SPORTS
WEST WEST KELOWNA council wants public input on a strategy to upgrade the dilapidated Westbank Cemetery.
Saturday, September 8 at 8:00am 3155 Lakeshore Road, Kelowna, BC
OKANAGAN SUN veteran Bobby Davis, a Mt. Boucherie grad, will close out his junior football career playing his third position—slotback— after turns as a defensive back and quarterback.
see inside for our flyer specials
A16
grand opening of our newest store in
mission park
82 serving our community 1930 to 2012
RAISE THE BAR ON POWER, PERFORMANCE
SALES
B7
39995
$
MS250
SINCE 1965
please join us as we celebrate the
SERVICE
RECEIVE FREE WOOD-PRO TM KIT
PARTS
SAVOY EQUIPMENT
1892 Spall Rd, Kelowna
LTD.
250-868-1010
THURSDAY September 6, 2012 The Central Okanagan’s Best-Read Newspaper www.kelownacapnews.com
▼ NORM LETNICK
Local MLA lands his first cabinet posting
Judie Steeves
STAFF REPORTER
street revitalization project, a $14 million project set to be finished by the spring of 2014.
▼ BERNARD AVENUE
Businesses prepare for disruptions Alistair Waters ASSISTANT EDITOR
The digging has started on Bernard Avenue. The city’s $14-million revitalization and rehabilitation of Kelowna’s main downtown street kicked off Wednesday with local politicians delivering speeches and posing by a large earth moving machine. And then they got out of the way to let the work crews that will dig up the road and replace utilities under the ground during the next 18 months, get on with their jobs.
The bulk of the work will be carried out in three phases—this fall, next spring and in the fall of 2013, with finishing work taking place in the spring of 2014. “This is an opportunity to revive what (downtown) Kelowna is,” said Mayor Walter Gray at the ceremonial ground-breaking. He said when the work is complete, Bernard Avenue will be much more pedestrian-oriented and the city will send a “subliminal” message with the new look that cars are not as welcome as they once were. But, he quickly added, the city is also planning two new park-
ades downtown as part of future developments. Throughout the event Wednesday morning, Gray and his son, Dallas, who is the current president of the Downtown Kelowna Association, stressed that despite the fact vehicles cannot drive on Bernard between Richter and Ellis Streets, businesses in the area are still open to pedestrian traffic. “We are encouraging people to come down, bring their families, shop, enjoy the restaurants and even watch the work,” said Dallas Gray. He added that while some
The Okanagan Valleys only
Cadillac Dealer Since 1977 JACOBSEN EXCELLENCE
merchants in the area are worried about the impact the road work will have on their businesses, measures are being taken to help them. In addition to the city having a liaison officer in place to deal directly with merchants’ concerns and “block captains” at businesses in the work zones to act as the eyes and ears of the DKA during the project, a promotional campaign is also underway to attract shoppers. Entry forms will be available at Bernard Avenue businesses See Prepare A13
N 97 N
See MLA A30
DOUG FARROW/CONTRIBUTOR
KELOWNA city hall council members and staff huddle around a grader Wednesday morning to mark the official start of the Bernard Avenue
McCurdy Rd.
HW Y
Although he doesn’t have a background in agriculture, B.C.’s newly-minted agriculture minister is confident that his experience in business will stand him in good stead. Kelowna-Lake Country MLA Norm Letnick cited his 20 years in business and 10 years teaching it, saying “agriculture is business,” as sources of experience to draw on for his new appointment. He becomes the third Central Okanagan MLA to be named to a cabinet post in a cabinet shuffle announced Wednesday morning by Premier Christy Clark. Letnick noted that he has worked with local fruit growers and the agriculture ministry in the last three years to help find the $2 million needed for a new replant program for Norm Letnick the industry. As well, as chairman of the Okanagan caucus, Letnick notes he has worked closely with other valley MLAs on agriculture issues. Reacting to his predecessor’s announcement a few days ago of $2 million for a new buy-local campaign for the agriculture industry in B.C., Letnick laughed and said he wished that could have been his first announcement in his new position, since it’s a concept he supports strongly. However, he noted, the government wants to balance the budget so it’s important to watch every dollar spent. He said he will be talking to stakeholders in the agriculture industry around the province in the coming months. Letnick is the seventh agriculture minister serving B.C. in the past four years, the eleventh in the past 20 years.
+ Leathead Rd. Hwy 33w