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The Lady of the Lake program

Lady of the Lake is a free 6 month training program running from January to July which focuses on teaching young women of Kelowna life skills. The program entails weekly training days, volunteering and judged events. The training sessions are run by women in Kelowna who volunteer their time and act as mentors for the young girls. Some of the skills developed in training are public speaking, interview skills, self defense, etiquette and self confidence. The program also gives out bursaries to help with post secondary education.

At the end of the 6 months 2 or 3 girls can be given the titles of the ambassadors of Kelowna where they will represent the city in various ways for the following year.

Eligibility

  • The candidate must be no younger than 15 at the start of the program and no older than 18 at the end of the program.

  • The candidate must be a Canadian citizen and a resident of Kelowna.

Brief history

The first Kelowna Regatta was held in 1906 and soon became a very popular annual event. Its focus was on water sports, and the main attraction was held at the old Aquatics Center Grand Stands located in the current day City park. In 1931, a pageant began, and the first Regatta Queen was crowned on a floating stage which formed part of the Aquatics Grand stands. Traditionally, the Queen also had to showcase an aquatics event to be crowned. The title was then changed to Lady of the Lake in 1934. Although rioting sadly ended the Regatta tradition in 1987, the Lady of the Lake program has continued on, and over the years approximately 900 young women have gone through the program. While it began as a more traditional beauty pageant, it has adapted and changed over time. Its current focus is on community, public speaking, mentorship and empowering women.

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