Busiest construction year ever for Lake Country

LAKE COUNTRY – B.C.’s fastest growing community is working to keep up with the infrastructure needed to support all the construction activity.

Lake Country had it’s busiest year of construction in the district’s 20 year history in 2015, 36 per cent higher than 2014, according to a media release. There was over $68 million worth of construction last year.

Mayor James Baker says in the release Lake Country is no stranger to rapid development, adding his community is the fastest growing in B.C.

“To keep up with the rapid pace we’re working hard at our infrastructure renewal program and recently invested in adding to our Building Inspections team,” Baker says.

Residential developments like LakeStone and The Lakes pushed a lot of the construction activity last year, while commercial projects like the Lake Country Town Centre are making the district a hotbed for investment, the release states.

“With a large proportion of our land base being protected farmland and lakes, council is strategically using the additional tax base brought by growth to fund amenities that make the community more livable,” Director of community services Mark Koch says.

He says the recently purchased Okanagan Rail Corridor and the current Parks and Recreation Master Plan are examples of the district’s efforts to create amenities.

The increased level of building permits expected for 2016 appears to be sustainable, the release states.

To contact the reporter for this story, email Howard Alexander at halexander@infonews.ca. To contact the editor, email mjones@infonews.ca or call 250-718-2724.