Finding Solutions: Mayor Gord Milsom on building up West Kelowna

On this edition of Okanagan Stories and Solutions, I sat down with West Kelowna Mayor Gord Milsom. With municipal elections coming this fall and Gord stepping down after eight years as mayor, this conversation looks past day-to-day headlines at how a community actually gets built, how local leaders navigate crisis, and what it means to put service above self. Watch our full conversation in the video above. From Kitchen Tables to City Hall Gord did not set out to run for office. He grew up in Dorval, Quebec, where his father served on city council. After earning a commerce degree, he built a 35-year career as a personal financial planner, helping local families budget, manage debt, and buy their first homes. When Gord and his wife moved their young kids from Vancouver to the Okanagan in the 1980s, he brought that service mindset into Rotary, minor hockey, and the food bank. Those decades across a desk taught him how to listen without judgment before proposing solutions, a skill that carried straight into local government. The 51-49 Vote and Building From Scratch In 2007, when the regional district could no longer administer the fast-growing west side, residents faced a referendum: join Kelowna across the lake, or incorporate on their own. The community chose independence by the narrowest of margins: 51% to 49%. Gord stepped forward to serve on that inaugural council. What the first mayor and six councillors inherited was daunting: 28,000 residents, one temporary administrator, no city hall, and a patchwork of rural roads and water systems never built to urban standards. As Gord recalls, the first few years were spent stacking master plans just to catch up: ”There was so many plans that we had to have a plan to manage those plans.” What We Cover in This Episode: Leading Through McDougall Creek: Roughly 10,000 residents evacuated and about 200 homes lost, with zero lives lost. Gord explains why operations must stay with trained fire and emergency personnel, while the mayor’s job is presence, supporting evacuated families, and steady communication. Partnership with Westbank First Nation: Why regular staff meetings and council-to-council respect with Chief Robert Louie and council matter for communities that share borders, roads, and services for generations. Winning Six More RCMP Officers: How West Kelowna, Peachland, WFN, our MLA, and I joined forces to end a decade-long shortfall in provincial rural policing. Unfinished Business: Why 70,000 west-side residents need a redundant power line placed underground, the push for Highway 97 interchanges at Boucherie and Westlake, and the need for local mental health facilities. Advice for Future Leaders: Gord’s practical counsel for anyone running this fall: listen to the community, support volunteers, and keep a balanced approach. Dan Albas is the Member of Parliament for Okanagan Lake West - South Kelowna. For weekly reports, constituency assistance, or to reach our office, visit \danalbasmp.ca or call toll-free anytime at 1-800-665-8711. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit danalbas.substack.com