The Lake Country Environmental Society really emerged from it’s shell in the summer of 1989 following several meetings of citizens from Winfield, Okanagan Centre and Oyama who had voiced concerns about the environment, particularly locally. As is usual with a new group like this they were ambitious and ready to address and tackle all the problems of the environment –air -water - land - pollution, etc. However, realizing that, as keen as the group was, trying to "change the world" was a tough assignment and wisely focussed on one concern. This, because it was in the news a lot at the time, was Recycling and so the group started here.
Our name, Lake Country Environmental Society, was adopted at a public meeting in September 1989.
The one-person mobilizing force to put Recycling up-front in the public eye was Jane Pekrul who gathered a volunteer force and the Society started a mobile Recycling Depot for, and in, Lake Country. Members contributed trucks, trailers and their time to make the project a success and due to the huge support from householders, eventually (February 29, 1992, the Regional District took over and Lake Country's first permanent Satellite Station went into operation. Today, your recycling stuff is collected right from your door. And now you know the rest of the story
The first A. G. Meeting of the Society was held February 8,1990 at Okanagan Centre Hall and elected were: President, Bob Hayward, V.P., Ed Culley, Sect. Matt Treger, Treas. Kevin Bowles and five Directors.
The Society has been actively involved with the Schools who now all have Environment Clubs and as part of their education put on active projects such as planting trees, clean-up day, creek and lake clean-ups, storm drain marking and environmental science classes.
In keeping with every newspaper's interest in the environment, The Calendar includes the ENVIRO FILE - a column covering the gamut of ecological and environmental subjects. The Society is a member of B. C. Environmental Network which itself is affiliated to Canadian Env. Network. The Society also works closely with the District of Lake Country, which is constantly being faced with issues affecting our local environment, including the Environmentally-Sensitive Areas, ESA’s.
The Society also has liaisons with other organizations including Earthcare Canada, Oceola Fish & Game, Lake Stewardship Society, B. C. Naturalists, Waste Management and has representatives on Parks Management etc.
Past Presidents: From its inception Bob Hayward was President until 1997. Sky Sigal 1997-99, Brigitte Wagner 1999-2000 (May) and Ruth Whitson from 2000 to 2006. The current President is Stan Brynjolfson.
For further information regarding our Society we invite you to call Ruth at 250-766-2027 or Stan at 250-766-9034.