bcbusiness.cA August 2015 BCBusiness 43
less development of the city's hillsides,
with massive three-storey "walk-out"
houses that might have worked for big
families a generation ago, leaves many
shaking their heads.
But for the most part, Kelowna is a
city that has managed to ˜nd a balance
between lifestyle interests and economic
opportunities that should ensure its
long-term sustainability. That irresistible
mix is what drew Dylana Bloor, a part-
ner at the law ˜rm Farris and Company,
to Kelowna four years ago, where she
lives on the 25th Ÿoor of her downtown
lakeview condominium. Bloor has com-
muted between Vancouver and Kelowna
for the past four years, but she recently
decided to wind down her Vancouver
practice while briskly expanding it in
Kelowna. "There's more than ample
business for me here in Kelowna now,"
she says. "I won't look back."
As for the city's new mayor, Colin
Basran is on a steep learning curve, to
be sure, but is also clearly enjoying the
challenges of his new position. His o«ces
on the third Ÿoor of Kelowna City Hall
reveal someone in charge but remarkably
relaxed—there is, after all, a huge amount
of physical transition in the city. His
desk is scrupulously tidy, and only the
constant beep of incoming texts reminds
a visitor that his job is constant and
unrelenting. "Our immediate challenges
are managing our growth effectively,
limiting sprawl by encouraging develop-
ment within town centres and building
out a better public transit system," he
says. "And we're also tackling homeless
issues by going to their root cause: mental
health."
The pro forma responses of a young
politician? Perhaps. But it's a more wist-
ful Basran, speaking as the father of pre-
school-age children, who responds to a
question about his aspirations for them.
"We are going to protect their quality
of life. We are going to protect their air
and water, and we are going to provide
sound educations and good jobs," he says
emphatically. "I want them to go out and
see the world, for sure—but I want them
to have every reason in the world to come
home again."
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RcMp Building
Interior Health Headquarters
Hotel/ conference centre
Okanagan centre for
Innovation
Kelowna Yacht club Building
Kelowna Yacht club Marina
prospera place
city Hall
Accelerate Okanagan
public pier commercial
Wharf—Kerry park
The Rise of
Downtown
Kelowna
Cultural District
Projects
(Recent + Future)
City Landmarks
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