Photo: District of Lake Country
Area affected by boil water notice
The District of Lake Country in consultation with Interior Health has issued a boil water notice for several homes within the municipality.
The boil water notice went into effect Wednesday and is expected to last six to seven days.
It encompasses properties on Sherman and Teresa roads, Copper Hill Place and Copper Hill Lane.
The notice is being issued out of an abundance of caution due to the potential for low pressure during planned work on the water system.
All customers in the affected area should boil their water for one minute before drinking, washing fruits and vegetables, making beverages or ice or brushing teeth.
Customers can also use bottled water or water filtered through a well-maintained treatment device.
A water fill station is available at the Winfield Arena.
The notice will be removed once testing confirms water is safe for consumption.
Photo: District of Lake Country
A new road out of the Copper Hill development in Lake Country is being planned.
Residents of a Lake Country neighbourhood will be getting another way to get out of their community in the case of wildfires or other disasters.
The District of Lake Country announced the next phases of the development of the Copper Hill subdivision include plans for a construction access road that will remain in place as a secondary emergency egress route to address the immediate and long-term concerns of the community.
“The new access road will extend from Sherman Road in the Copper Hill subdivision through to McCarthy Road, connecting with Bottom Wood Lake Road. While the road will serve as a controlled access point for construction vehicles and equipment, it has been designed with long-term community safety in mind and be available as an emergency egress until the road is opened permanently,” announced the district in a news release.
Mayor Blair Ireland said the municipality has heard the concerns of Copper Hill/Clearwater subdivision residents over the years and finding a solution has been a priority.
“By planning for roads infrastructure in advance of an anticipated development proposal, we’re not only working to strengthen emergency response capabilities with a secondary exit route, but enabling the next stages of the Copper Hill neighbourhood to be developed,” said Ireland.
The primary function of the road during construction is to support vehicle access for development. The secondary function is to serve as an emergency egress route for residents. Long term function is to provide connection through to McCarthy Rd.
Council will consider the next phase of the Copper Hill development with a development variance permit application on June 17. Construction access road creation is anticipated to begin as early as this July.
Photo: Contributed
538st will take to the Pradha Farm stage on June 27.
Local music will be flowing all summer long at Lake Country’s Pradha Farm.
The community-focused farm in Oyama normally hosts a concert each summer, but this year it is conducting a series of four shows in an effort to highlight more local musicians.
The first concert will be held on June 27 and feature three acts: DJ Marru, 538st and Satoshi Yano.
“We’re not just putting on concerts,” Pradha Farm owner Genevieve Daniel said in a press release. “We’re building a space that celebrates local culture and supports the next generation of artists, small businesses and farmers.”
The second concert is July 5, with DJ Marru, Tonight’s Forecast and Elodie Orsei, and the third goes July 19 with Kinfolk Nation and Gold Mynd.
“Reggae is more than music—it’s a message,” Gold Mynd said. “At Pradha Farm, I get to share that message with people who care about community, culture and connection. It’s a blessing to bring peace, unity and love to a place rooted in the land.”
The final concert is slated for Aug. 9, when DJ Marru Alma Kubana and Major Mambo will take to the stage.
“Every ticket sold helps a local artist keep creating,” Daniel said. “When you come to a concert at Pradha Farm, you're not just enjoying live music; you’re helping musicians make a living, supporting emerging talent and investing in the future of local arts and culture. It’s community powered, from the ground up.”
More information and tickets can be found here.
Photo: Contributed
Lake Country street banners contest
The District of Lake Country is inviting local artists to take part in a street banner contest to help brighten the town centre and show off community creativity.
The district is inviting residents of all ages and artistic backgrounds to submit original artwork that reflects the unique spirit of Lake Country.
Selected pieces will be displayed on street poles throughout the area.
"This initiative is all about celebrating local talent and creating a sense of pride and identity through public art," says Janice Larson, chair of the Lake Country public art advisory commission.
"We're excited to see the creativity that emerges and how artists interpret the spirit of our community."
Artists can submit entries in five visual art categories: photography, digital art, collage, painting and illustration, and printmaking.
Up to 20 works will be selected by a panel, with each chosen artist receiving a $300 honorarium.
The submission deadline is June 30 at 12 p.m.. Each participant may enter up to five pieces. Full contest guidelines and submission instructions are available on the district’s website.
Photo: Contributed
Lake Country to exempt bats from wildlife attractant bylaw.
It will take a bit more time before Lake Country council is ready to adopt a wildlife and vector attractant bylaw.
The bylaw was on the agenda for adoption Tuesday after previously passing first three readings.
