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Future of rail trail in voters’ hands RICHARD ROLKE Morning Star Staff
Lake Country residents are expected to turn out in high numbers Saturday to determine the future of a proposed rail trail. Polls will be open from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. at George Elliot Secondary School, with residents being asked to borrow $2.6 million to purchase the rail corridor within the municipality. “We need to have a vision for the long term; and the future of our community will be greatly enhanced by the local control of the corridor within our jurisdiction,” said Mayor James Baker in a letter to the media. “Our control of the corridor is a wise investment fiscally, socially and environmentally — the three major factors that make Lake Country a great place to live.” The overall price tag for the discontinued Canadian National line from Kelowna to Coldstream is $22 million, with the remainder of the funds coming from the Regional District of North Okanagan and Kelowna. While the purchase has many supporters, other Lake Country residents are concerned. “Those people that are opposed are not bad residents,” said Guy Bissonette, with Taxpayers 4 Responsible Tax. “They don’t lack community spirit. They are just saying there is a better way to spend our money. We’re not saying no to tax increases, we’re saying let’s use our tax increase for our crumbling infrastructure.” Bissonette says Lake Country taxpayers will be on the hook for $5.1 million when repayment of Kelowna’s $2.5 million investment in the rail corridor in Lake Country is factored in.
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More than 300 people spell out the word yes during a pro-rail corridor rally Sunday in Lake Country. Lake Country residents go to referendum Saturday on borrowing $2.6 million to purchase the corridor. He also claims there will be much remediation work to the corridor once CN Rail removes the ties and rails. However, Baker insists the district can repay the loan without impacting other infrastructure. “As a part of our asset audit and manage-
ment planning, we have identified infrastructure valued at $160 million that is in various stages of depreciation,” he said. “We know from other models that there may be options, other than taxation, for funding development and maintenance of corridors like this including stimulus fund-
ing, government grant programs, fundraising and foundation contributions, and we will be exploring those.” A total of 2,853 people cast ballots in five advance polls. — with files from Black Press reporter Kevin Parnell
Band spreads awareness on Commonage claim Morning Star Staff
The Okanagan Indian Band insists its message is clear about the Commonage claim and the rail trail. The band has taken out a two-page advertisement in the Lake Country Calendar to address any issues Lake Country residents Byron Louis may have before voting Saturday on borrowing $2.6 million to purchase the discontinued
Canadian National rail line. “Two OKIB staff attended the proponents of the yes vote and from their report to our council, this advertisement is warranted,” said Chief Byron Louis, “We’re saying these are key facts of our legal action that the public should be aware of.” Louis added that the contents of the advertisement are meant to provide an overview of the OKIB’s claim to the Commonage rail corridor. The band says the Commonage rail corridor is a portion of the land allotted
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to the OKIB by the Joint Indian Reserve Commission in 1877, and between 1886 and 1893, the federal and provincial government did not follow the rules when relinquishing the band’s interest in the lands. The band also goes on to say that rights acquired by CNR were limited to the use of the corridor for railway purposes only. “When Kelowna Pacific Railway went bankrupt and CNR decided to abandon the entire rail corridor, the Commonage rail corridor should have reverted to reserve land,” it states.
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“If the lands were to revert to reserve, as they should have, the Commonage rail corridor does not belong to CNR, therefore CNR cannot sell it.” Louis says the band has received unfiled responses to its notice of civil claim filed March 24 and have referred the documents to its legal team. “Of course the other parties have to deny our claim,” said Louis. “It’s difficult to deny the fact the Commonage reserve, where the Commonage rail corridor is, was created in 1877 by the Joint Indian Reserve Commission.”
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