Lake Country Residents Get Some Satisfaction

Have we mentioned that life's good in Lake Country?  Yes, yes we have.  And now we'll say it again with a little help from some very satisfied Lake Country residents!  The results are in from the May 2015 community survey, where 1,500 randomly selected residents were polled about the quality of life in Lake Country and the value they receive from their municipal property taxes*.  Overall, the feedback has been overwhelmingly positive; the vast majority of those surveyed were satisfied with their overall quality of life in Lake Country and enjoy the peaceful, small town atmosphere and casual lifestyle that the District has to offer.

In particular, according to the survey completed by Discovery Research, "ninety-seven percent (97%) of respondents were either very satisfied or somewhat satisfied with their quality of life in Lake Country, and sixty-five percent (65%) were either very satisfied or somewhat satisfied with the municipal services they receive for the taxes they pay."

Some of the other feedback from the survey includes areas of improvement.  In particular, "nineteen percent (19%) of respondents felt the single biggest opportunity for improving Lake Country were transportation related improvements" and "fifteen percent (15%) felt there was room for improvement with development of the downtown area."

Having said that, the District is already fully committed to making improvements in both of these areas.  Transportation has been enhanced by the recent completion of the Pelmewash Parkway and the addition of new bus routes throughout Lake Country, and will be further improved through the implementation of the  'Transportation for Tomorrow 20-Year Plan'.  Development in the downtown core is also already underway, with the addition of  an impressive new shopping complex running parallel to the highway (set to open Thursday, November 19th), as well as new drive-through fast-service food restaurant (rumoured to be a Dairy Queen).  At the other end of Lake Country, closer to the Cadence development, work on Turtle Bay Crossing has also begun.  This new complex is believed to have a national chain restaurant as its feature tenant and may also include a Starbucks with a drive-through (our fingers are crossed).

In addition to the aforementioned improvements, sixty-seven percent (67%) of the survey respondents would also like to see increased funding for parks and trails. With the recent approval of the CN Rail Corridor, coupled with the extensive hiking trail network (access only minutes away from your doorstep at Cadence - click here to view the trail map), we think the District's off to a pretty good start.  If you'd like to have your say on how Parks and Recreation in Lake Country can be improved, a User/Interest Group Workshop is also being held on November 16th to get input from clubs, sports leagues, naturalist groups, and service organizations that use or have a stake in the various park facilities - click here for more information.

As you can see, Lake Country has many wonderful things to offer residents.  The community boasts a beautiful, natural charm with a strong agricultural infrastructure and also provides unparalleled access to a vast array of recreational opportunities.  It also offers all the modern conveniences and amenities of a major municipality without the hassle of living in a big city.  And finally, and maybe most importantly, the community has a governing body that listens to its residents and strives to be the best it can.  No wonder people find it so satisfying to live in Lake Country.

Photo Credit:  District of Lake Country Facebook July 27, 2015

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* Have we also mentioned that Lake Country has one of the lowest residential tax rates in the entire Okanagan Valley?  It's true: in 2014, Lake Country's tax rate was lower that Kelowna, West Kelowna, Vernon, Peachland, and Penticton.  For more information, please visit www.csdc.gov.bc.ca.)