West Kelowna, WFN react to provincial land swap decision

Land negotiations between the Westbank First Nation and the province have fizzled.

The initial agreement included 280 hectares of Crown land in exhange for three hectares of band land used to build the Westside Road interchange.

The District of West Kelowna and some of its residents didn't like that first offer, which included land in the Rose Valley Watershed.

So the province and the WFN decided to consider other parcels.Tuesday, the government changed the rules on what land could be part of negotiations. It now says any land around the Rose Valley Watershed, any regional park areas and any lands close to gravel reserves are now off the table.

That amounts to 85 per cent of the land the Westbank First Nation was considering. Robert Louie is the chief of the Westbank First Nation, and told Daybreak host Chris Walker he's disappointed with the decision.


But West Kelowna mayor Doug Findlater was highly critical of the original deal and says he's pleased the province has changed its mind.