The name of B.C.‘s newest municipality will find its first official expression on its fire trucks.
Decals indicating “West Kelowna Fire Rescue” have already been ordered and will soon be placed on the department‘s vehicles.
“We wanted to hold off putting the decals on until the name change became official,” assistant fire chief Darren Lee said Friday.
After the provincial cabinet approved the name change, B.C. Lt.-Gov. Steven Point signed the necessary legal documents Friday morning.
“I‘m actually very thrilled,” West Kelowna Mayor Doug Findlater said. “It‘s been a long process, and an emotional one for many people. But now that the name‘s confirmed, hopefully we can move forward on other issues.”
Eventually, signs saying “Welcome to West Kelowna” will be erected along the highway, but the municipality has no immediate plans to do so, Findlater said.
“All those branding issues, including the development of a logo, will likely come later this year,” he said.
Naming of the new municipality proved to be a contentious affair, with West Kelowna edging Westbank, 3,841 votes to 3,675 votes, in an opinion poll attached to last November‘s municipal ballot.
The leader of a campaign that encouraged people to vote for West Kelowna said he was pleased the new name had been legally adopted.
“There‘s so much equity in the name Kelowna,” Adam Less said. “This allows us to really hit the ground running in terms of marketing and creating an identity for the municipality.”
However, Elva Webber, who was among those favouring the name Westbank, was disappointed with the change to West Kelowna.
“I think this decision does put an end to the debate, but it‘s a very, very sad day for a lot of people here,” Webber said. “It‘s like our history has been erased.”
Westsiders voted 51-49 per cent in June 2007 to set up their own municipality rather than join Kelowna. The closeness of both the incorporation referendum and the naming poll indicates the way in which the community, with a population of 30,000, was deeply divided on its future and its identity.
Okanagan-Westside MLA Rick Thorpe said Friday he hoped such antagonisms would soon fade away.
“Through all of this, it was important for people on the Westside to be the masters of their own destiny,” he said. “First, they chose to incorporate, and then the voice of the people was that their municipality be called West Kelowna.
“I know it‘s not 100 per cent unanimous, but in politics, I haven‘t seen many things that were unanimous,” Thorpe said.
The City of Kelowna had supported amalgamation, saying it would be better economically for the main population centre of the Central Okanagan to be one political unit.
“I would have preferred we all be one city,” said acting Kelowna mayor Brian Given. “But, as far as their name goes, I don‘t have any problems or hard feelings about them using the name Kelowna. It‘s a great name.” Top of Page
