BC NDP Hon. Selina Robinson Coquitlam-Maillardville BC NDP Ronna-Rae Leonard Courtenay-Comox BC NDP Sonia Furstenau Cowichan Valley BC Green Party Hon. Ravi Kahlon Delta North BC NDP Ian Paton Delta South BC Liberal Party G:\Hotlines\2021\2021-04-14_LIST OF YOUR MLAS IN THE PROVINCE OF BRITISH COLUMBIA.docx Hon. Mitzi Dean Esquimalt-Metchosin BC NDP Jackie Tegart Fraser-Nicola BC Liberal Party Peter Milobar Kamloops-North Thompson BC Liberal Party Todd Stone Kamloops-South Thompson BC Liberal Party Ben Stewart Kelowna West BC Liberal Party Norm Letnick Kelowna-Lake Country BC Liberal Party Renee Merrifield Kelowna-Mission BC Liberal Party Tom Shypitka Kootenay East BC Liberal Party Hon. Katrine Conroy Kootenay West BC NDP Hon. John Horgan Langford-Juan de Fuca BC NDP Andrew Mercier Langley BC NDP Megan Dykeman Langley East BC NDP Bob D'Eith Maple Ridge-Mission BC NDP Hon.
    [Show full text]
  • Okanagan Ecoregional Assessment  Volume 1  Report
    VOLUME Okanagan 1 Ecoregional Assessment REPORT October 2006 OKANAGAN ECOREGIONAL ASSESSMENT VOLUME 1 REPORT Okanagan Ecoregional Assessment October 2006 Prepared by Nature Conservancy of Canada The Nature Conservancy of Washington and the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife OKANAGAN ECOREGIONAL ASSESSMENT VOLUME 1 REPORT Okanagan Ecoregional Assessment Volume 1 – Report Citation: Pryce, B., P. Iachetti, G. Wilhere, K. Ciruna, J. Floberg, R. Crawford, R. Dye, M. Fairbarns, S. Farone, S. Ford, M. Goering, M. Heiner, G. Kittel, J. Lewis, D. Nicolson, and N. Warner. 2006. Okanagan Ecoregional Assessment, Volume 1 – Report. Prepared by Nature Conservancy of Canada, The Nature Conservancy of Washington, and the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife with support from the British Columbia Conservation Data Centre, Washington Department of Natural Resources Natural Heritage Program, and NatureServe. Nature Conservancy of Canada, Victoria, British Columbia. Cover Design: Paul Mazzucca Copyright © 2006 Nature Conservancy of Canada Vancouver, British Columbia Issued by: The Nature Conservancy of Canada Cover Photo Credits: #300 – 1205 Broad Street Methow Valley, Robin Dye; Western screech owl, Victoria, British Columbia, Canada V8W 2A4 A.M. Bezener/One Wild Earth Photography; Great Email: [email protected] basin spadefoot toad, A.M. Bezener/One Wild Earth Photography; Seton Lake, Ian Routley; Canadian Cataloguing in Publication Data: Townsends big-eared bat, Harry van Oort; Mormon metalmark, Orville Dyer; East Chopaka, ISBN 1-897386-00-1 Barbara Pryce; Mountain bluebird, Ian Routley; 1. Biological inventory and assessment – Sockeye salmon, Kristy Ciruna; Badgers, Philippe Okanagan. Verkerk; Lynx, Grant Merrill; Mountain lady’s I. Nature Conservancy of Canada. slipper, George Thornton; Long-billed curlew, Ian II.
