W.A.C. Bennett Memorial Clock Tower

The Work

William Andrew Cecil Bennett, a Kelowna resident, was British Columbia's longest-serving premier. The 20 spires on the tower represent Bennett's 20 years as premier, and 7 steps on either side of the clock represent the number of terms in office. Other features of the courtyard include a 10.7 m high carillon clock, with each of the four faces measuring approximately 1.8 m in diameter.

The Project

After the death of the former premier, a Memorial Task Force was established to make recommendations for a suitable commemoration of W.A.C. Bennett's years of public service. The location for the commemoration was approved by Council on April 11, 1979.

After soliciting general feedback from the community, 3 formal submissions were received. The proposal for the carillon clock tower from Neon Products Ltd. of Vancouver was recommended by the Task Force and approved by Council. The courtyard was designed by the local architecture firm of Hartley & Turik. Construction on the project commenced in the summer of 1980.

The W.A.C. Bennett Memorial Courtyard was officially dedicated in May 1981, with May Bennett, wife of the former premier, and their children, then-Premier W.R. Bennett, R.J. Bennett and Anita Tozer in attendance. The total cost of the installation including the courtyard and clock tower was approximately $250,000.

Viewing

This monument is located on Queensway Avenue between City Hall (1435 Water Street) and the Okanagan Heritage Museum (1470 Ellis Street).