(L-R) Mike Jacobs, president of Emil Anderson Construction, WFN advisory council chairman Gord Couch, WFN Chief Robert Louie, Mayor of West Kelowna Doug Findlater, B.C. General Contracting Beau Derickson during Sneena dedication.
Image Credit: Contributed
May 31, 2016 - 5:00 PM
CITY SUPPORTS RESERVE APPLICATION WITH SOME RESTRICTIONS
KELOWNA - City council has given its blessing to an application by the Westbank First Nation to add to its reserve lands.
The band has applied to Indigenous and Northern Affairs Canada to add seven parcels of land measuring roughly 751 acres.
Four of the parcels are within Kelowna’s city boundaries. The largest parcel, 670 acres off McCulloch Road, is within the Central Okanagan Regional District but abuts the City of Kelowna.
The other Kelowna parcels are located on Hereron Road (40.5 acres), Spiers Road (20 acres), Gallagher’s Canyon (3.78 acres) and Vintage Terrace (.07 acres).
The other two parcels are 2.93 acres on Bridge Hill in West Kelowna and 14 acres of Crown land abutting Tsinstikeptum Indian Reserve No. 10.
The seven parcels were purchased outright by Westbank First Nation or acquired as compensation for land it signed over to the provincial government for construction of the Westside Road interchange in 2005.
City clerk Stephen Fleming says Kelowna is supportive of the reserve additions but some conditions apply, including aeronautical restrictions on the Hereron Road parcel located south of Kelowna International Airport.
As well, if any of the land parcels require city services, the band will be expected to comply with the same bylaws and regulations as non-reserve land, Fleming says.
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