Elevate your local knowledge

Sign up for the iNFOnews newsletter today!

Select Region

Selecting your primary region ensures you get the stories that matter to you first.

Westbank First Nation promises to explain private hospital project at media conference

Westbank First Nation promises to explain private hospital project at media conference | iNFOnews.ca
The site of the proposed Lake Okanagan Wellness Centre. John McDonald

OKANAGAN – After weeks of silence, the Westbank First Nation leadership is offering an update on the status of the Lake Okanagan Wellness Centre.

Chief Robert Louie is promising an update and will answer questions on the stalled private hospital project at a media conference this morning.

Infonews.ca has been asking Louie for an interview about the hospital since June 25, but the band responded with a statement saying only the project was under review of the band membership.

A subsequent investigation has shown the wellness centre project to be in disarray with the band possibly on the hook for an $8 million mortgage on the land it put up for its share of the deal.

After band members demanded an audit of the project last February, the band’s accountant was not able to provide one.

Another petition is circulating demanding the removal of Chief Louie and councillors Mic Werstiuk, Chris Derrickson, Mike De Guevera and Brian Eli.

To contact the reporter for this story, email John McDonald at jmcdonald@infonews.ca or call 250-808-0143. To contact the editor, email mjones@infonews.ca or call 250-718-2724.

News from © iNFOnews.ca, . All rights reserved.
This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

Join the Conversation!

Want to share your thoughts, add context, or connect with others in your community?

Create a free account

Tags
John McDonald

By John McDonald

John began life as a journalist through the Other Press, the independent student newspaper for Douglas College in New Westminster. The fluid nature of student journalism meant he was soon running the place, learning on the fly how to publish a newspaper.

It wasn’t until he moved to Kelowna he broke into the mainstream media, working for Okanagan Sunday, then the Kelowna Daily Courier and Okanagan Saturday doing news graphics and page layout. He carried on with the Kelowna Capital News, covering health and education while also working on special projects, including the design and launch of a mass market daily newspaper. After 12 years there, John rejoined the Kelowna Daily Courier as editor of the Westside Weekly, directing news coverage as the Westside became West Kelowna.

But digital media beckoned and John joined Kelowna.com as assistant editor and reporter, riding the start-up as it at first soared then went down in flames. Now John is turning dirt as city hall reporter for iNFOnews.ca where he brings his long experience to bear on the civic issues of the day.

If you have a story you think people should know about, email John at jmcdonald@infonews.ca

Related Articles