| District of Lake Country | |
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| — District — | |
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| Coordinates: | |
| Country | Canada |
| Province | British Columbia |
| Region | Okanagan |
| Regional district | Central Okanagan |
| Incorporated | 1995 |
| Government[1] | |
| • Governing body | Lake Country Council |
| • Mayor | James Baker |
| • Administrator | Alberto De Feo |
| Area | |
| • Total | 122.16 km2 (47.2 sq mi) |
| Elevation | 600 m (1,969 ft) |
| Population (2006) | |
| • Total | 9,606 |
| Time zone | PST (UTC-8) |
| Highways | 97 |
| Waterways | Kalamalka Lake Okanagan Lake Wood Lake |
Lake Country is a District Municipality with a population of approximately 10,000 in the Okanagan Valley, British Columbia, Canada. The city of Kelowna lies to the south, while the city of Vernon lies to the north. As its name suggests, there are a number of lakes in the vicinity of Lake Country, and outside the municipal boundaries in the hills to the east. Okanagan Lake acts as the western boundary of the municipality, while the entirety of Wood Lake and the southern-most portion of Kalamalka Lake are encompassed by it.
Incorporated in 1995, the previously unincorporated communities of Winfield, Okanagan Centre, Oyama, and Carr's Landing remain as separate wards within Lake Country. In the municipal government, one councillor is drawn from each of these wards, while the mayor, and two further councillors are elected by the people at large.
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(from Statistics Canada - 2006 Community Profile)
(Note that population figures for most categories have been rounded to the nearest 5.)
Population: 9,606
Population Change (2001-2006): 3.7%
Land Area (square km) : 122.16
Age
Immigration
Aboriginals & Visible Minorities
Income
Religion
Municipal elections were last held on November 19, 2011. At that time, James Baker was elected mayor for a third term. Representing the four wards of the municipality are Lisa Cameron (Okanagan Centre), Barbara Leamont (Carr's Landing), Rob Geier (Winfield), and Owen Dickie (Oyama). The two councillors at large are Jamie McEwan, and Penny Gambell. The next round of municipal elections is scheduled for November 2014.
Provincially, Lake Country is part of the constituency of Kelowna-Lake Country, this seat having been occupied by Norm Letnick of the BC Liberal Party since May 2009. The next provincial election is scheduled for May 2013.
Federally, Lake Country is part of the riding of Kelowna—Lake Country. Despite the similarity in nomenclature, the federal riding encompasses a greater area and population than its provincial counterpart. Ron Cannan of the Conservatives was first elected as MP in January 2006.
Public education in Lake Country is provided by School District 23. Three elementary schools are located in the Municipality: Davidson Road Elementary, Oyama Traditional School, and Peter Greer Elementary. All three cover Kindergarten to Grade 7, although the French Immersion programme which is provided at Peter Greer Elementary covers only Kindergarten to Grade 6. Lake Country is also home to George Elliot Secondary, which covers Grades 8 to 12.[2]
The two largest institutions providing post-secondary education in the area of Lake Country are UBC-Okanagan, the campus of which lies in north Kelowna, and Okanagan College, which has campuses in Kelowna and Vernon.
Lake Country is situated on the major north-south route through the Okanagan valley, Highway 97, approximately 15 km of which lies within the municipality, passing through Winfield and Oyama. To the south, the highway provides a route to Kelowna, whose downtown core is 20 km south of the municipal boundary. Glenmore Road provides an alternate route to Kelowna. To the north, the highway leads to Vernon, whose downtown is 15 km north of the municipal boundary. Vernon can also be accessed via Commonage Road. The highway is four-laned through Winfield and north of Oyama, while the section from Winfield to Oyama is presently two-laned. Plans are underway to widen this portion of Highway 97, and to realign it further to the west of Wood Lake.[3]
A regular public transit service by bus, Route 23, is available from Winfield to Kelowna, via UBC Okanagan.[4] A less frequent service, Route 90, is also available, connecting Oyama and Winfield with Vernon and UBC-Okanagan.[5]
Lake Country is in close proximity to Kelowna International Airport, which lies only 8 km to the south, and which provides regular service to Vancouver, Victoria, Seattle, Calgary, Edmonton, and Toronto.
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