Former West Kelowna politician loses battle with cancer

WEST KELOWNA – Former Westside regional director Aaron Dinwoodie died yesterday after losing a battle with cancer.

Dinwoodie was Westside director on the Central Okanagan Regional District board for many years and served as vice-chair of the board. He was once president of the Union of British Columbia Municipalities, a position normally filled by a sitting mayor or councillor.

West Kelowna Mayor Doug Findlater knew Dinwoodie best through the Westside Governance Committee. He says although Dinwoodie was a somewhat controversial figure, his impact on the community was significant.

“Aaron was instrumental in creating a unified, three-director constituency within the regional district,” Findlater says. “He was also very, very good at getting grants from senior levels of government. He was one of the people who made the community a better place to live.”

Dinwoodie, 54, was an avid snowboarder who lived in Vancouver and the Philippines during the last years of his life. He died at Vancouver General Hospital.

A memorial service is planned but date and location have not been disclosed.

To contact the reporter for this story, email Adam Proskiw at aproskiw@infotelnews.ca or call 250-718-0428. To contact the editor, email mjones@infotelnews.ca or call 250-718-2724.