DISPUTE HEATS UP | Landing firefighters launch public campaign to regain city contract [A6]
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Friday, Oct. 19, 2012
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Referendum promotions get funded
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RICHARD ROLKE Morning Star Staff
LISA VANDERVELDE/ MORNING STAR
Jon Klassen, with the RCMP, controls the tricycle traffic at the All Saints Anglican Church trike-athon Saturday at Beairsto Elementary. The event raised money for the church’s nursery school.
Call for action over crammed bus from eight to 10 trips during the school year. “Is there an option to do it without any Pressure could ultimately be eased on the additional cost?” North Okanagan’s busiest transit route. The RDNO board has approved some The Regional District of North changes to the UBC schedule. Okanagan and B.C. Transit are tryThe 6 p.m. departure from ing to determine how to provide Vernon to UBC will move to 1 p.m. additional runs to the University This bus will leave UBC at 2 p.m. of B.C. in Kelowna. and it’s anticipated this will help “The service (currently) leaves alleviate overcrowding on the 4 p.m. students behind,” said director departure from Kelowna. Rob Sawatzky. During the Christmas break at “Assisting young people and UBC, the service will be reduced Rob Sawatzky improving that run is a priority.” from eight to four trips per day. Staff and B.C. Transit are conThe changes are proposed to be sidering options, including the implemented within about eight schedule and whether there may be a need weeks. for a third bus. RDNO is also having to go through a legBecause another bus is costly, Sawatzky islative process to establish a transit service wonders if there are other steps that can be to UBC. taken like reworking the schedule and going Virtually all RDNO members fund one RICHARD ROLKE
Morning Star Staff
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bus to UBC. But when a second bus began in 2010, Vernon picked up the additional $120,000 a year because other communities had concerns about costs and use among their residents. RDNO members have now agreed to fund the second bus and that requires the creation of a funding service. However, the provincial government says public approval is required first. If 10 per cent of electors sign an alternate approval petition opposing the establishment of the service by 4 p.m., the function cannot proceed. Director Juliette Cunningham questions why the provincial government is demanding the approval process when there is such a need for the transit service. “The province is encouraging public tranFROM sit but I find it (process) surprising. It’s a lot we have to go through,” she said.
A referendum on a proposed Greater Vernon sports complex is months away, but preparations have begun. The Regional District of North Okanagan board agreed Wednesday to budget $15,000 this year for a public communications process leading up to an April 6, 2013 borrowing referendum. Directors have also pre-approved $2,500 for next year. “They want to start developing information,” said Tannis Nelson, community development co-ordinator, of the referenPatrick Nicol dum steering committee. During the referendum, Greater Vernon residents will be asked to borrow $8.5 million to construct a track and multi-use field at Okanagan College in Coldstream. The communications campaign will include brochures and displays at community events. There will also be a $10,000 3-D model of the proposed facility to expand awareness. “It will have a sense of scale. It will show what the site looks like during the day or at night,” said Keith Pinkoski, parks planner. Patrick Nicol, RDNO chairperson, supports providing residents with details as soon as possible and insists the process for a sports complex must be transparent. “This is a pretty critical moment in Greater Vernon’s history,” he said. “We want to give the public all of the information they need to make a decision. The issue deserves full discussion by the public.” If approved, the $8.5 million would be borrowed over 20 years and the average cost per household could be between $17 and $20 a year.
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