West Kelowna News

While the former Westside District Municipality and the old Westside regional electoral area have both passed into history, there will always be a Westside Daze, at least for the foreseeable future, according to Westside Celebration Society administrator Leah Thordarson.

"We're not changing our name," Thordarson said on behalf of the non-profit volunteer organization that organizes and presents the annual community festivity and Canada Day commemoration.

"We've informally questioned it, and we as a committee decided that (West Kelowna) would be too limiting. We encompass the area from bridge to connector, which includes the regional district, Westbank First Nation, and West Kelowna. So Westside is a good catch-all name."

West Kelowna council makes an annual contribution to the society to put on Westside Daze, which amount totaled $10,000 for 2009, but Mayor Doug Findlater of West Kelowna has no problem that the Westside Celebration Society has not fallen into line on civic nomenclature.

"A festival like this involves people from all over the greater Westside," Findlater said. "It can include Peachland, it can include Trepanier, and WFN for that matter, so it is an event with a much larger catchment that simply our municipality."

Thordarson noted that the WFN is contributing $5,000 this year to Westside Daze to sponsor a day-long "sukanaquin sxslxalt" Okanagan Day on Friday, July 3 featuring Westbank First Nation displays, entertainment, demonstrations, tee pee theatre, story telling, and a salmon bbq.

Meanwhile, and as the heat generated by the naming challenge for the new municipality and public opinion ballot on the topic in November slowly cools, Findlater offered some interesting observations on the matter.

"The words Westside and Westbank are not banished from the language. I live in Westbank, but I'm the mayor of West Kelowna, and proud of it. I think West Kelowna is going to be a good name for us."

Thordarson, who is also executive director of the Westbank & District Chamber of Commerce, said that organization is now looking at renaming options that the full membership of the chamber will address as the annual general meeting in November.

The Westside Daze organizers are going beyond the normal promises of engaging events for all ages and interests and a good time for all at the 2009 celebration, which is coming up in little more than a month.

"We call this area paradise and to celebrate our good fortune, we have banished rain and mosquitoes to the other side of the lake," the Westside Celebration Society boldly declares on its Westside Daze '09 website --www.westsidedaze.com.

There's not much point looking for a money-back guarantee on those mother nature-daring promises, however, because most of the major events, including the Neil Diamond tribute and several other concerts, the kids' fair, the Okanagan's best fireworks, and the B.C. Interior's largest parade, are absolutely free.

Westside Daze kicks off on July 1 -- Canada Day -- with the car and motorcycle shows and shines. Dignitaries and special guests will cut and serve the Canada Day cake in the afternoon.

The Rock Band, Rock On teenagers' music contest will run all afternoon and evening on July 2, while the Westbank First Nation's "Okanagan Day" goes on July 3 with entertainment, cultural presentations and food.

The annual parade kicks off on July 4 at 10:30 a.m. to launch a full day of fun and activity, with the popular Kids Fair running from 12 noon to 4, and winding up with the annual fireworks show on the beach at 10 p.m.

West Coast Amusements will have its classic midway and its biggest rides on site all four days.

Link: Link to Westside Daze Website