Vernon/Coldstream leads B.C. with death total in 2022

The North Okanagan health area had the highest death toll in all of B.C. last year.

A report from B.C. Vital Statistics shows a total of 826 deaths were recorded in the Vernon Centre/Coldstream Community Health Service Area (CHSA) in 2022.

That figure is the highest out of any CHSA in B.C., followed by South Surrey (803), Penticton (729), Downtown Kelowna (705), and Kamloops Centre North (669).

Vital Statistics did not provide any information on the causes of deaths in its annual death toll report.

The total in Vernon/Coldstream was the highest on record in 2022, surpassing the health area’s previous year’s total of 785.

The Vernon/Coldstream number was also the highest single-year total recorded for the health area since Vital Statistics began collecting data in 2007, and was well above the five-year average of 698 deaths.

The report noted there were also 112 deaths in the Armstrong/Spallumcheen health area, 170 in the North Okanagan/Lumby area and 100 in Enderby. Those figures bring the regional death total for the North Okanagan to 1,208.

Comparatively, there were 115 deaths in Armstrong/Spallumcheen, 147 in North Okanagan/Lumby and 102 in Enderby in 2021, bringing the regional total including Vernon/Coldstream to 1,149.

The five-year average for the entire North Okanagan from 2017-21 was recorded at 1,014.

The report showed January had the highest monthly death totals for Vernon/Coldstream and North Okanagan Lumby in 2022 with 93 and 20, respectively.

Armstrong/Spallumcheen saw the most deaths in January, June and August when there were a total of 12 deaths in each of those months, while Enderby had the most deaths in November with 24.

The local deaths were among 44,670 recorded across B.C. in 2022.

Vital Statistics did not provide any information on the causes of deaths in its annual death toll report.