Five months after Okanagan Falls residents narrowly voted to incorporate as their own municipality, frustration over stalled progress has pushed the province香蕉视频直播檚 new Municipal Affairs Minister to agree to meet face-to-face with local leaders.
B.C. Minister of Housing and Municipal Affairs Christine Boyle will meet next week with Regional District of Okanagan-Similkameen (RDOS) Area D director Matt Taylor and other senior officials to discuss how to get the process back on track. Boyle香蕉视频直播檚 office has not yet confirmed whether the talks will take place in Penticton or at the Ministry香蕉视频直播檚 offices in Victoria, but Taylor said he and his team are willing to travel.
香蕉视频直播淎s long as they give us 24 to 48 hours notice, we香蕉视频直播檒l meet them anywhere,香蕉视频直播� Taylor said Friday.
The meeting was confirmed less than 48 hours after a tense, standing-room-only Town Hall at the Okanagan Falls Community Centre. More than 300 residents packed into a gymnasium Wednesday to hear why little has happened since the March 22 referendum, which saw 588 residents vote in favour of incorporation and 512 vote against.
The mood was heated. Many in the crowd expressed anger over the lack of progress, and several said they no longer support incorporation at all. Taylor acknowledged the frustration, saying he shares it, but called the upcoming meeting with Boyle 香蕉视频直播渁 clear sign the Province is finally listening.香蕉视频直播�
香蕉视频直播淢y message to residents and First Nations is we have hit a few speedbumps here and those are to be expected in a process like this,香蕉视频直播� he told the crowd. 香蕉视频直播淚香蕉视频直播檓 very grateful the Minister has reached out to meet with us next week. I think there is a real opportunity, with her assistance, to move through some of these challenges.香蕉视频直播�
Years in the making
The path to incorporation has been long. Discussions about turning Okanagan Falls into its own municipal district date back more than 40 years, with more serious talks over the last decade.
In 2018, Area D was split in two to give Okanagan Falls more local control. A community association was formed soon after, with a goal of reversing the area香蕉视频直播檚 population and economic decline by encouraging housing, job creation, and a more vibrant local economy.
In late 2020, the association sent a draft motion to the RDOS board asking it to request that the Province initiate incorporation discussions. The Province agreed in 2021, launching a formal study.
An advisory committee eventually supported incorporation, leading to the fall 2024 provincial approval of a referendum 香蕉视频直播� held in March of this year.
Taylor said that when the vote was called, 香蕉视频直播渢here was no mention香蕉视频直播� of any First Nations consultation requirements. That issue, he said, has since become one of the major factors slowing the process.
What hasn香蕉视频直播檛 happened
since the vote
Under typical timelines, Taylor said, incorporation could be finalized in four or five months. The next step would be for the Province to appoint an interim corporate officer 香蕉视频直播� a provincially funded position responsible for helping organize an election for a Mayor and Council, and representing the new municipality in negotiations with the Province. That appointment still hasn香蕉视频直播檛 been made.
A draft letters patent 香蕉视频直播� the document setting out the name, boundaries, services, and incorporation date 香蕉视频直播� has also not been issued. Taylor said letters patent are usually 香蕉视频直播渇airly straightforward香蕉视频直播� but remain in limbo.
Boyle香蕉视频直播檚 Ministry has hinted at forming another advisory committee to assist the future Mayor and Council once elected. The existing local committee already supports electing a Mayor and four councillors.
The delays are compounded by the fact that no new municipality has been incorporated in B.C. for more than 15 years. Taylor believes the Province香蕉视频直播檚 inexperience with recent incorporations, combined with compliance requirements under the Declaration of Rights of Indigenous Peoples Act (DRIPA), are adding months to the timeline.
The First Nations factor
Taylor said DRIPA requirements appear to be the main reason for the holdup. He understands that First Nations requests so far include removing certain Crown lands from within Okanagan Falls香蕉视频直播� proposed municipal boundaries, and possibly renaming the municipality using the First Nations interpretation of Okanagan Falls.
香蕉视频直播淲henever there is a development in an incorporated community, there is a process to inform First Nations to determine if they have an interest,香蕉视频直播� Taylor said. 香蕉视频直播淭his must also be ironed out.香蕉视频直播�
Taylor said the Province has asked the Osoyoos Indian Band (OIB) what it wants, but the RDOS has not seen the requests in writing. It remains unclear what the Province intends to do.
The Okanagan Falls area sits on the former Dog Lake Indian Reserve No. 2, once part of the OIB香蕉视频直播檚 main reserve before being removed by a Royal Commission between 1912 and 1916. A negotiated settlement between the OIB and federal government was reached in 1982, but Taylor said it香蕉视频直播檚 possible the Province may want to revisit land-related matters as part of reconciliation efforts.
