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Kelowna Springs Golf Course – Has Mayor Dyas and Council acted in the best interest of the Citizens of Kelowna?  You be the Judge ! 

Why is this land important? 

The Kelowna Springs Golf Course (KSGC) area was previously agricultural land and it occupies approximately 43 hectares (106 ac). It is bordered on the north, east, south, and the northern half of the western boundary, by agricultural land. The agricultural land is in the Agricultural Land Reserve.  The golf course is green space and it offers a buffer to the surrounding agricultural land. 

The land to the west of the golf course is wetland (Simpson’s Pond) and being designated as a wetland requires special consideration because it is environmentally sensitive. Groundwater flows down hill from the upland to the east, under the agricultural land along the eastern boundary as well as the agricultural land to the north and south, under the golf course and to the wetland. There is a continuous underground water flow system under all of this land. 

The KSGC includes seven ponds that provide wildlife habitat and water to irrigate the golf course so it is a closed system, not requiring municipal water to irrigate it.  

History: 

In 2021 Senior City Staff was approached by Ian Robertson requesting that the Future Land Use in the 2040 Official Community Plan be changed from Private Recreational to Industrial. This was due no doubt to Robertson obviously wishing to sell this golf course and making the land Industrial which would open up more opportunities to sell. City Council in its’ wisdom voted to go ahead with this change of  Future Land Use to Industrial. 

On July 26, 2022  Tom Dyas put out a pre-election statement to the public announcing that he would fight to save Kelowna Springs Golf Course if elected.   Quote “Residents have told me that they expect their next mayor to fight to save Kelowna Springs, and that’s what I will do,” he explained. 

Dyas said Kelowna can’t afford to keep losing golf courses and cited the loss of Central Park Golf Club and Fairview Golf Course to development as previous examples of this happening. 

He also noted that Shadow Ridge Golf Club will soon be lost to an inevitable airport extension, while Michaelbrook could one day become baseball fields. 

Subsequently in February 2023 Denciti Development Corp announced they purchased Kelowna Springs Golf Course. 

In June 2023, the present City Council including the newly elected Mayor Dyas, after a Public Hearing, changed the Future Land Use designation back to Private Recreational, due to the hue and cry from the Citizens of Kelowna, to reflect Community interests and preserve recreational activities. 

On December 3rd, 2024 Mayor Dyas provided an update on this property owned by Denciti Development Corp.  Mayor Dyas went on to state that substantial feedback was received by the public who value KSGC and its positive contributions to the City.  He stated that with this in mind, he directed City Staff to explore all options for the City to acquire the property from Denciti Development Corp. to protect it for Recreational use.  Apparently despite their best efforts, the City was unable to reach an agreement as Denciti were “unwilling vendors."

Coincidentally 2 days later on December 5th, 2024 Denciti Development Corp provided a press release indicating that the property would now be developed to become Industrial along with keeping a 9 hole golf course and Pickleball Courts. 

Photo credit: Kelowna Springs

On November 14, 2025, the City released a press release detailing an arrangement reached with Denciti where it was structured as a land swap rather than an outright purchase !  A move Mayor Tom Dyas stated was the "best deal possible" to preserve the course's long-term viability as per the following terms:  

• City Acquisition: The city will acquire approximately 60 acres of land at 480 Penno Rd., which includes the existing nine-hole golf course, water features, and open space. 

• Developer Acquisition: In exchange, Denciti Development Corp. will receive 9.1 acres of city-owned industrial land at 3199 Hollywood Rd. North. 

• Future Operations: The city plans to own the course and lease it to the existing operator who successfully operated it as a nine-hole course during the 2025 season. 

• Conditions and Timeline: The agreement is subject to several conditions, including the city council's decision on Official Community Plan (OCP) amendments and rezoning applications for Denciti's remaining adjacent land. If all conditions are met, the land transfer to the city is expected to finalize on March 30, 2026. 

KNOWN FACTS 

After Mayor Dyas stated on Dec 3rd, 2024  that Denciti were unwilling vendors I spoke to City councillors and learned that there was never an offer apparently made to purchase this golf course. So why did the Mayor say they did everything they could ? 

Furthermore,  when interviewed on November 22, 2025 Dyas said that to buy all of this property would be cost prohibitive to the City as Denciti bought the property as Industrial.  

This statement is ridiculous if you ask me for the following reasons: 

-The City were the ones to change the Future Land Use from Private Recreational to Industrial initially so they started this terrible fiasco themselves.  

-The City holds the trump card as they could and should withhold rezoning this property which would prevent Industrialization happening. This in turn will encourage the developer to be willing vendors as they do not want their investors sitting on vacant property. Remember the city does not own the property therefore if not used then no big deal and the land remains unchanged. 

