West Kelowna

West Kelowna Westside (2007–2009)
City
City of West Kelowna
West Kelowna as seen from Mount Boucherie, with Okanagan Lake and Okanagan Mountain Provincial Park in the background
Coordinates: 49°51′45″N 119°35′00″W / 49.86250°N 119.58333°W / 49.86250; -119.58333
Country	Canada
Province	British Columbia
Region	Okanagan
Regional district	Central Okanagan
Incorporated (district municipality)	December 6, 2007
Name change	January 30, 2009
Incorporated (city)	June 26, 2015
Government
• Mayor	Doug Findlater
Area
• Total	123.53 km2 (47.70 sq mi)
Elevation	484 m (1,588 ft)
Population (2016)
• Total	32,655
• Density	264.4/km2 (685/sq mi)
• 2016 pop. est.	34,930
Time zone	PST (UTC-8)
Highways	97, 97C
Waterways	Okanagan Lake
Website	http://www.westkelownacity.ca/

West Kelowna is a city in British Columbia's Okanagan Valley. The city encompasses several distinct communities including historic Westbank, Glenrosa, Smith Creek, Shannon Lake, Rose Valley, West Kelowna Estates, Casa Loma, and Lakeview Heights. West Kelowna had a population of 32,655 in the 2016 census.

West Kelowna was originally incorporated on December 6, 2007, as Westside District Municipality, so-named because it was the name of the regional district rural electoral area at the time. On January 30, 2009, the district was renamed West Kelowna. The municipality was reclassified as the City of West Kelowna on June 26, 2015. The general area is also sometimes referred to as "Westbank".

Westside District Municipality came into existence on December 6, 2007, following a June 16, 2007 referendum in which Westside residents voted to incorporate by a margin of 5,924 votes to 5,582. The other choice was amalgamation with the City of Kelowna, with a previous question on the ballot offering the option of remaining unincorporated within the regional district's Westside electoral area. The vote was split along highly geographical lines with voters from Westbank, Glenrosa and other areas farther away from the City of Kelowna more often voting to incorporate and voters living closer to Kelowna typically choosing amalgamation.

On November 15, 2008, Doug Findlater was elected the new mayor of West Kelowna, succeeding the municipality's first mayor Rosalind Neis, who had served an initial one-year term. Neis opted not to run for a second term as mayor, choosing instead to run for a seat as a councillor. Neis is currently one of six councilors serving with Findlater.

During the November 2008 civic election, Westside residents were also asked in a "Community Opinion Vote" to select a permanent name for the fledgling municipality. The new name of West Kelowna, with 3,841 votes, was selected by a narrow margin over the closest contender, Westbank, with 3,675 votes. The West Kelowna name was subsequently confirmed by the district council on December 9, 2008. The controversial new name became official on January 30, 2009 after the Government of British Columbia approved the change.

The City of West Kelowna is located on the central western shores of Okanagan Lake and is the primary gateway to the Central Okanagan from the west via HIghway 97C, the Okanagan Connector.