However, council decided to rescind third reading and send the bylaw back to staff for more clarification.
At issue, an addition to the bylaw exempting bats and bees as attractants.
Council agreed both are positive contributors to the ecosystem.
“I do know bat houses are good and I do know having bees pollinating is good, so I wouldn’t want to see anybody using this bylaw to attack something that we know is a positive thing,” said Coun. Michael Lewis.
As presented, farms operations, plants on private property and hummingbird and bird feeders provided they are not accessible to wildlife are exempt from the attractant policy.
Concerns were also raised by Mayor Blair Ireland about bird feeders as well.
Staff will make some changes to the bylaw and bring it back at a future meeting for reconsideration.
Photo: Facebook
LCFD responded at a report of a Wildland fire in the 11000 block of Camp Rd
A grass fire that ignited Saturday afternoon in Lake Country was quickly brought under control by the Lake Country Fire Department.
Crews were dispatched to the 11000 block of Camp Road shortly after 3:30 p.m., following reports of a fire in the area.
According to a Facebook post by the District of Lake Country, all three stations were paged on the first alarm and a request for support of BC Wildfire Service Initial Attack crew.
“The first arriving crews found a 10m x 50m grass fire burning below the power lines and near several homes on Camp Road,” the District stated.
The fire was quickly contained and extinguished. No homes were damaged in the incident.
The cause of the fire is currently under investigation but is not considered suspicious. The Lake Country Fire Department says crews will return to the area later in the evening to recheck the site.
Photo: Facebook
SweetLegs Lake Country storefront
After more than a decade serving the Lake Country community, local clothing brand SweetLegs is closing the doors to its original retail store.
The announcement was posted to Facebook on May 7. The shop first opened in 2014.
“A heartfelt goodbye (to our physical store—not to you),” read the message shared by co-founders Addie and Chris Pafiolis.
SweetLegs first opened in Lake Country at 9950 Main Street in 2014.
“From that first storefront to the beautiful new space we poured our hearts and savings into, your love and loyalty made every step worthwhile. While it breaks our hearts to say goodbye to this location, we’re not going anywhere,” the post shared.
While the physical store is closing, the company will continue operating online and has introduced a new local pickup option from its Kelowna warehouse at 871 McCurdy Pl.
“We're excited to continue growing our amazing online community,” the owners added.
Photo: Wayne Moore/file
SRI Homes is closing permanently at the end of June
A Lake Country modular home company is closing its doors permanently.
SRI Homes, which employs about 150 people, will close permanently as of the end of June.
The company made the announcement Thursday.
In a statement, SRI Homes general manager Darren Bassett pointed to market conditions beyond the company’s control as well as a substantial increase in operating costs.
“This was not an easy decision, and we have delayed it as long as possible out of respect and commitment to our employees, customers, and the communities we serve,” said Darren Bassett, general manager for SRI Homes BC.
“We are sorry for the impact this closure will have, and we will work closely with all of them to ensure the transition is as smooth as possible.”
With the closure, SRI will no longer be supplying homes with the exception of those already scheduled.
For future modular home needs, customers are encouraged to contact SRI Regent in Lethbridge, AB or Moduline Industries in Penticton, B.C.
Workers at the plant went on strike back in February.
Pat McGregor, president of United Steel Workers Union Local 1-423 said at the time he didn’t believe the company and the union were on the same wavelength.
McGregor said employees endured three months of layoffs in 2024 alone.
SRI Homes has been the subject of WorkSafeBC investigations for potential workplace safety violations.
Photo: Castanet
A worker sorts through a flat of cherries.
The head of the BC Cherry Association is disappointed with Lake Country council's decision to deny an application for 79 temporary housing units for foreign workers.
Council instructed staff to work with the owners of applicant Northern Cherries to reduce the number of units proposed for the land along Oceola Road and to draft a district-wide policy on temporary farm worker housing.
Sukhpaul Bal, the chair of the BC Cherry Association, suggested municipal leaders in Lake Country should have instructed staff to come up with a policy “many, many years ago because this is not a brand new thing in the valley.”
The proposal would have seen temporary foreign workers living in units within 19 ATCO-style trailers, surrounded by vegetation to screen the view to neighbouring homes.
“While I appreciate the need for temporary workers, I don’t think it’s a fantastic location for that many people. Not a big fan,” said Mayor Blair Ireland.
“It’s problematic when we are a community that is up against the wall sewer-wise.
“We are up against the wall water-wise, and we have users that are not contributing to the cost of that.”
Troubling comments
Those comments didn’t go down well with Bal, who said paying development cost charges, water bills and sewer connection fees are all part of the costs that orchards incur when they set up accommodations for temporary foreign workers.
