Updated September 2026
Westside Road leaves Highway 97 at the head of Okanagan Lake and winds along the west shore toward West Kelowna. It's about 83 km from Vernon to Kelowna this way. Many of its communities have Vernon mailing addresses, but they're not in Vernon, and two very different kinds of ownership apply.
Two kinds of Westside waterfront
1. Okanagan Indian Band reserve land (north end): Newport Beach, Parker Cove and other Okanagan Indian Band lands at the north end. Homes here are on leased land: you buy a sublease, not the land. Zoning, permits and rental rules come from the Okanagan Indian Band and the lease, not the City or Regional District.
2. Central Okanagan West electoral area (further south): Westshore Estates, Killiney Beach, Ewings Landing and Fintry are generally freehold, but they are in the Regional District of Central Okanagan, not the North Okanagan. Resort communities such as La Casa have their own ownership and bylaw structures, so confirm the title type for each property.
Leasehold: what buyers must know
- Lease term remaining. Financing gets harder as a lease gets shorter. One lender's First Nations leasehold program wants 30 or more years remaining on the sublease; others lend at lower loan-to-value ratios. Get the lease and have a lawyer review it.
- No rescission period. BC's three-day home buyer rescission period does not apply to leasehold or leased-land purchases.
- Fees and taxes. Confirm prepaid versus annual rent, who levies property tax, and whether the Home Owner Grant applies.
- Services. At Parker Cove, fire protection has been the subject of a court and arbitration dispute, with a trial reported for 2027.
Wildfire
The Westside has a long wildfire history, including White Rock Lake in 2021 and the Bradley Creek fire in 2026, which caused the loss of many homes in the Okanagan Indian Band community and along Westside Road. Our thoughts are with everyone affected. If you're considering property here, look closely at insurance availability, fire protection services and FireSmart work.
Other things to check
- The drive. Westside Road is paved but narrow and winding, with rock-fall closures and outages. Killiney Beach is about 40 minutes from Vernon, and Fintry about 50.
- Water systems. Several communities have small regional water systems that have had water-quality advisories.
- School district. Confirm whether the address is served by Vernon (SD22) or Central Okanagan (SD23) schools and bus routes.
- Short-term rentals. The provincial principal-residence rule generally doesn't apply in regional district electoral areas, and reserve land follows the band's rules, but check the specific property.
See Westside Road waterfront homes for saleHouses, townhomes and condos. Live MLS® listings, updated daily
Sources: RDCO Central Okanagan West, BCFSA rescission period, Vernon Morning Star on Parker Cove fire services, BC Parks: Fintry.