It appears that Dyas couldn’t wait should the land sit unused until as Denciti stated that in the future the rezoning occurs in their favor. It appears that Dyas is interested in tax dollars in the City coffers only.   

Dyas again reiterated that he recognizes the importance of the golf course!   Really ?   What about the many ponds and wetland area that would be paved over for Industrialization?   Flooding to occur in neighbouring farm lands ! Potential for many law suits! 

Remember that Dyas said he’d fight to preserve Kelowna Springs Golf Course from becoming Industrial ?    

Well, interesting enough in his pre-election web site in June 2022 he lamented about 5 local golf courses becoming lost. One of these was Michaelbrook Golf Course that was on the City’s Future Land Use with the 2024 Official Community Plan.   

Then on January 17th, 2025 Michaelbrook is purchased by the City for 8.37 Million and Dyas indicated that in 10-15 years this property would most likely become baseball diamonds.    

It seems peculiar that Dyas made this pre-election comment then the City buys this property from a private owner then he restates the idea it would later be transformed to baseball fields!   I had previously thought that the City owned Michaelbrook  as it had been on the Future Land Use OCP 2040.   

Mayor Dyas shows his real self here because if he wanted existing golf courses to remain as golf courses why go out and buy Michaelbrook instead of it being left as a golf course. 

I believe that it is evident that Dyas could care less about Kelowna Springs or any other golf course where money is involved. 

CITY COULDN’T AFFORD TO PURCHASE THE TOTAL GOLF COURSE DUE TO INDUSTRIAL DOLLARS THAT WOULD BE REQUIRED ?  

REALLY ?  YOU BE THE JUDGE? 

FACT:       

The City has an annual surplus of $137 million, an accumulated surplus of $2.5 Billion and a Parks budget of $358 Million.    

PAST PROJECTS WITH ENORMOUS OVER EXPENDITURES: 

Parkinson Recreation Center Building:  April 14, 2025 

Describing the project as one that may well become a “legacy” of the current city council, Kelowna councillors moved the $242.3 million plan to build a new Parkinson Recreation Centre in the city a major step closer to construction Monday by approving a development permit for the project. 

NOTE: a year earlier an International award winning New Westminster Rec Centre and another one in Toronto both were built for approximately $140 million less than Kelowna is going to pay !  Why ?   And how come no public consensus to proceed with a project of that magnitude?  

It’s a Legacy all right but one that is of ineptness and one that says Dyas and Council do as they want and where money seems to be no object as it's the taxpayers money !  Lately every project Dyas undertakes he refers to them as legacies.  It appears he has taken on politics 101 from our neighbour to the south referencing everything as legacies! 

Other ridiculous spending is the Dog Park costing over 1 million dollars, the Truswell property for  $18 Million in Dec 2023 for 1.8 acres. 

Unfortunately the list goes on !   

So how is it that the City can’t cough up the necessary funds to buy the entire golf course? What sayeth Council now? 

Garry Fawley on November 20th, 2025 when holding their information session at the golf course stated in conversation that Denciti are in fact willing to negotiate a Sale !  What sayeth Council now ? 

Dyas when recently interviewed said he couldn’t speak for the other Councilors as to how they’d vote for any change in Rezoning later. 

Wake up and smell the roses people ! They have all or mostly all agreed to Rezone and have the sale go through on that date in March 2026! 

The Mayor and council do whatever they wish with further examples such as the UBC fiasco causing damage to nearby buildings. The City was advised of the potential damage and possible law suits but allowed it to go ahead. Sure enough the City was one of the parties sued.  

Furthermore, when it comes to tall building projects which city planning regularly approve these projects with a significant number of variances that goes against the OCP 2040 provision as well as the zoning by-law 12375, zoning Bylaw that, supposedly, governs land use and the form, siting, height, density of all development within the City boundaries  

The variances are put forward by city planning and systematically approved by the city councillors.  The City seems to violate these at will ! 

CONCLUSIONS: 

Dyas and Council have failed the citizens of Kelowna miserably in not purchasing the whole property as a Municipal Golf Course which would be a money making proposition.  Hopefully Council will use common sense and keep Kelowna springs an 18 hole golf course ! 

The Mayor and Council have the best jobs I’d say !  They listen to residents and utter some smoke and mirrors comments then do the opposite with no repercussions. With all the money that this City has spent needlessly, such as the Parkinson Rec Centre, if it were private enterprise the whole lot would be fired. 

YOU BE THE JUDGE! 

Respectfully submitted,