West Bench

Now that West Bench water is the responsiblity of the RDOS, a page has been added to the main RDOS web site.

The official RDOS page will house all the official RDOS news on the water system and the 2011 upgrade project.  I will continue to run this as a "shadow" West Bench water on this site to provide additional information and permit more resident feedback (each page on this site permits comments).

The RDOS is currently fleshing out 1+3 alternatives for the West Bench water system upgrade (the status quo is not reallly an option since it does not meet IHA's standards; it is included only to provide a baseline against which to evaluate the cost of the other alternatives).  The fourth option (not included in the July 22nd newsletter to residents) is the extraterritorial arrangement with the City of Penticton that failed to attract sufficient support in the 2010 referendum.  I have asked RDOS staff to include it for completeness.

At the request of the West Bench Irrigation District’s (WBID) Board of Trustees, the Province of British Columbia has officially dissolved WBID and transferred responsibility for the West Bench water system to the Regional District of Okanagan-Similkameen (RDOS). This will ensure access to federal and provincial grants necessary for water system upgrades required by the Interior Health Authority (IHA) as well as ongoing operations and maintenance. In addition, a number of options for improvements are being proposed.

Although this water project has been going on for many years and residents have a good understanding of the issues, the RDOS is committed to a full process of public consultation BEFORE making a formal recommendation to residents.  I envision public consultation consisting of three stages:

(coming soon)

Mariposa Park is located in a gully at the south end of Vedette Drive on the West Bench. It is a beautiful location and home of the famous West Bench Easter Egg Hunt.

Selby Park is located on West Bench drive north of West Bench Elementary School.  The park was named for Eric Selby, a veteran and driving force in the establishment of the West Bench Veterans' Land Act (VLA) project.

The park is currently popular with mountain bikers, who use the park to access Penticton Indian Band lands to the west and north.

Amenities

• Grassy area
• Shade trees
• Some playground equipment
• Riding ring
• Parking along West Bench Drive

Projects

RDOS applied for and received $18,000 in Federal matching grants in 2010 for park upgrades in Area F. The matching grants permitted the RDOS to undertake several projects for which the cost to Area F taxpayers was only 50% of the total.

As you may have seen in the newspaper (story in the Penticton Herald and Oliver Daily News), the WBID and RDOS are working together to resolve the water issue on the West Bench.  A proposal is going before the provincial cabinet to disolve the WBID and pass responsiblity for water on the West Bench to the RDOS.  The RDOS would then create a service area corresponding to the boundaries of the WBID.

Right now we are waiting for an Order-In-Council from the province to execute the transfer.  Until then, the WBID remains responsible for water on the West Bench.