When Residents Speak, Council Listens: A Shannon Lake Success Story

West Kelowna council’s unanimous decision this week to keep short-term rentals out of RC3 zones may have looked straightforward on the surface. The discussion was brief. The vote was decisive. But the groundwork for that outcome was laid months earlier—largely because one Shannon Lake resident decided not to sit on the sidelines.

The proposal would have allowed short-term rentals, such as Airbnbs, in RC3 zones, which include 1,063 lots, most of them in Shannon Lake.

Rather than assuming the change was inevitable, one resident took the time to dig into the bylaw, understand the process, and start talking to neighbours about what the change could mean at street level. Those early conversations quickly showed there was significant concern—but no clear path for getting that concern in front of council.

That changed once someone stepped up to organize it.

A petition followed. Door-to-door conversations made sure residents understood the issue and how it might affect parking, traffic, enforcement, and the day-to-day feel of the neighbourhood. A formal request for a public hearing ensured the issue wouldn’t quietly move through the system. And when that hearing took place in October, the turnout was large, informed, and consistent in its message.

Council noticed.

Councillor Rick de Jong acknowledged the need to balance housing pressures with neighbourhood impacts, saying short-term rentals are necessary but must be managed. Mayor Gord Milsom later said council heard “loud and clear” the concerns raised by residents, particularly around parking, traffic, and social impacts. With that, council agreed to close the file on expanding short-term rentals into the RC3 zone.

The speed and unanimity of the final decision reflected how clearly the issue had already been framed. Council wasn’t guessing where the community stood—it had been shown.

This wasn’t the result of a professional campaign or a special interest group. It started with one resident willing to do the legwork: asking questions, knocking on doors, organizing signatures, and encouraging neighbours to speak for themselves. That effort turned individual concerns into a collective voice that council couldn’t ignore.

Shannon Lake’s experience is a reminder that meaningful input at City Hall doesn’t require insider access or dramatic tactics. Sometimes it just takes one person to start the conversation—and a neighbourhood willing to join it.