Lake Country Approves BC Tree Fruits Expansion

Lake Country Council has approved an application by BC Tree Fruits to expand its Winfield packinghouse on Bottom Wood Lake Road.

Most of the plant is on the Kelowna side of the road but a portion is in Lake Country

Lake Country Mayor James Baker says the District just wanted the company to help with some sidewalk improvements.

“Make it safer for pedestrian traffic and not continue the sort of hazardous crossing of the road”

The District was concerned about of the safety pedestrians, particularly children with forklifts crossing the road.

Mayor Baker says the company agreed to improvements.

” They’ll have points of access to make sure that there’s a safe crossing and people can expect to see a forklift there somewhere when there’s only one place for it to cross.”

Part of the issue was that Kelowna already approved the expansion with road and sidewalk improvements on its side of Bottom Wood Lake Road.

” The variance that Kelowna gave permitted them to build closer to the road on the east side of the road so we’re looking at a little more space on the west side so we can widen the road.”
The District and BC Tree Fruits will negotiate the costs of the upgrade.

The company is adding space for a new apple bagging line and will hire an additional 66 workers.