Vernon and West Kelowna populations growing faster than province

OKANAGAN – Vernon and West Kelowna are two of the fastest growing cities in the province, according to recent numbers from B.C. Stats.

The provincial government agency’s 2015 Municipal Population Estimates pegs West Kelowna's population growth at 5.3 per cent, second on the list of fastest growing cities in B.C. with a population of 25,000 or more , while Vernon’s population growth at 3.4 per cent is good enough for fifth place on the list.

Langford grabbed top spot with growth of 7.2 percent, followed by West Kelowna, Chilliwack at 4.8 percent and Langley with a 3.5 per cent increase in population last year.

It was a strong year for both residential and commercial development in Vernon, the city’s manager of economic development Kevin Poole says in a media release.

“As a result, we are not surprised to see such strong population growth in Vernon,” Poole says in the release.

He says when people are looking to invest, develop or locate a business population growth is one of the key pieces of information they look at.

“2015 marks the first time in several years that Vernon’s growth rate has been substantially higher than that of the province as whole which was estimated at one per cent,” Poole says.

To contact a reporter for this story, email Charlotte Helston at chelston@infonews.ca or call 250-309-5230. To contact the editor, email mjones@infonews.ca or call 250-718-2724.