“Added to that, what I found very troubling was that there was comment made about what does this bring to the community," Bal said.
"Well, from my knowledge – and I wasn’t here at the start but I know my great grandfather was around here when agriculture was starting up and water was being brought down from the hills – these communities were built on agriculture, on farming. And we’ve seen people move into this beautiful area but agriculture has been a foundation here and that’s key to this area."
Bal said it's "very disturbing" when somebody is saying, "what does agriculture bring to this area?"
"It’s key to this area and that’s what everybody – all elected officials should understand,” Bal said.
Delay could hurt a family farm
While District of Lake Country staff supported the application from Northern Cherries, council sided with the district’s Agricultural Advisory Committee, which expressed concerns about the size and location of the temporary housing.
“These aren’t large companies with boards of directors etc., shareholders. These are family farms,” said Bal.
“A family making the investments, working day and night. They are behind businesses like the one in front of Lake Country council. It’s a farming family."
Bal said it's wrong to label these as industrial farmers.
"That’s just farming and that’s what’s taking place, and municipalities all throughout the Okanagan need to have an understanding, have their pulse on what’s going on and have the appropriate policies that allow agriculture to thrive, to grow, expand as opposed to trying to keep it at just a very small level that pleased people in the community," Bal said.
"That’s not the way we see it from the farming community.”
He’s hoping something can be worked out in time to ensure that the workers Northern Cherries needs will be in place in time to harvest what is setting up to be a very healthy crop after some tough years for cherry growers.
“When farming is your business (apples, cherries, grapes) you have to put in the resources and assure that you have the staff because when cherries are ready, we can’t hit pause and wait for people to show up in the valley.”
Lake Country district council did not give a deadline for when staff should report back with a recommended policy on agriculture-related temporary housing.
Huge demand for workers this season
Bal said producers anticipate they will need the most amount of workers that they have ever seen.
“Yes, we’ll have a big influx of foreign workers that we’ve had for many years but the limiting factor is actually the accommodation. We can only house the workers that we have approval for,” Bal said.
Under the federal Seasonal Agricultural Workers Program, which brings in people from Mexico and other designated Caribbean countries, employers must provide TFWs with adequate and suitable housing.
The BC Cherry Association is spreading the word that it is a very good crop this year and growers will need more pickers.
“We’re definitely trying to encourage backpacking component or travellers to come to this region as well,” he said.
The pool of students and others who used to travel to the Okanagan from Quebec and other provinces for the summer has seriously dwindled in recent years.
“Definitely with the pandemic limiting travel and then, on top of that, inconsistencies with our crop due to the extreme climate. So there’s been a good stretch of four to five years that things have not been very good. So, you do lose people to other industries,” said Bal.
Emails from interested travellers are starting to trickle in. Bal said he and others are telling those people the Okanagan cherry crop is looking great, encouraging them to “come out this way (and) bring your friends as well.”
Photo: District of Lake Country
Proposed site plan for temporary farm workers in Lake Country.
Photo: Northern Cherries
Lake Country council deny 79 temproary farm workers for Lake Country orchard
Owners of Northern Cherries in Lake Country will be asked to reduce the number of temporary farm workers they wish to house on their Oceola Road orchard.
The large commercial operation had applied to place 17 trailers on the property in order to house 79 temporary farm workers.
While staff supported the initiative, council sided with the district’s Agricultural Advisory Committee in turning down the application for that many workers.
“While I appreciate the need for temporary workers, I don’t think it’s a fantastic location for that many people. Not a big fan,” said Mayor Blair Ireland.
“It’s problematic when we are a community that is up against the wall sewer-wise.
“We are up against the wall water-wise, and we have users that are not contributing to the cost of that.”
Ireland says residential customers will have to pick up that extra cost.
Staff indicated Northern Cherries has orchard operations in both Lake Country and Kelowna. Presently there are workers housed within orchards in Kelowna.
The Lake Country temporary workers would work on orchards in both communities which also concerned some on council.
“I am concerned this will be central housing for the entire region,” said Coun. Tricia Brett.
Council was told housing such as these within Atco trailers is the industry norm with some 5,000 to 7,000 temporary workers housed in similar settings up and down the valley.
Only Coun. Michael Lewis spoke to support the application suggesting it is good for agriculture.
Instead of defeating the application outright, council instead reworked a motion asking staff to work with Northern Cherries to reduce the size and that staff do research to develop a policy document that can be applied across the district and report back to council.
Photo: District of Lake Country
Proposed site plan for temporary farm workers in Lake Country.
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