After the city of West Kelowna voted to reject the city council’s proposal to borrow $7.7million to build a new city hall and civic centre, the close result shows that the city is still politically divided. In the referendum, the “no” vote won by only 27 votes (4,212 to 4,185), with three regions rejecting the proposal by 52%-54%, while 62% of the Westbank region voted yes.
To natives of the Westside, this nearly equal divide is nothing new, and that’s why talking Westside politics is still a touchy subject. For those who don’t know, the name “West Kelowna” is divisive and full of spite, and calling the Westside “West Kelowna” can stir resentment in some.
To understand the Westside’s political divide, one must understand the politics of the last decade. In 2007, the Westside District Municipality held a referendum and voted 5,924 to 5,582 to incorporate into its own city instead of amalgamating with Kelowna. The divide was clear: residence closer to the bridge wanted to join Kelowna, while residents further west wanted to incorporate. Despite uproar from the amalgamators, the Westside district became its own city. In the first municipal election that fall, pro-amalgamation candidate Rosalind Neis was elected mayor with two pro-amalgamation councillors joining four pro-incorporation councillors.
After incorporation settled, the next step was giving the Westside an official name. This is where the real divide starts. In 2008, a referendum gave residents four options for a city name: Okanagan Hills, Westbank, West Kelowna, and Westlake. It was obvious that Westbank and West Kelowna were the most popular options, with the incorporators wanting to keep the historic Westbank name, and the amalgamators wanting to stay relevant to Kelowna, as well as spiting the incorporators. In the end, West Kelowna got 3,841 votes over Westbank’s 3,675, a difference of only 2%. The amalgamators had spoiled the party, and implemented the equivalent of an independent Scotland changing its name to North England.
To this day, many incorporators still refuse to accept the name “West Kelowna”. “I love Westbank” bumper stickers, as well as big “Westbank” signs still cover the city. Many still have Westbank as their home address. The “Welcome to West Kelowna” signs have been vandalized at least twice, with one occasion having the “Kelowna” letters removed and “bank” painted in its place.
Even though the vote was nine years ago, Westsiders still don’t like talking about it. That’s why I just referred to us as Westsiders because using West Kelowna is still too controversial. If talking with someone from the Westside, just call it “Westside” because odds are the person is an amalgamator or an incorporator; “Westside” is an agreeable compromise. We’re fine with telling people which region we’re from, since that can include Westbank, West Kelowna Estates, Glenrosa, Shannon Lake, etc.
Although many voted “no” in this last referendum because they wanted the surplus money used elsewhere, I have little doubt many voted out of spite for what happened nine years ago. After three referendums in the last decade, the city stays politically divided, and it will stay that way unless the borders are redrawn or something radical shakes the city. While some say the city needs to unite, I do not see that happening anytime soon.
