On the two-year anniversary of the McDougall Creek wildfire, nearly 200 Lake Okanagan Resort (LOR) residents remain displaced and unable to rebuild due to a lack of water service.
After appeals to several provincial ministries and agencies, one group of residents is looking to the Regional District Central Okanagan (RDCO) for help.
However, property owners have been stymied by the fact that the privately owned water treatment facility, destroyed in the fire, has been inaccessible because the foreign ownership group has been unresponsive to all attempts at engagement.
鈥淲hile we continue to face barriers in compelling the private owner to reinstate water, we have been fortunate to see leadership and engagement from other levels of government鈥攆ederal, provincial, and even our MLA (Macklin McCall)鈥攜et at the local, ground level, RDCO has not yet stepped forward,鈥� said Heather Ormiston, a council member with Strata KAS520 at LOR.
In a , Ormiston said residents asked the province for help but were told it was a private legal issue. Then Housing and Municipal Affairs Minister Ravi Kahlon issued a statement recognizing the difficult circumstances.
鈥淚 recognize that this is a challenging situation and my hope is that everyone involved can work together to resolve the issue,鈥� he said. 鈥淯nfortunately, this may need to be done through the courts. In this case, an overseas owner has control, and we don鈥檛 have the ability to intervene from the province.鈥�
Ormiston noted that while the RDCO publicly emphasizes its commitment to open dialogue and community engagement on resident issues, her community has not experienced that commitment.
She added that residents are asking the RDCO to prove its commitment by taking steps toward a new publicly owned and operated water treatment plant and by showing residents 鈥渋t cares through action, not just words.鈥�
鈥淲e are not asking for charity, nor are we seeking a handout. We are asking for the same basic right to water service that other RDCO communities already have. Without it, there can be no recovery, no rebuilding, and no return for the families still in limbo.鈥�
She pointed out that the community has not sat idly by waiting for others to act.
Residents have hired an architect to begin preliminary work on a community-owned water treatment option, created a review-ready septic plan, and consulted with professionals to examine easements and potential pathways toward independence from the private utility.
鈥淲e have already invested our own money and effort toward solutions, but we cannot build and operate a public water utility without RDCO鈥檚 commitment,鈥� added Ormiston. 鈥淭here is no reason our community should be left without the same access to basic infrastructure.鈥�
She noted that the RDCO has both the authority and precedent to create new water services, as seen in Falcon Ridge, Killiney Beach, Sunset Ranch, and Upper Fintry/Shalal Road/Valley of the Sun. The community is asking the RDCO Board to plan, build, own, and operate a new water treatment facility for the LOR area and to reimburse residents for the funds already invested in laying the groundwork.
鈥淭he RDCO can be the hero of this story,鈥� said Ormiston. 鈥淣ot only for the residents of our community to be able to return home, but the historical significance of the area and likelihood of future development make this an opportunity for RDCO.鈥�
Ormiston said residents have requested a formal response from the Board on the proposal, adding they are ready to work with staff and elected officials to move forward.
Black Press Media has requested comment from the RDCO for this story.
