A prominent businessman who helped lead the Westside to incorporation rather than amalgamation with Kelowna has died.听
Rusty Ensign was 65.听
He overcame a rugby accident at age 23 that left him in a wheelchair to play a central role in West Kelowna鈥檚 economic, social, and recreational circles.听
鈥淩usty was a true pillar of West Kelowna. His courage, vision, and unwavering commitment to community uplifted countless lives,鈥 Mayor Gord Milsom said this week.听
Along with his brothers, Ensign built Ensign Bros. Enterprises Ltd. into a large supplier of sand and gravel products for construction, road maintenance, and landscaping. He was also active in neighborhood associations, irrigation districts, the chamber of commerce, and sports groups.听
鈥淩eally, he was the No. 1 champion of Royal LePage Place,鈥 Milsom said, referring to West Kelowna鈥檚 hockey rink.听
For many years, the Westside was B.C.鈥檚 largest unincorporated area, and voters had to decide in 2007 whether to incorporate their own municipality or amalgamate with Kelowna. Ensign led the pro-incorporation campaign, which narrowly prevailed in a referendum.听
But Ensign failed in his bid to become the city鈥檚 first mayor in the 2007 municipal election, losing to Rosalind Neis, whose entire campaign was based on somehow undoing the referendum result and effecting amalgamation with Kelowna.听
Ensign prided himself on being a no-nonsense businessman who favoured practical solutions. During his successful run for a council position in the 2014 election, he told a story of how his dad, a cattle rancher, once discovered piles of garbage on the family property, then dug through the trash looking for papers with a name on it.听
He took the garbage and dumped it on that person鈥檚 yard. 鈥淭hat鈥檚 how you deal with illegal dumping,鈥 Ensign said approvingly.听
But Ensign failed to win re-election in 2018, and an attempted political comeback in 2022 was also unsuccessful. During his one-term on council, he was involved in two conflict-of-interest affairs. In 2016, he was directed by other councillors to take a course on how to avoid mixing business with politics and vowed to improve his behaviour.
鈥淭his is the end of Rusty being in conflict,鈥 he said in December 2016.
Ensign is survived by his two brothers, three children, and five grandchildren. Throughout his life, he was involved in the family farm, and oversaw the planting of its first vineyard in 2021, according to an obituary posted online by his relatives: 鈥淪adly, he won鈥檛 be here to enjoy the first crop to be harvested this fall.鈥
A memorial service will be held Aug. 9 beginning at 1 p.m. at Springfield Funeral Home, 2020 Springfield Rd.听
听
听