New winner of ‘Make Water Work’ in Okanagan

A Summerland resident is $750 richer after winning the annual ‘Make Water Work’ prize.

Lindsey Craig was awarded the prize from the Okanagan Basin Water Board`s (OBWB) Okanagan WaterWise program after doing her part to conserve water on her Summerland property, being a good steward, and being a role model for her three- and six-year-old children.

“We talk about how we treat our world, pick up garbage, we try to teach the kids to not waste water. We help with the school gardens,” said Craig in a release from the OBWB.

“We also have a small garden at home with raspberries, blueberries, carrots, tomatoes, squash and peppers, and we don’t use chemicals in the garden.”

Craig reportedly plans to use the funds to remove some turf at home and change it to be more WaterWise and pollinator friendly.

Though Craig won the individual prize, her community did not take home the ‘Make Water Work Community Champion’ award. This competition saw area mayors in communities from Armstrong to Osoyoos post videos online declaring how they were making water work better for and collecting pledges from members of the community.

This year’s winner of the “‘Make Water Work Community Champion’ was the District of Peachland, who are now three-time winners after earning the award in both 2016 and 2019.

“When I first started to ask people to pledge, I was looking to win against Armstrong,” Peachland mayor Cindy Fortin said after Armstrong took the title in 2020.

“But then I saw Summerland coming up from behind and I couldn’t quit,” she laughed. “In all seriousness, it was such an important message here this year. We got a stark look at climate change this summer. What we do in Peachland and around our valley, in our own yards, has a powerful effect. Collectively we can make a difference,” Fortin remarked.

The OKWB noted this year’s competitions were especially important as the region was rocked by a record-breaking heatwave, an early start to the wildfire season, and drought conditions that lasted through most of the summer.

Click here to watch local mayors make WaterWise pledges for their communities.