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EX-CFL kicker Jamie Boreham has joined the coaching staff of the Okanagan Sun in charge of special teams.
MAXINE DEHART reports The Swiss Chalet has opened a new location with new owners in West Kelowna after the Kelowna restaurant was closed earlier this year.
JORDAN TOOTOO of the NHL Detroit Red Wings was in West Kelowna on Tuesday to play in a charity golf tournament to benefit First Nations youth programs.
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THURSDAY July 26, 2012 The Central Okanagan’s Best-Read Newspaper www.kelownacapnews.com
▼ KELOWNA
▼ WEST KELOWNA
Mixed findings in crime stats
Council has stalled Gellatly Road upgrades
Kelowna’s crime severity rating is on the decline, but conditions are still far from ideal in the sunny city. In a Statistics Canada report where the nation’s crime rate notably plummeted to a 40-year low, Kelowna was listed among the Top 10 crime capitals. Kelowna was ranked fifth with a crime severity index rating of 97.4 in 2011, which is a 14 per cent improvement from 2010. Ranking No. 1 on the list was Regina. The national average for Canada is 77. 6. Although police often say they don’t put a lot of weight in statistical information, Kelowna’s crime rate has been noted in the past when the topic of needing more resources was raised. In particular, a report by an outside consultant pointed out that Kelowna would fare better if it had a more robust police force. That resulted in the hiring of 11 new RCMP and one civilian member See Stats A7
The district has pulled the plug on phase three upgrades to Gellatly Road just days before the proposed start of construction. Several factors caused five members of council to vote in favour of delaying the project during Tuesday’s council meeting. The top concern was parking. “Right now parking is at a premium. One of the reasons is that the improvements we’ve made over the last several years have attracted a lot of our residents and visitors down to that area,” said West Kelowna Coun. Gord Milsom. “The population is going to grow—it’s going to be a more popular area. Where’s the alternative parking?” Another issue was the removal of 41 katsura trees that would have occurred had the construction contract been approved. Don Burnett, a certified arborist and Capital News columnist, released a report July 22 claiming that only one of the katsura trees is not viable. He added that 40 of the 41 trees are in various levels of condition; however, none of them are “in decline.” “Mr. Burnett enjoys an excellent reputation and I think his five-page report is sufficient to suggest that we take a sober second
DOUG FARROW/CONTRIBUTOR
LOIS BENNETT sits near a katsura tree just off Gellatly Road. She is happy to see that District of West Kelowna council has delayed phase three upgrades to Gellatly Road. Bennett is strongly against the removal of 41 mature katsura trees along Gellatly Road, which would have been replaced if the construction was given the green light. thought to establish if the trees are sick or not,” said Coun. David Knowles. Gary O’Rourke, district director of engineering and operations, said that it will be very diffi-
cult and costly to create the type of road council is looking for—including bike lanes—while keeping the large katsura trees. Councillors also voiced concerns about
the timing of the project, which would have begun in August—potentially disrupting the optimum season for usage by the public. A final concern was
that the lowest construction bid was still over $700,000 more than the district had budgeted for Gellatly Road’s phase three upgrades. Mayor Doug Findlat-
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er said he still wanted to go through with the phase three upgrades and said that was the wish of most of the community as well.
See CouncilA7
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