To the editor:
Believe it or not, discrimination is alive and well on the Westside!

It all started when my sister, my Mom and I went to cast our vote. We arrived at George Pringle as it wasn't clear where we were to vote, only to be told we had to go to Constable Neil Bruce School because we are "non-Natives living on Native land." We were also told that "you can ONLY vote for a member of the Regional District not the naming vote." What? I became visibly upset and couldn't believe my ears. Hello, this is the 21st century - everyone has the right to vote! Apparently not. So, we got back in the car, drove to our polling station only to be informed that yes, just the regional district, we can't vote on the name. I became really upset, as was my mother who has lived here for years. We asked to talk to someone immediately. So we spoke with the person in charge at the polling station and he told us that although he felt our pain and that of hundreds of others that voted and felt the same way, however the boundaries were drawn by the Federal government.

In reality this has nothing to do with that. We had been informed and read that everyone, including those living on Native land would have a vote on the name change. I felt real discrimination for the first time in my life. My family, the Fentons, have lived in Westbank for 70 plus years. My grandfather was a pioneer that settled in Glenrosa and my father was a veteran that got allocated land in the VLA now known as Lakeview Heights. What a huge disservice to him and the rest of the pioneers, including the Natives that settled and pioneered in this area.

I can be silent no more. My voice needs to be heard and considering the vote for West Kelowna was won only by 200 votes I can guarantee the outcome would have been very different if the people who voted at Constable Neil Bruce would have had a say.

In reviewing the voter information sheet included in the local newspaper, it does not state anywhere that non-Natives living on Native land cannot vote for the name change, mayor or councillors.

Linda (Fenton) Hockman