West Kelowna is a city in British Columbia's Okanagan Valley. The city encompasses several distinct communities including historic Westbank, Glenrosa, Smith Creek, Shannon Lake, Rose Valley, West Kelowna Estates, Casa Loma, and Lakeview Heights. West Kelowna had a population of 32,655 in the 2016 census.West Kelowna was originally incorporated on December 6, 2007, as Westside District Municipality, so-named because it was the name of the regional district rural electoral area at the time. On January 30, 2009, the district was renamed West Kelowna. The municipality was reclassified as the City of West Kelowna on June 26, 2015. The general area is also sometimes referred to as "Westbank".HistoryWestside District Municipality was established on December 6, 2007, following a referendum in June 16, 2007 in which Westside residents voted to incorporate by a margin of 5,924 votes to 5,582. The other choice was amalgamation with the City of Kelowna, with a previous question on the ballot offering the option of remaining unincorporated within the regional district's Westside electoral area. The vote was split along highly geographical lines with voters from Westbank, Glenrosa and other areas farther away from the City of Kelowna more often voting to incorporate and voters living closer to Kelowna typically choosing amalgamation.On November 15, 2008, Doug Findlater was elected the new mayor of West Kelowna.During the November 2008 civic election, Westside residents were also asked in a "Community Opinion Vote" to select a permanent name for the fledgling municipality. The new name of West Kelowna, with 3,841 votes, was selected by a narrow margin over the closest contender, Westbank, with 3,675 votes. The West Kelowna name was subsequently confirmed by the district council on December 9, 2008. The controversial new name became official on January 30, 2009 after the Government of British Columbia approved the change.
