Our Community

September 30 has been designated as the National Day for Truth and Reconciliation in Canada. Find out ways to become involved or provide support.

FirstGroup, BC Transit’s service contractor in the Central Okanagan, received 72-hour notice from their unionized employees of a potential job action as early as Thursday, September 1. FirstGroup operates the conventional and handyDART services in Kelowna, West Kelowna, Westbank First Nation, Lake Country and Peachland. BC Transit is closely monitoring the situation and will provide updates as new information becomes available.

WFN has issued a statement re Pine Acres Home severance payments

UPDATED August 4, 2022 Please be aware of a road closure from August 15, 2022 until October 10, 2022 on Boucherie Road between Sonoma Pines Drive and Ridge Estate Drive.

On June 27, 2022, WFN and the Central Okanagan Board of Education signed its eighth Local Education Agreement, which focuses on ways to improve educational outcomes for WFN students and families.

Chief Derickson resigned his position as Chief effective today, however, no by-election is necessary according to WFN’s Constitution as there are only three months remaining in the term. The general election and vote of its Membership will be held on September 15, 2022.

June 21st is National Indigenous Peoples Day. Consider attending one of the many local events taking place to learn about and honour the rich history, culture, resilience and diversity of Indigenous people across Canada

A scheduled water outage this morning within WFN's IR 10 neighbourhoods, north of Hwy 97, including West Harbour and Old Ferry Wharf Road is expected to be complete by noon today.

May 17, 2022 - The goal of FireSmart is to encourage communities and citizens to adopt and conduct FireSmart practices to mitigate the negative impacts of wildfire assets on public and private property.

Westbank First Nation (WFN) Council gave final approval to the 2022-2023 annual budget on Monday, March 28. Prior to WFN Council approval, the local government and property tax budget was reviewed and accepted by the WFN Advisory Council, which represents the more than 10,000 residents on WFN lands.

March 28, 2022 - WFN is holding a By Election on June 2, 2022 to elect a new advisory Council Member to represent the Prairie District.

February 23, 2022 - FortisBC is building a 25,000 SF Support Services Hub across two floors at 760 Vaughan Street in Kelowna. The space will house the support service teams for both FortisBC Energy (Gas) and FortisBC Inc (Electric).

February 11, 2022 - The WFN weight room is open to Members and gymnasium is open and available to Members and user groups. Both require pre-booking. Please call 250 768 7337 to book your spot.

As of December 23, 2021, all residents of WFN’s long-term care facility, Pine Acres Home (PAH), were safely transitioned to their new residences and the facility is now closed. There were no active cases of COVID-19 prior to the closure. WFN thanks PAH staff and Interior Health for their dedicated service and quality care.

Health Canada has approved the Pfizer COVID vaccine for children ages 5-11. They have authorized a two-dose regimen to be given at least 8 weeks apart with a lower dose than the adult dose. A child must have had their 5th birthday before they can receive a vaccine.

As the holiday season approaches, we would like to ensure your needs are considered during the Christmas closure. It is important to plan ahead and arrange for alternate care or services. Our office will be closed at 4:30 p.m. on Thursday, December 23rd, 2021 and will re-open at 8:30 a.m. on Tuesday, January 4th, 2022. During the closure, a staff member will be available to accept phone calls during regular business hours on the following days.

November 15, 2021 - A Wind Warning has been issued for our region, anticipating severe winds from 50km-70km hour. Severe winds increase the risk of power outages, falling tree branches, and other debris.

WFN completed a Community Wild Fire Protection plan in 2020 that identified 9 community owned land areas within IR9 and IR10 to be treated.

WFN has made the difficult decision to begin a phased closure of its long-term care facility, Pine Acres Home.

BC Hydro will be replacing existing high pressure sodium street lights with energy-efficient LED lights. The project will include replacing 101 lights that are attached to wooden BC Hydro poles on IR9 and IR10

Virtual Garden Contest Winners

This Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) permits the enforcement of Westbank Law on Westbank Lands and may permit the disclosure of personal information by the RCMP under the Privacy Act for the purpose of carrying out a lawful investigation. The Westbank First Nation Self-Government Act and Self-Government Agreement authorizes the RCMP to render services necessary for enforcement of offences established by Westbank Law where required for the effective and efficient delivery of policing services.

A ban on campfires continues across the Central Okanagan. This even though as of noon today they are allowed outside of fire protection areas within the Kamloops Fire Centre.

A Water Quality Advisory has been issued for Sonoma Pines and the Lakeview Ridge apartment development due to a recent water main break in the area. WFN Utilities crews are working to find the location of the break and repair the line but residents in the area will need to boil their water until the water samples return on Saturday.

Westbank First Nation and the City of West Kelowna, in partnership with the Community Resiliency Investment Program, is offering funding to help property owners who demonstrate the use of FireSmart principles and initiatives to reduce the risk of wildfire damage to their homes and community.