Citizens' Services and Open Government Minister Ben Stewart, MLA for Kelowna-Mission Steve Thomson, MLA for Kelowna-Lake Country Norm Letnick and Kelowna Mayor Walter Gray were joined by local community members and staff today (Friday) to officially open the new integrated Service BC Centre in Kelowna.

BC's newest Service BC Centre will improve access to provincial government services for the citizens of Kelowna. Located at 478 Bernard Ave., the centre is open Monday through Friday between the hours of 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.

Area residents no longer will need to travel to Penticton and Vernon to visit the closest centre in person.

Service BC delivers hundreds of services for numerous programs to residents, businesses and visitors - ranging from the Medical Services Plan to voter registration.

In addition, the new Kelowna Centre also will provide in-person front-counter service for the Vital Statistics Agency and the Residential Tenancy Branch.

Today's official opening marks the return of Service BC to Kelowna following the previous centre's closure in 1997, and is the result of a community-based planning process that began in 2011 and involved several ministries.

This collaborative relationship has created a service counter that offers multiple government services in one convenient location for Kelowna citizens, while using taxpayers' dollars more efficiently.

There are now 61 Service BC Centres, including the Kelowna centre, located throughout British Columbia and providing service to more than two million people every year.