British Columbia has long been one of the most desirable places to live and Kelowna–Lake Country is an outstanding area to reside.

Our government’s mission is to lead British Columbians as we continue to work together to make our province the best place on earth to live, work and play for our generation and generations to come. Innovative, exciting and positive transformations are on the horizon to assist us in achieving our goals. In this article, I will touch upon a few, of the many, resources available to empower us to become active and knowledgeable citizens as well as answer some of the questions I receive from my constituents.

Many of the articles I have written for the local media, posted on my website and included in my newsletter have focused on healthy living. I am committed to getting the message out there that British Columbia and the healthcare system needs change if it is going to be sustainable for our children and grandchildren.

According to the Conference Board of Canada, BC has the best health outcomes in the country. We have been and continue to work hard to maintain and improve upon that ranking.

Capital investment for health services over the past 9 years in our valley results in over one billion dollars of new investment through provincial and regional partnerships. Compared to other regions in BC, this is an outstanding achievement.

I am happy to report that the Interior’s new clinical teaching building at Kelowna General Hospital is complete and ready to begin training doctors.

The Province has also approved funding for the Interior Heart and Surgical Centre (IHSC) project, which will build on the cardiac transition plan currently underway at Kelowna General Hospital and provide cardiac care closer to home for patients throughout the Interior.

These new facilities will also attract physicians, surgeons, and specialists to our area that will be wishing to further their careers and to work in our cutting edge facilities and live in our sought after communities. To find out more on the Province of BC’s capital investment initiatives, visit the Ministry of Health’s website at www.gov.bc.ca/health/ .

Highways and roads are always an ongoing venture and I can assure you that investment in the Okanagan is impressive.

In Kelowna-Lake Country, $12 million is being invested for the design and construction of approximately 4.2 km of Highway 33 to a four lane width. Bike lanes will also be added adjacent to new four lanes for the full length.

Further, Highway 97 through Lake Country will be rerouted from its original position to a safer route to the North. Increasing safe access to UBC Okanagan to reduce congestion and collisions with the new flyover, and improvements to Highway 97 from Gordon to Hwy 33 all combine for a total of $595 million invested in our area.

There have been an impressive number of projects in our very own backyard that make our travel, whether in the car or on our bike, easier, safer and greener. For more project information, you can visit www.gov.bc.ca/tran/.

Please take time to visit my website at www.normletnickmla.bc.ca to see what is happening in Kelowna – Lake Country, view pictures and find contact information so that I can continue to serve you better!