Rumours have circulated about requests for Crown land parcels to be excluded from the new municipality香蕉视频直播檚 boundaries, including trails popular with residents and tourists. 香蕉视频直播淭hose are trails we use to promote people coming to Okanagan Falls,香蕉视频直播� Taylor said. 香蕉视频直播淥nce again I ask, what is the process we香蕉视频直播檙e getting after the referendum? We don香蕉视频直播檛 have it in writing.香蕉视频直播�
The possibility of a name change is also in play. While Taylor believes a compromise is possible 香蕉视频直播� keeping 香蕉视频直播淥kanagan Falls香蕉视频直播� but adding a First Nations equivalent on signage 香蕉视频直播� he warned that an extreme change would have economic impacts.
香蕉视频直播淚t doesn香蕉视频直播檛 cost the Province anything, but it costs our businesses and tourism significantly,香蕉视频直播� he said. 香蕉视频直播淥kanagan Falls is a unique, iconic community. We want to grow it to be sustainable, and changing the name too much would hurt that.香蕉视频直播�
Frustration boils over
At Wednesday香蕉视频直播檚 Town Hall, Taylor and RDOS Chief Administrative Officer Don Zaffino fielded questions for 90 minutes. The frustration on Taylor香蕉视频直播檚 face was clear as he explained why the process had stalled.
He told residents the RDOS has been asking the Province since the spring to outline its requirements for incorporation under DRIPA. 香蕉视频直播淥ther than telling us what the process is, they香蕉视频直播檙e not doing it,香蕉视频直播� he said.
In early July, the Province first signalled that a name change might be considered. 香蕉视频直播淚 said I have to talk to the people of Okanagan Falls,香蕉视频直播� Taylor recalled. 香蕉视频直播淚 can香蕉视频直播檛 negotiate, and we shouldn香蕉视频直播檛 be negotiating. It香蕉视频直播檚 the Province香蕉视频直播檚 process, and they need to respect our needs as well as First Nation needs.香蕉视频直播�
Some residents voiced outright opposition to incorporation, saying their views had changed since the referendum. Taylor acknowledged their perspective but reminded them that 香蕉视频直播渢he majority voted in favour, and that香蕉视频直播檚 how democracy works.香蕉视频直播�
Provincial response
Boyle, who became Municipal Affairs Minister on July 16, did not attend the Town Hall. In a letter read aloud by Zaffino, her office cited scheduling conflicts but said she 香蕉视频直播渞ecognizes the community香蕉视频直播檚 concerns about the timeliness and path towards incorporation.香蕉视频直播�
The letter said her Ministry 香蕉视频直播渉as and will continue to work with the RDOS board and senior staff, as well as the OIB and Chief Clarence Louie, towards completing the incorporation process as quickly as possible.香蕉视频直播� Boyle said she understands the urgency and has asked staff to arrange a brief, direct meeting with the RDOS and OIB to discuss next steps.
That meeting, confirmed Friday by Taylor, is expected to happen next week. No date or location has been set.
Why the timeline matters
Taylor warned that if major steps aren香蕉视频直播檛 completed by early 2025, the new municipality could face 香蕉视频直播渞eal implications香蕉视频直播� for how it collects tax revenue in its first year. If incorporation is delayed past the start of the tax year, the RDOS would have to continue collecting taxes on behalf of Okanagan Falls 香蕉视频直播� a stopgap that could strain staffing and administration.
香蕉视频直播淭hat香蕉视频直播檚 why getting this done in the near future is necessary,香蕉视频直播� he said.
What residents can expect next
Taylor plans to continue bi-weekly progress updates with Boyle香蕉视频直播檚 office, alongside Zaffino, RDOS board chair Mark Pendergraft, and vice-chair Campbell Watt. He pledged to share all developments with residents.
He also emphasized the limits of local authority. 香蕉视频直播淚ncorporation is the Province香蕉视频直播檚 issue 香蕉视频直播� that香蕉视频直播檚 theirs. That香蕉视频直播檚 the letters patent. That香蕉视频直播檚 appointing an interim corporate officer. That香蕉视频直播檚 what they need to do,香蕉视频直播� he said. 香蕉视频直播淎ny reconciliation discussions with First Nations need to be spearheaded at the municipal level once we have an elected Mayor and Council.香蕉视频直播�
For now, Taylor is pinning his hopes on next week香蕉视频直播檚 meeting. 香蕉视频直播淚香蕉视频直播檓 confident it will be very productive and lead to the incorporation process moving much faster than it has so far,香蕉视频直播� he said.
An interim corporate officer needs to be appointed, but the municipality is facing hurdles related to DRIPA compliance, and First Nations consultations.
And there isn香蕉视频直播檛 much of a playbook, since no new incorporations have taken place in B.C. in over 15 years.
