Photo Credit: City of Kelowna

This column was submitted by Mayor Tom Dyas.

Celebrating 2025, Continuing the Work in 2026

Happy New Year, Kelowna.

I hope everyone had a safe and happy holiday season and was able to spend time with family, friends, and loved ones.

There is something special about Kelowna at this time of year. Whether it’s the Tree of Hope glowing, or families skating at Stuart Park under the glow of the new Christmas tree, the holidays — and our own personal traditions — remind us why this community is such a wonderful place to call home.

In 2025, Kelowna made significant investments in our community, with more than 131 capital projects underway representing over $150 million in infrastructure investment. This work included breaking ground on the new Parkinson Recreation Centre, advancing new community centres in Glenmore, Mission, and Rutland, moving forward 23 park projects citywide, opening the Bertram multi-use overpass, and completing the Chute Lake Road and Kane and Valley Road roundabouts. Additionally we have announced two new roundabouts on Springfield Road.

We also broke ground on the Glenmore Protective Services Campus, including a new fire hall and permanent home for COSAR, began construction on a new youth recovery centre, established an Economic Prosperity Task Force, and advanced plans for a new Performing Arts Centre.

Kelowna issued more than 1,700 building permits and over 4,000 occupancy permits throughout the year — helping deliver new homes for young families, seniors, and people building their future in Kelowna.

We also hosted major events like the Montana’s Brier and the Canadian Country Music Association Awards, bringing more than $30 million in economic impact to our community.

Together, this positive work reflects continued momentum on Council’s priorities, a full summary of our work is available through Council’s priority progress report.

At the same time as we enter 2026, we know there is far more work to do.

Over the past several weeks, I have heard directly from some downtown business owners who are facing incidents of crime, vandalism, and disorder affecting their staff and customers. What they are experiencing is unacceptable. No one should feel unsafe opening their business, going to work, or spending time in our city’s core.

That is why the City is taking immediate steps to strengthen coordinated safety and enforcement efforts in our urban centres. The focus is ensuring that business owners, staff, and customers can safely access storefronts and workplaces, particularly during the morning and evening hours.

Improving visibility, consistency, and on-the-ground presence is essential to supporting employees and protecting the vitality and economic prosperity of our urban centres — ensuring they are places where people feel safe to visit, shop, and start a business.

Photo Credit: City of Kelowna

In the weeks ahead, in partnership with CMHA, we will also be launching CRCL Kelowna, a mobile, community-based crisis response service for people experiencing a mental health or substance-use crisis. This frees up police officers to focus on crime and safety-related calls.

Public safety has been a priority for Council since day one of this term, and these initiatives build on the actions currently underway.

In 2025, we strengthened our front lines by adding new RCMP officers, firefighters, and Bylaw Enforcement Officers, welcomed a new Officer in Charge at the Kelowna RCMP detachment, and appointed the City’s first dedicated Community Safety Liaison in Rutland.

We have also invested in treatment and recovery, including expanding transitional housing across the city, and our Social Development team continued to work alongside service providers to better coordinate resources.

These efforts are beginning to make a difference. While crime has declined statistically over the past several years, I know those improvements do not always reflect what is being experienced on the ground — and that is where our focus must remain.

That is why, alongside Council, I will be hosting a business community forum on public safety in early February. This forum will provide an opportunity to hear directly from business owners, better understand their concerns, and work together on both immediate local solutions and long term strategies.

While there is important work we can and must do locally, we also recognize these challenges are not unique to Kelowna. In September, I stood on the steps of the B.C. Legislature alongside mayors from across the province who are experiencing these same pressures in their communities.

Municipalities were never designed or given the tools to manage the impacts chronic repeat crime and untreated mental health and addictions have on our streets.

That is why we will continue to press senior partners such as provincial and federal governments and Interior Health to step up with the tools, resources, and systemic changes needed to address the root causes of these issues.

Public safety affects everyone, and this Council will continue working relentlessly with businesses, residents, and service providers on local solutions while advocating for the changes Kelowna needs to see.

Thank you to everyone who has taken the time to speak up and share their experiences.

Your voices matter, and they are helping guide the actions we are taking now and, in the months ahead, to make Kelowna a safer place for everyone.

We know that 2026, like 2025, will be a busy year and will once again showcase our city in the national spotlight. As Kelowna continues to shine, we want to ensure these opportunities help grow economic prosperity for the entire community.