West Kelowna, formerly known as Westbank and colloquially known as Westside, is a city in British Columbia's Okanagan Valley. The city encompasses several distinct neighbourhoods, including Casa Loma, Gellatly, Glenrosa, Lakeview Heights, Shannon Lake, Smith Creek, Rose Valley, Westbank, and West Kelowna Estates. West Kelowna had an estimated population of 34,883 (BC Statistics) as of December 31, 2018. West Kelowna incorporated December 6, 2007, as Westside District Municipality, so chosen to reflect the name of a former Central Okanagan Regional District rural electoral area. On January 30, 2009, the municipality was renamed West Kelowna. The municipality was reclassified as the City of West Kelowna on June 26, 2015. The general area is also sometimes referred to as Greater Westside, Westbank, and Westside. History Westside District Municipality was established December 6, 2007, following a referendum on June 16, 2007, in which Westside residents voted to incorporate by a margin of 5,924 votes to 5,582. The other choice was amalgamation with the City of Kelowna, with a previous ballot question offering the option of remaining unincorporated within the Regional District of Central Okanagan's former Westside Electoral Area. The vote was strongly split along geographical lines, with voters from Westbank, Glenrosa, and other areas farther from the City of Kelowna voting to incorporate in larger numbers and voters living closer to Kelowna typically choosing amalgamation. Rosalind Neis was elected as the first mayor of the newly incorporated area for a term of one year. On November 15, 2008, Doug Findlater was elected the second mayor of West Kelowna. Findlater served for three terms as mayor. On October 20, 2018, Gord Milsom was elected as the third person to serve as municipality's mayor. During the November 2008 civic election, Westside residents were also asked in a "Community Opinion Poll" to select a permanent name for the fledgling municipality. The new name "West Kelowna", with 3,841 votes, was selected by a narrow margin over the closest contender, "Westbank", with 3,675 votes. The West Kelowna name was subsequently confirmed by the municipal council on December 9, 2008. The new name became official January 30, 2009, after the Government of British Columbia approved the change to the Letters Patent. Geography The City of West Kelowna is located on the central western shores and hillsides of Okanagan Lake and is the primary gateway to the Central Okanagan from the west via Highway 97C, the Okanagan Connector. Neighbourhoods within