Lake Country is a District Municipality with a population of approximately 10,000 in the Okanagan Valley

Okanagan

The Okanagan , also known as the Okanagan Valley and sometimes as Okanagan Country is a region located in the Canadian province of British Columbia defined by the basin of Okanagan Lake and the Canadian portion of the Okanagan River. As of 2009, the region's population is approximately 350,927. The...

, British Columbia

British Columbia

British Columbia is the westernmost of Canada's provinces and is known for its natural beauty, as reflected in its Latin motto, Splendor sine occasu . Its name was chosen by Queen Victoria in 1858...

, Canada

Canada

Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...

. The city of Kelowna

Kelowna

Kelowna is a city on Okanagan Lake in the Okanagan Valley, in the southern interior of British Columbia, Canada. Its name derives from a Okanagan language term for "grizzly bear"...

 lies to the south, while the city of Vernon

Vernon, British Columbia

Vernon is a city in the south-central region of British Columbia, Canada. Named after Forbes George Vernon, a former MLA of British Columbia who helped found the famed Coldstream Ranch, the City of Vernon was incorporated on December 30, 1892. The City of Vernon has a population of 35,944 , while...

 lies to the north. As its name suggests, there are a number of lakes in the vicinity of Lake Country, and outside the municipal boundaries in the hills to the east. Okanagan Lake

Okanagan Lake

Okanagan Lake is a large, deep lake in the Okanagan Valley of British Columbia. The lake is 135 km long, between 4 and 5 km wide, and has a surface area of 351 km². The lake's maximum depth is 232 meters near Grant Island...

 acts as the western boundary of the municipality, while the entirety of Wood Lake

Wood Lake (British Columbia)

Wood Lake is a lake in a chain of five major lakes which occupies portions of the Okanagan Valley in the interior of British Columbia, Canada. The lakes of the Okanagan Valley were formed by about 8900 BP....

 and the southern-most portion of Kalamalka Lake

Kalamalka Lake

Kalamalka Lake is a large lake in the Interior Plateau of southern central British Columbia, Canada, east of Okanagan Lake and approximately south of Vernon. The lake is named for the Okanagan Kalamalka Lake (aka "Kal Lake") is a large lake in the Interior Plateau of southern central British...

 are encompassed by it.

Incorporated in 1995, the previously unincorporated communities of Winfield

Winfield, British Columbia

Winfield is an urban area that is currently part of the District Municipality of Lake Country, British Columbia, located north of Kelowna, British Columbia, Canada. The community is situated north and slightly east of Kelowna, along Highway 97, located in the central Okanagan Valley. The town is...

, Okanagan Centre, Oyama, and Carr's Landing remain as separate wards within Lake Country. In the municipal government, one councillor is drawn from each of these wards, while the mayor, and two further councillors are elected by the people at large.

Demographics

(from Statistics Canada

Statistics Canada

Statistics Canada is the Canadian federal government agency commissioned with producing statistics to help better understand Canada, its population, resources, economy, society, and culture. Its headquarters is in Ottawa....

 - 2006 Community Profile)

(Note that population figures for most categories have been rounded to the nearest 5.)

Population: 9,606

Population Change (2001-2006): 3.7%

Land Area (square km) : 122.16

Age

• Median Age: 43.2
• Aged 15 and Over: 83.4%

Immigration

• Canadian Born: 8360 (87.6%)
• Immigrated pre-1991: 950 (10.0%)
• Immigrated 1991-2006: 225 (2.4%)

Aboriginals & Visible Minorities

• Aboriginal
  Aboriginal peoples in Canada
  Aboriginal peoples in Canada comprise the First Nations, Inuit and Métis. The descriptors "Indian" and "Eskimo" have fallen into disuse in Canada and are commonly considered pejorative....
  
  : 290 (3.0%)
• South Asian: 115 (1.2%)
• Japanese: 75 (0.8%)
• West Asian: 60 (0.6%)
• Chinese: 35 (0.4%)
• Black: 15 (0.2%)
• Latin American: 15 (0.2%)
• Filipino: 10 (0.1%)
• Other: 30 (0.7%)

Income

• Average Earnings: $24,654 (employed - 6,150 people)
• Average Earnings: $40,040 (employed full-time, year-round - 2,975 people)
• Median Income, Persons Aged 15 and Over: $25,477 (7,650 people)

Religion

• No Religion: 3,585 (38.7%) (2001 data)
• Protestant: 3,310 (35.7%) (2001 data)
• Roman Catholic 1535 (16.6%) (2001 data)
• other Christian
  Christian
  A Christian is a person who adheres to Christianity, an Abrahamic, monotheistic religion based on the life and teachings of Jesus of Nazareth as recorded in the Canonical gospels and the letters of the New Testament...
  
  : 580 (6.3%) (2001 data)
• other religions: 240 (2.6%) (2001 data)

Municipal

Municipal elections were last held on November 19, 2011. At that time, James Baker was elected mayor for a third term. Representing the four wards of the municipality are Lisa Cameron (Okanagan Centre), Barbara Leamont (Carr's Landing), Rob Geier (Winfield), and Owen Dickie (Oyama). The two councillors at large are Jamie McEwan, and Penny Gambell. The next round of municipal elections is scheduled for November 2014.

