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March 25, 2015
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Road upkeep in the District of Lake Country has a $30-million backlog. Infrastructure director told council last week returning some secondary roads to gravel surfaces may be the solution. ...............................
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CONTRIBUTED
IT TAKES a lot of hands, and big hearts, to give a local food bank a new building all its own.Turning ceremonial spades are long-time Lake
Country Food Bank manager Phyllis McPherson (centre) surrounded by Mayor Jim Baker (left), local MLA Norm Letnick and the work crews who will bring the structure into reality.
Big project… The Lake Country Rotary Club took on a big project when it decided to raise funds for a new food bank building. A little more community support is needed. ...............................
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Flyers ■ Jysk ■ Rona ■ Save On Foods ■ Shoppers Drug Mart ■ Staples
Food Bank truly a community effort
KEVIN PARNELL
A couple of days after the golden shovels went into the ground, signifying the official start of construction of a new home for the Lake Country Food Bank, manager Phyllis McPherson was still basking in the glow of a true community effort to build the food bank its first permanent home. If all goes according to plan, McPherson and her group of volunteers— nobody is paid at the Lake Country Food Bank—will be serving clients out of the new building this Christmas. “It’s going to be fantastic,” said McPherson. “There are a lot of things to be looking forward to. I can hardly wait. I have butterflies in my stomach talking about it now. I’ll be a wreck by September.” McPherson was joined at the official opening by Kelowna-Lake Coun-
try MLA Norm Letnick, Lake Country Mayor James Baker, and representatives from Okanagan College, Aviva Insurance and from the Rotary Club, the club that has taken it upon themselves to get the project to the start of construction with a five year fundraising campaign (see story page A6). “They’re fantastic,” said McPherson of the Rotary. “If it wasn’t for them we wouldn’t be having this. Without them there would be nothing. I would still be looking for another place to rent and move into.” The Rotary Club’s campaign is still not over as the project will still need somewhere between $100,000 and $200,000 in contributions to get to completion of the project. But now that the construction of the project is underway, Rotary says the public is stepping up more than it already has. “In the last week we have received
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quite an influx of donations,” said Bob Rymarchuk, project director. “I think people in the community are pretty excited that yes, the building is going ahead. We are very confident this community will come together and finish what we have started.” Rymarchuk was at Lake Country council last week, the day before the official opening, as district councillors were being asked to vote on whether or not to subsidize the project by waiving building fees and development cost charges. Councillors did support a grant-inaid for $33,000 to the food bank project to take care of permits and other charges associated with the project. When complete, the building will be turned over the municipality. “I’m so happy you are going ahead with this project,” said Coun. Rob Geier. “The district is going to get a
$750,000 building. I am fully behind the Rotary Club and the food assistance society and I have no doubts that you will make up for the shortfall. This project is going to be tremendous asset to the community.” It was fitting the councillors supported the project at municipal hall, the same land where Lake Country’s food bank once operated, in a boarded up house that was eventually torn down for the construction of Lake Country municipal hall. It has also operated out of the old Woodsdale school before moving to the current location at the old Winfield Elementary. “This will be my fourth move,” said McPherson, recalling the modest beginnings of the food bank. “But we won’t have to go anywhere anymore. We’ve got a new home.” For more Food Bank stories see pages A6 and A7.
D L O
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