EAGLE VALLEY
NEWS
Cigarette boasts prompt noise bylaw debate Page 3
Passion for the Shuswap takes flight in film Page 6
Wednesday, Aug. 26, 2015 PM40008236
Vol. 60 No. 34 Sicamous, B.C., • 1.25 (GST included) • www.eaglevalleynews.com
Smoky skies: An orange-tinted sun barely penetrates the smoke covering the Shuswap on Sunday, Aug. 23. An air-quality advisory was in effect Sunday and Monday for the Shuswap and elsewhere in the province due to the heavy smoke originating from large wildfires in Washington State. Photo by Kelly Dick
Business owners see little benefit from Summer Stomp Hotel take: Customers being turned away during peak season.
By Lachlan Labere Eagle Valley News
A suggestion to move the Summer Stomp and Burnout event more into the shoulder season gained no traction with district council. Though the Sicamous and District Chamber of Commerce was conducting a survey about the annual motorcycle event (survey
now closed), Best Western Sicamous Inn owners Tim and Loretta Corless opted to submit their feedback on the event, in letter form, to the chamber and the District of Sicamous. Before speaking to this year’s Stomp, the Corless’ share their experience with the event in 2014. They note the event had a negative impact on business, “with quite a bit of damage occurring as well as physical altercations and threats to our staff.” “Most of the challenge arose from a large group booking that turned out to be a well-known motorcycle club,” state the Corless’. “Bikes were roaring back at all hours of the night and we had several com-
plaints from guests.” The Corless’ state they lost business as a result of the 2014 event. For this year’s Stomp, the Corless’ say they did things differently, not taking any group bookings and also closing online bookings. “We had very few problems this year,” they write. “However, it is important to note that we were more than half full with travellers not attending the Stomp, and that we had to turn way at least an additional 20 to 40 rooms of travellers.” The Corless’ note the Stomp occurs during the hotel’s peak season, and does not create any additional revenue for the hotel.
“Should the festival be in the shoulder seasons, one might be able to argue that additional business is being brought into Sicamous,” state the couple. “As it is right now, it actually costs us much more as we bring on additional staff for security and assistance.” The Corless’ also express their concern with hosting an event that brings “notorious motorcycle clubs” to Sicamous. “We were told, by guests attending the event, that there were booths at the Stomp grounds selling gang-related merchandise. It raises the question if this is the type of groups we want to welcome into our town?” See Presence of on page 2