Provincial

Provincially, Lake Country is part of the constituency of Kelowna-Lake Country

Kelowna-Lake Country (provincial electoral district)

Kelowna-Lake Country is a provincial electoral district for the Legislative Assembly of British Columbia, Canada. It should not be confused with the federal electoral district of Kelowna—Lake Country, which encompasses a somewhat larger area.- Demographics :...

, this seat having been occupied by Norm Letnick of the BC Liberal Party

British Columbia Liberal Party

The British Columbia Liberal Party is the governing political party in British Columbia, Canada. First elected for government in 1916, the party went into decline after 1952, with its rump caucus merging with the Social Credit Party for the 1975 election...

 since May 2009. The next provincial election is scheduled for May 2013.

Federal

Federally, Lake Country is part of the riding of Kelowna—Lake Country

Kelowna—Lake Country

Kelowna—Lake Country is a federal electoral district in the province of British Columbia, Canada, that has been represented in the Canadian House of Commons since 1997....

. Despite the similarity in nomenclature, the federal riding encompasses a greater area and population than its provincial counterpart. Ron Cannan

Ron Cannan

Ronald "Ron" D. Cannan is a Canadian Member of Parliament and member of the Conservative Party of Canada. An advertising consultant by profession, Cannan was elected to the Canadian House of Commons in the 2006 federal election and represents the riding of Kelowna—Lake Country...

 of the Conservatives

Conservative Party of Canada

The Conservative Party of Canada , is a political party in Canada which was formed by the merger of the Canadian Alliance and the Progressive Conservative Party of Canada in 2003. It is positioned on the right of the Canadian political spectrum...

 was first elected as MP in January 2006.

Education

Public education in Lake Country is provided by School District 23

School District 23 Central Okanagan

School District 23 Central Okanagan is a school district in the Okanagan valley of British Columbia. It includes the city of Kelowna, and the District Municipalities of West Kelowna, Lake Country, and Peachland. The boundaries of the school district are identical to those of the Regional District...

. Three elementary schools are located in the Municipality: Davidson Road Elementary, Oyama Traditional School, and Peter Greer Elementary. All three cover Kindergarten to Grade 7, although the French Immersion programme which is provided at Peter Greer Elementary covers only Kindergarten to Grade 6. Lake Country is also home to George Elliot Secondary, which covers Grades 8 to 12.

The two largest institutions providing post-secondary education in the area of Lake Country are UBC-Okanagan

UBC Okanagan

The University of British Columbia Okanagan is a campus of the University of British Columbia, located in Kelowna, British Columbia, Canada. The official name for the campus is simply UBC's Okanagan Campus, although it is frequently called 'UBCO.'...

, the campus of which lies in north Kelowna, and Okanagan College

Okanagan College

Okanagan College is a public, post-secondary institution with over 120 certificates, diplomas, degrees and programs including Apprenticeship & Pre-apprenticeship Trades programs. It is located in Kelowna, British Columbia, Canada...

, which has campuses in Kelowna and Vernon.

Transportation

Lake Country is situated on the major north-south route through the Okanagan valley, Highway 97, approximately 15 km of which lies within the municipality, passing through Winfield and Oyama. To the south, the highway provides a route to Kelowna, whose downtown core is 20 km south of the municipal boundary. Glenmore Road provides an alternate route to Kelowna. To the north, the highway leads to Vernon, whose downtown is 15 km north of the municipal boundary. Vernon can also be accessed via Commonage Road. The highway is four-laned through Winfield and north of Oyama, while the section from Winfield to Oyama is presently two-laned. Plans are underway to widen this portion of Highway 97, and to realign it further to the west of Wood Lake.

A regular public transit service by bus, Route 23, is available from Winfield to Kelowna, via UBC Okanagan. A less frequent service, Route 90, is also available, connecting Oyama and Winfield with Vernon and UBC-Okanagan.

Lake Country is in close proximity to Kelowna International Airport

Kelowna International Airport

Kelowna International Airport is a Canadian airport located approximately 10 minutes or northeast of Kelowna, British Columbia, Canada, on Highway 97....

, which lies only 8 km to the south, and which provides regular service to Vancouver

Vancouver

Vancouver is a coastal seaport city on the mainland of British Columbia, Canada. It is the hub of Greater Vancouver, which, with over 2.3 million residents, is the third most populous metropolitan area in the country,...

, Victoria

Victoria, British Columbia

Victoria is the capital city of British Columbia, Canada and is located on the southern tip of Vancouver Island off Canada's Pacific coast. The city has a population of about 78,000 within the metropolitan area of Greater Victoria, which has a population of 360,063, the 15th most populous Canadian...

, Seattle, Calgary

Calgary

Calgary is a city in the Province of Alberta, Canada. It is located in the south of the province, in an area of foothills and prairie, approximately east of the front ranges of the Canadian Rockies...

, Edmonton

Edmonton

Edmonton is the capital of the Canadian province of Alberta and is the province's second-largest city. Edmonton is located on the North Saskatchewan River and is the centre of the Edmonton Capital Region, which is surrounded by the central region of the province.The city and its census...

, and Toronto

Toronto

Toronto is the provincial capital of Ontario and the largest city in Canada. It is located in Southern Ontario on the northwestern shore of Lake Ontario. A relatively modern city, Toronto's history dates back to the late-18th century, when its land was first purchased by the British monarchy from...

.

External links

• Lake Country Museum