As the federal government prepares a new BC RDA, Kelowna-area groups lobby for attention
As the federal government works to develop a regional development agency (RDA) dedicated to British Columbia, a group of Okanagan-area politicians and economic development organizations are advocating for an office branch in Kelowna, BetaKit has learned.
The group consists of the Regional District of Central Okanagan, the Kelowna Chamber of Commerce, the mayors of Kelowna, Lake Country, Peachland, West Kelowna and the chief of the Westbank First Nation, the Central Okanagan Economic Development Commission, Accelerate Okanagan, and the region’s pandemic recovery task force. It argues an RDA would help Kelowna, one of Canada’s fastest-growing regions, play a key role in British Columbia’s (BC) post-pandemic recovery.
Image Credit: SUBMITTED December 18, 2020 - 7:30 AM When Sharon Shepherd was elected as Kelowna’s mayor in 2005, she was not only the first woman elected to the position, but it was a sign the notorious, fabled ‘old boys club’ in the Okanagan’s largest city could be breached. She defeated popular long-time incumbent Walter Gray in a stunning upset few saw coming. The City has come a long way since then. “Women feel more confident that, when they do have an opportunity to be put in a leadership role, they will do a really good job,” Shepherd said. Fifteen years later, Gail Given is chair of the Central Okanagan of Regional District, Renee Merrifield was just elected as MLA and the federal seat is held by Tracy Gray. All three are speaking at a Kelowna Chamber of Commerce Zoom event today, Dec. 18, called Women in Leadership: Politics.