On August 24th,1967, then BC Lieutenant Governor the Honourable George Randolph Pearkes signed the Letters Patent officially incorporating the Regional District.

It set the boundary, municipal membership for the City of Kelowna and District of Peachland and the interim Board members for the eight electoral areas, given letter designations from A to H.

In the time since much has changed within the boundary. With growth, some areas were amalgamated, while others like Lake Country and West Kelowna have incorporated changing the composition of the Regional Board. Today the Board makeup is very different with six representatives appointed by the City of Kelowna, two for West Kelowna and one each from the Councils of Lake Country and Peachland. Residents in the two remaining electoral areas (Central Okanagan East and Central Okanagan West) elect their RDCO representatives and the Westbank First Nation Council appoints a non-voting member to the Regional Board.

Photo Credit: contributed                    

The Regional District form of government which is unique to BC has grown along with the population in the Central Okanagan, to provide many key services right across the region: from the award-winning innovation of our Economic Development Commission to Recycling, Dog Control, 9-1-1 and Regional Parks. 

Board Chair Gail Given says, “We have so much to celebrate in the Central Okanagan. As a region, we’re blessed with beauty and fantastic natural surroundings, things that people from all over the world come here to visit and enjoy. Our region may have changed with the times, but our Regional District remains a cost-effective, efficient and relevant form of local government,"

Photo Credit: contributed                   

“On behalf of the Regional Board” Given says, “we look forward to another half century of service to the citizens in the Central Okanagan.”

The Regional Board will mark the special occasion at 6:30 p.m. next Monday evening prior to its regularly scheduled meeting.