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October 9, 2013
▼ ASPEN GROVE/SCHOOL DISTRICT
Inside
Resident sees no reason to stay in LC if golf course goes Golfers present 327-name petition KEVIN PARNELL STAFF REPORTER
Premier’s Award Work to keep grazing cattle from roaming into a drinking water creek in Lake Country, has been recognized with an award. ...............................
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A trio of artists are showing their collaborative collection of work at the Lake Country Art Gallery, with an opening reception tonight. ...............................
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Getting comfy is wonderful but too much lets us lose sight of bigger picture. ...............................
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Lake Country resident Richard Issler says if the Aspen Grove Golf Course is turned into playing fields for a new school, there is no reason for him and his two home-based businesses to stay in the Okanagan community. Issler was one of several golfers who approached Lake Country council last week in a last minute plea to try and save the golf course, although with a decision already in the hands of the Agriculture Land Commission (ALC) the move may have come too late. The ALC met late last week and is expected to make a decision on whether the golf course lands could be removed from the Agriculture Land Reserve (ALR). As of the Lake Country Calendar’s press deadline, no decision had been made public. The Central Okanagan School District and Aspen Grove have a tentative deal in place for the district to buy the land, if the ALC removes a portion of the golf course from the reserve. For Issler and a group of local golfers, the possible end of Aspen Grove would be something that strikes at the core of the Lake Country community. “I’ve lived all over the world and I’ve always valued a small town community with a small golf course where everyone knows your name,” said Issler. “I just feel complete-
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GOLFER Richard Issler says if the Aspen Grove Golf Course is sold and turned into playing fields, there will be no reason for him to stay in
Lake Country.
ly at home at that place. This is the lifestyle I want and if they take the course away it takes not only the golf away but the community that we have here. If it’s taken away, myself and my business will be leaving Lake Country.” Lake Country golfers presented council with a petition with 327 names on it, hoping it would be enough to sway council to oppose the application to the ALC to remove the golf course from the ALR. Despite earlier concerns by some councillors about the location of the proposed junior-middle school at some point in the future, council didn’t take any action on the item.
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THIS IS THE LIFESTYLE I WANT…IF (THE GOLF COURSE IS) TAKEN AWAY, MYSELF AND MY BUSINESS WILL BE LEAVING LAKE COUNTRY. Richard Issler, Lake Country resident and business owner
For Issler and the other golfers who stood up and put their objections forward, the destruction of Aspen Grove would mean the end of a golf commun-
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ity that includes senior citizens, residents of care homes, and locals who just want a smaller, nine hole course, as opposed to the large, resort-style courses that have taken over the Okanagan. “We only have one golf course and if it’s gone we’ll never get another one,” said Issler. “They may build an extensive one on the hill, but none of us will ever play it,” he said. Among the other golfers who showed up to plead for the future of Aspen Grove Golf Course was Corinne Hayward, a Lake Country resident who suffers from rheumatoid arthritis. An avid golfer many years ago, Hay-
ward wasn’t able to play the game due to her arthritis until she started playing Aspen Grove, a short, flat, par 3 course favoured by folks who want a quick round, some good exercise and a gathering place. “This is the very first golf course I have been able to play ,” she said. “It’s an easy one for seniors or people with disabilities to get out and enjoy the beautiful country that we live in, so please don’t let it go.” At the Aspen Grove golf course itself, employee Cheranda Schulz said the course caters to many seniors and groups in Lake Country and is a busy place during the summer months. She
said people haven’t been happy as word has spread that the golf course may be turned into playing fields. “I have a lot of upset people,” she said. “Everyone is talking about it. People are 50-50. They are sad that it could go but they understand the educational system needs the extra school.” Aspen Grove is more than just a golf course. It employs close to 30 folks, including the restaurant. Schulz said the golf course is the busiest part of the business in the summer months. Golf course owner Tom Stanbrook was out of the country and unavailable for comment. newsroom@lakecountrynews.net
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