Earlier this year, the people of Okanagan Falls voted to incorporate it as a new B.C. municipality.
The BC Ministry of Housing and Municipal Affairs is now offering some updates on how this will all shake out within the next year.
A vote was formally approved in March. According to the referendum’s preliminary voting results, a total of 1,100 ballots were cast, with 588 residents voting in favour of incorporation and 512 against.
The ministry says this is the first time in 15 years that a B.C. community will be establishing itself as a municipality, including an elected government to represent the views of residents.
In a media release, the ministry said, “The Ministry of Housing and Municipal Affairs anticipates the Letters Patent to be finalized by spring 2026 with the first election for the new mayor and council occurring in October 2026, coinciding with all general local elections taking place throughout the province.”
The ministry says that the Letters Patent will address the boundary of the new municipality, the size of its council and the official name and incorporation date. It’s considered one of the “founding documents.”
The process also involves consultation and collaboration with the Osoyoos Indian Band and other community representatives. The ministry says “many different perspectives” were brought forward regarding various aspects of the incorporation, including the official name, which has yet to be revealed.
“The Osoyoos Indian Band is committed to working with the Province and the RDOS on an incorporation process that is compliant with the Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples Act (DRIPA), and that addresses our priorities on the naming and boundaries of the proposed new municipality,” said Chief Clarence Louie of the Osoyoos Indian Band in a statement.
The next significant milestone will come in the spring of next year, as the ministry has appointed a facilitator to help finalize the Letters Patent by then.
“The Province will seek to facilitate a productive path forward toward the incorporation of B.C.’s newest municipality,” the ministry adds.
The last municipality to be incorporated was Sun Peaks in 2010.
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