    [Show full text]
  • The Kelowna Courier
    he elowna ourier T K C t:nKHUi<enflrwri!M 9> N I’M HER 9 Kelowna.. British .. Columbia. ■—— iMmul.WiPHWiaB—MM— Monday. August 30th. 1948 ■1.JCr-WKWr«WWMM«WWSWn*«T.\»C Audited Paid Circulation jsawr-*7«,’a!-fljVO LU M E 45 TWICE WEEKLY—MONDAY & THURSDAY Noted Trick Rider Conservative Candidate W ill WORLD NEWS FLASHES Be Chosen By Conservatives (B y Canadian P resa) And Liberals September 15th Bodies Scattered Over One Mile LAKE LEVEL Liberals Will Not Oppose Pro-Conservative Candidate Peel Contesting Forthcoming South Okanagan By- Area as 36 People Die When Huge Level Ibis moralng ...........103.02 Election—Nominating Convention will be held Level on Tlmrsday ...........103.93 4^ Decrease ......... — ..... —....... nil at Zenith Hall, September 15—Several Promin­ U.S. Airliner Struck by Lightning 1918 peak level (Juno 28) ....l(Mi32 ent Conservatives will Allow Names to go Before Agreed maxlmiun ............... 102JW WINONA, Minnesota—Thirty six persons were killed Sun­ Previous record high 1028 ..KNLSO Meeting day when a Northwest Airlines passenger plane crashed into a 1942 high ...............................101.12 500-foot Mississipi River bluff during a severe storm. An eye witness said apparently the plane broke up in midair, after be­ Election by Mid-November ing hit by lightning. , , . , i i „ Parts of the wreckage were found m swamplands along Many Get h f l i b e r a l orgajlization in South Okanagan constituen­ the river. A few bits landed in a ball park seven miles south of cy will not oppose the nomination of a Progressive-Conser­ the crash scene.
    [Show full text]
  • West Kelowna Transmission Project
    Welcome to the BC Hydro open house West Kelowna Transmission Project We’re planning for a new, secondary transmission line delivering clean, reliable power to the communities of West Kelowna and Peachland. The new transmission line will strengthen and reinforce the existing transmission network. We’re here to share the most recent project information and to gather your comments on what we know so far. We hope you’ll share your local knowledge of the project study area with us. WEST KELOWNA TRANSMISSION PROJECT OPEN HOUSE BCH18-305 Why it’s important Approximately 22,000 customers are served by the Westbank Substation and a single 138 kilovolt transmission line. We’ve prioritized the West Kelowna area as needing a redundant supply of power because of: ○ The large number of customers served by a single transmission line. ○ The challenge of restoring power on the existing transmission line resulting from its 80 kilometre length, remote location and rough terrain. ○ The risk of destructive forces like forest fires and landslides. In the meantime, we’ll continue to monitor and manage any risks to the existing transmission line. What’s redundant supply? Redundant supply means there is more than one source (for example, a transmission Iine) providing power to the community or “back-up” power. That way, if one source is taken out of service, the other can still supply the community with electricity. WEST KELOWNA TRANSMISSION PROJECT OPEN HOUSE BCH18-305 Our electricity system Generation Transmission Substations Distribution Electricity is generated Electricity is Voltage is reduced at Low voltage by BC Hydro and moved from where substations to provide electricity is provided independent power it’s produced to power suitable for use in to neighbourhoods producers.
    [Show full text]
  • Self-Government at Westbank First Nation: Model Or Anomaly? Thomas Vogl
    Volume 4, Issue 2, Winter 2013 Field Research Self-Government at Westbank First Nation: Model or Anomaly? Thomas Vogl First Nations self-government is upheld in Canadian policy as an important mechanism by which to satisfy the ‘inherent right to self-government’ and to improve socio-economic conditions of First Nations people. The case of Westbank First Nation demonstrates how also demonstrates how self-government can become a valuable tool of socio-economic development if enhancements to self-government are accompanied by self-imposed good governance practices at the First Nation government level. Self-government alone is unlikely to be the panacea that the Canadian government hopes, but when combined many of the factors that make self-government successful at Westbank may not be present in all First Nations. Driving east on Highway 97 towards Kelowna, you will pass through a visibly growing community. Newly erected strip malls line the sides of the road as you make your way to the William R. Bennett Bridge, which carries you over Okanagan Lake and into the city of Kelowna. Kelowna is not my destination, however. I’m looking for an off-ramp that will take me to an unassuming administrative building for the government of Westbank First Nation. I pull into one of the strip mall parking lots to get my bearings. As I’m looking for a place to park I observe my surroundings. The buildings are all newly constructed, mainly tan stucco and stonework, with some of the storefronts still vacant. I spot a coffee shop with wireless internet. After getting the login information from two young baristas, I check my email, Thomas Vogl is a 2012 Master of Public Policy graduate of the School of Public Policy and Governance.
    [Show full text]