Kelowna is in a glorious geographical location. Situated right in British Columbia’s Okanagan valley surrounded by a vast array of forests, wilderness and natural environments. Climate conditions have always been variable in Kelowna- mild winters and warm to hot pleasant summers. Good climate conditions, spectacular scenery, and a non-congested environment are only some of the many benefits one obtains from living there. Additionally, it is very quiet and calm and simply ideal for any urbanite who has become tired of the congested city life. So people have been moving out of the cities into this area purchasing property that has a price tag over a million dollars.
Alas, the dismal side of the story is the region’s susceptibility to forest fires. It really boils down to a game of risks. Many residents in the region are completely cognizant of the forest fire risks but simply prefer to inhabit an area where natural beauty is ubiquitous. Forest fires, including the recent Terrace Mountain fire have caused tremendous damage to homes and infrastructure within the area.
Forest fires have destroyed hundreds of homes over the years due to drier summers and the recent phenomenon of pine beetles. The pine beetles have been chewing away at the lodgepole pine trees so rapidly that thousands of trees have become susceptible to devastating fires. Climate change is generally warming BC winters which allows pine beetles to proliferate because the temperature is not cold enough to kill them.
There are some serious planning and economic development challenges in Kelowna. Western Kelowna had the fastest population growth in Canada from 2001 to 2006. Housing development projects including sub-divisions and million dollar homes have been erected and continue to be built because of the sufficient demand and popularity of the region. All of this housing development has provided economic justification for big box stores to move in as well - Canadian Tire and Wal-Mart just to name a few.
Any developing or booming area will be accompanied with commercial outlets or stores to provide goods and services. But such commercial development should not be happening in the wilderness and natural areas of the Okanagan. People decide to leave more urbanized settings because they want a life that is not overwhelmed with housing and commercial development and congestion. However, despite this, population growth and development are now concentrating in these natural environments because of all of the aforementioned benefits. However, I do not think these people are being adequately advised on all of the risks that are posed to them. For instance, are they aware of the egregious pine beetle problem that is only being exacerbated by climate change?
Climate change has conflict and uncertainty written all over it. We know that climate change is making the region generally drier and therefore more prone to forest fires. Yet local planning departments continue to process an abundance of new residential and commercial building permits. Local economic development is prosperous but these planning departments cannot overlook the risks posed by climate change. What needs to happen is more dense and concentrated growth in the municipality of Kelowna (population 106,000). This would be much more appropriate especially for commercial development and safer in general.
Having commercial development in the more environmentally sensitive and pristine areas is irrational environmentally speaking. Residents can travel to the municipality to access these commercial amenities. It is dangerous to encourage such vast growth in this region because of the potential exacerbation risks of forest fires in the future.
Key message: Planning departments and economic development officers have to be more careful these days with issuing housing and commercial permits. Though anyone is entitled to live in the Okanagan region, the risks are quite high and climate change is only providing more uncertainty. This must be factored into the equation and planning departments should be encouraging growth in the municipality which is a safe distance from the dangers associated with forest fires.
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