Calendar Lake Country
Notaries Public
Proudly Serving
www.lakecountrycalendar.com
Winfield, Oyama, Okanagan Centre and Carrs Landing since 1951
Your reliable alternative to a lawyer
250.766.4444 aubinandassociates.com next to Tim Hortons
April 29, 2015
It’s a go to purchase rail corridor
Inside
KEVIN PARNELL
School budget cuts Central Okanagan school board has found budget cuts to make up for less money coming next school year from the provincial government. ...............................
3
It’s that time of year when slumbering bears come out of their overwintering spots and look for an easy meal. Here are some bear aware reminders. ...............................
8
Flyers ■ Home Depot ■ Hometown ■ Jysk ■ Rona ■ Save On Foods ■ Shoppers Drug Mart ■ Staples ■ Summit Tools
The mayor expressed great relief, the lead negotiator said they are very excited, the Okanagan Indian Band offered no comment and one of the noside representatives said the sun still rose on Sunday, the day after almost 50 per cent of Lake Country eligible voters turned out to vote and passed the CN Rail corridor referendum by a 3 to 1 margin. The highest voter turnout for any election or referendum in Lake Country history saw 3,336 residents vote yes and 1,117 vote no, meaning Lake Country can go ahead and borrow $2.6 million giving the CN Rail corridor acquisition team the final part of the $22 million it needs to purchase the corridor from CN. “I’m really relieved that people recognize that this really is an investment for the future and that we can still do what we have to in terms of running the municipality,” said Lake Country Mayor James Baker. “This is an investment that we really did want to have Lake Country to have some control over what happens there.” The deal with CN Rail is expected to close on June 1, although a BC Supreme Court hearing with the Okanagan Indian Band looking for an injunction to stop the sale is still expected to be heard before the deal can close, according to Doug Gilchrist, the head of the inter-jurisdictional team. “All the funding is now secured for the corridor acquisition and we will be proceeding forward with our agreement with CN with the goal of the June 1 close,” said Gilchrist. “We will continue to work with the property owners that have concerns and with First Nations.” When it comes to the property owners most closely involved in the process mov-
ALLAN GATZKE/CONTRIBUTOR
ELIGIBLE voters decide 3 to 1 in favour of Lake Country borrowing funds to purchase part of its
share of the CN Rail corridor through the district.
ing forward, it comes “When you have down to the two elections there is Oyama properties more than one race that have the firstA record breaking 4,462 voters, 47.9 per cent of and more than one right-of-refusal to viewpoint,” said Biseligible electors, had their say in Lake Country’s purchase the corridor Okanagan Rail Corridor Referendum. Figures sonette. “I think we from CN. put the proper quesfrom the chief election officer are: Gilchrist says they tions forward. Some have been in neof them were anYES NO gotiations with the swered and some of Advance polls 2203 644 two homeowners them weren’t. We Election day 1133 473 throughout the leadwoke up this morTotal 3336 1117 up to the referendum ning $5.1 million (plus nine rejected ballots) and added he doesn’t more in debt. We see the end result of have two loans from those talks leading to two different sources. the purchase. No campaigns significant costs. At the end of the day I hope pointed to unknown future “I think both property they prove me wrong with my costs of purchasing the corriowners are going to be willing concerns about the cost overdor and the issues surroundto work with us,” he said. “We runs.” ing property owners who have understand they have a perAs for the yes campaign, lived with the rail line going sonal vested interest they are Duane Thomson, who headthrough personal property for trying to protect. I don’t beed up the Lake Country Rail years. lieve either one are opposed Trail Action Team said it’s Guy Bissonette said his to the multi-modal transportime to move forward with begroup and the other no camtation corridor they just want ginning the fundraising work paign brought forward legitsome specific interests looked and added he appreciated all imate issues and he hopes the after. I don’t particularly see concerns over future costs don’t of the concerns raised in the how there could be significant community through the procome true. Bissonette added costs associated with that.” cess. the true cost to Lake Country The past six weeks or so “I think that many of the taxpayers is $5.1 million when in Lake Country featured people who voted no were not you add in Kelowna’s investplenty of lobbying efforts as necessarily opposed to develment in Lake Country’s pora yes campaign and two no oping the corridor into a rail tion of the corridor that the campaigns brought forward municipality has said they plan trail. Many told us that they the positives and negatives were supportive of the trail but to eventually purchase back that could be associated with did not appreciate the process from Kelowna.
Rail Corridor Referendum
(trying to get the issue through via the AAP).” said Thomson. “They were fearful that they were not getting the real story, and that negotiations were held behind closed doors, etc. Now that the community has spoken and once they realize that their fears were largely ill-founded, many of them will come on board. We are very respectful of those who voted no as many of them had legitimate concerns that must be considered.” Once the deal with CN closes, the company will have one year to remove the ties and rails and bring the corridor up to a certain standard as laid out in the deal. Another group will be formed from the jurisdictions involved to move forward with planning and fundraising. “It will be a while before there is a whole lot of planning that might happen,” said Baker. “As we have said all along, volunteers in the community are going to be the ones doing the raising of money. We are not doing anything other than making the acquisition.”
Voters turn out in droves If Lake County was worried about its voter turnout after last November’s general election, the district can rest assured that there are plenty of tuned-in residents following the CN corridor referendum. A record-breaking 4,453 Lake Country residents voted in the referendum, 47.9 per cent of the eligible voters; much higher than the 24 per cent that voted in the November elections. It was also only the second time the district took advance
SEE VOTERS A2