SUMMERLAND REVIEW THE VOICE OF OUR COMMUNITY SINCE 1908
VOLUME 67 - ISSUE
WWW.SUMMERLANDREVIEW.COM
NO. 48 • S U M M E R L A N D, B.C. • T H U R S D AY,
NOVEMBER
27,
2014
•
24
PA G E S
•
$1.15
INCLUDING
GST
WHAT’S INSIDE:
Council conclusions
Members of the outgoing Summerland Council said their goodbyes at their final meeting on Monday.
Page 3
Christmas dinner
NeighbourLink is organizing a special Christmas dinner initiative.
Page 2
Disneyland dance
Dancers from Summerland performed at an All Canadian program at the Disneyland Resort.
Page 6
Thrift Shop
The Summerland Health-Care Auxiliary Thrift Shop requires the efforts of many dedicated volunteers.
Page 18
Golden finish
Summerland bobsleigh athlete Justin Kripps and his teammates took gold in a recent competition.
Page 20
YOUR SMILE Last winter I bought a set of snow tires. In spring they melted.
Highway accident
John Arendt Summerland Review
Paramedics prepare to transport a passenger who was injured in a two-vehicle collision on Highway 97 early Monday evening. The highway was closed at Jones Flat Road while emergency crews attended the scene.
Land swap vote on Dec. 1 Motion to scrap controversial plan on agenda for inaugural meeting of new council by John Arendt A decision to rescind Summerland’s controversial land exchange will be the first order of business once the new municipal council takes office on Monday. Mayor elect Peter Waterman said the resolution will be on the agenda at the Dec. 1 meeting. During the election campaign, he had
announced that if elected the first order of business for the new council would be a recommendation to withdraw the application before the Agricultural Land Commission. The municipality’s proposed Urban Growth Plan called for the removal of 80.34 hectares of land within the Agricultural Land Reserve near the core of the community. In exchange, 91.7 hectares in the Prairie Valley area would be added to the land reserve. The application is now before the Agricultural Land Commission.
As a member of the outgoing council, Waterman was the sole member opposed to the land exchange. The land exchange was needed for the new growth plan. Municipalities in British Columbia are required to have a plan in place to accommodate future growth. “There are a number of options that can be discussed,” municipal planner Ian McIntosh said. “We’ll see what council’s direction is.” Waterman said the municipality will revert to the growth plan in the existing Official Com-
munity Plan for now. Summerland’s community plan, adopted in 2008, received council support in a 4-3 Peter decision. Waterman Amendments were later made, in 2009 and 2010. Waterman said growth can be accommodated by infilling and through subdivisions which are ready to go. The Wharton Street project would also provide development close to the downtown core.
In the past decade, two developers have expressed a strong interest in a development for Wharton Street, at the site of the existing museum and library. “There’s potential. It just takes the right conditions,” Waterman said. During the election campaign, other members elected to the new council had also stated their opposition to the plan. Work on the Urban Growth Plan began early in 2013 and came to public hearing early this year, after roughly a year of preparation.
Funds available for replant program The provincial government is investing $8.4 million over the next seven years for the fruit tree replant program. Under the program, fruit growers can apply for grant funding beginning on April 1 until the 2021 season.
According to provincial estimates, more than 600 hectares will be replanted during the program. This will provide an estimated 2,600 jobs annually in the Okanagan. “This program extension ensure that growers will be able
to continue to produce a widevariety of fruits from cherries, stone fruits and unique B.C. apple varieties which are known around the world for their quality and exceptional taste,” said Penticton MLA Dan Ashton.
In 2013, B.C. fruit growers produced Canada’s second largest tree fruit crop, worth almost $103 million. The application and criteria will be available on the B.C. Fruit Growers’ Association website.