Our Growth Issues

Several growth issues have been identified by local elected officials, the broader community, stakeholder groups, and planners throughout the Region. Although this is not an extensive list, these issues capture the major regional concerns that must be addressed within the Regional Growth Strategy. As our Region moves into the future, we must consider the issues that will affect our quality of life, our enjoyment of our communities and our regional identity. Growth issues affect us all and we want to your input into our exploration of these issues.

Water Stewardship

• Water movement doesn't respect jurisdictional boundaries.
• The availability and quality of water is the cornerstone of the regional economy (agriculture, industry, tourism, etc.)
• More than any other factor, water availability and quality is one of the most significant challenges for growth management and quality of life.
• Future population growth will increase industrial, agricultural, ecological and residential competition for water.
• The need to protect of our watersheds in the face of increasing population and development pressures. 
• A limited water supply is under pressure to meet community and environmental needs as we face uncertainty and climate change.

• The North Okanagan has always had a strong identity based in agricultural production and pride.
• Agricultural areas are vitally important to the agricultural industry and food security.
• Only 5% of the province is suitable for agriculture; and only 1%  is prime agricultural land
• Our Agricultural Land Reserve is under constant pressure from residential, commercial and industrial development.
• The average age of farmers in the North Okanagan is 55 and many are nearing retirement.
• Agricultural land prices continue to increase, discouraging younger farmers from entering the business.

•  Economic development is increasingly influenced by the availability of land, water, and energy.
• As the population grows, industrial and commercial land use will compete with residential land use.
• Each community has unique competitive strengths that can be built-upon.
• The current global economic climate has had a significant impact on our manufacturing and natural resource sectors.
• The lack of serviced industrial lands, due to a number of constraints, limits the attraction of new industries.
• The North Okanagan is increasingly relying on investment and retirement income as the population ages.

• The Thompson-Okanagan supports 300 species of birds, 74 species of mammals, 11 reptiles and 9 amphibians species, 10-20,000 invertebrate species and numerous plants.
• The Okanagan is considered one of the most endangered ecological regions in Canada.
• Green space has a multitude of roles, including recreation, ecological integrity, providing wildlife habitat and improving quality of life.
• Major changes to the landscape have come about because of agricultural and residential development.
•  Natural land impacts from development increase the risk of watershed, grassland and natural area loss. Wetland and riparian areas cover only 4% of the region - any loss of even small areas can dramatically affect wildlife populations.

• It is important to the economic and social wellbeing of our communities that a range of housing options are available.
• The more a family needs to spend on housing, the less there is available for food, education, recreation and health care.
• A lack of affordable housing can be a roadblock to business investment and young family migration into the Region.
• In 2006, according to the last Census, 26% of North Okanagan households were spending over 30% of their income on shelter, 1% more than the Canadian average.
• Although approximately 30% of North Okanagan residents are renters, the rental vacancy rate is less than 1%.
• Housing prices have increased as much as 17% in some communities between 2007 and 2008, removing many middle-income families from the possibility of home ownership.

• The Regional District establishes and provides local, sub-regional and regional services in direct response to the expressed needs, desires and instructions of the municipalities and electoral areas.
• The cost of providing services increases with distance and decreases with density.
• The Regional Board is ultimately responsible for all of RDNO's activities, including the provision of regional and sub-regional services.
• Regional service strategies, developed by all jurisdictions working together through regional service partnerships, are becoming ever more necessary in these fiscally challenging times.
• The number and range of service issues that transcend both local and sub-regional boundaries is growing

• The costs of sprawl include higher costs for public infrastructure, more vehicle miles traveled, less cost-efficient transit, and a variety of negative quality of life impacts.
• Sprawling development consumes agricultural lands, our hillsides, as well as environmentally sensitive areas.
• Sprawl forces an almost total reliance on the automobile when getting around our communities, increasing levels of obesity and associated health issues, as well as increasing greenhouse gas emissions.
• The desirability of the Okanagan as a place to live and vacation implies that development pressure will continue to be strong, even with the current economic uncertainty.
• There continues to be a preference for conventional single-family residential developments, increasing the total land area of development.

• Transportation options link our homes, our neighbours, our employment, our recreation, and our commercial activity.
• It is more expensive to lay sewer and water, and build roads over longer distances than shorter ones.
• Other forms of municipal infrastructure recover some of their operating costs through user fees, but roads are entirely paid through taxes.
• The majority of trips within the Region are by automobile, while the  number of trips by transit is 1.2%, walking is 5.2% and cycling is 1.7%.
• In B.C. transportation is the largest contributor of greenhouse gases, which have been linked to climate change.
• In the North Okanagan, vehicle emissions are trapped by inversions, creating poor air quality with possible health impacts.