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October 28, 2015
▼ NEW MP FOR RIDING
Inside
Cultural coordinator Ryan Donn has been hired by the district to manage cultural events and assist the arts community. ...........................
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Next steps on the CN Rail corridor transition. ...............................
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Autumns beauty on display in Lake Country ...............................
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Flyers ■ Coopers ■ Hometown ■ Jysk ■ Rona ■ Safeway ■ Shoppers Drug Mart ■ Stihl ■ Staples
Lake Country to tell Fuhr transportation its top need KEVIN PARNELL Lake Country Mayor James Baker says he was surprised at the results of the federal election but adds that it may be beneficial to Lake Country to work with new MP Stephen Fuhr and the Liberal government when it comes to the district’s ongoing infrastructure shortage. Fuhr was elected as Kelowna-Lake Country MP in last week’s federal election. He met with local politicians in Kelowna last week and is expected to meet with Lake Country’s mayor and council before he departs for Ottawa, beginning a relationship that
will last at least the next four years. Baker said the fact that the Liberals promised a record amount of infrastructure spending bodes well for the district’s attempts to acquire funding. “The Liberal platform was good with regard to infrastructure spending so we have to see that some of that comes our way,” said Baker. “Our biggest issue is our Transportation for Tomorrow plan so (we hope) they can continue the grant program like Build Canada and have that relate to what we are doing with our roads and cycling paths and other infrastructure like water
▼ LIBERAL MP
ALISTAIR WATERS
Fuhr gets ready to jump into new job
The man who knocked off threeterm incumbent Kelowna-Lake Country MP Ron Cannan in the Oct. 19 federal election, knows he has big shoes to fill. Stephen Fuhr, who became the first Liberal elected in this area since 1968, paid tribute to his outgoing Conservative
BLACK PRESS FILE
STEPHEN FUHR (right) at a meet and greet held at UBCO before the Oct. 19 federal election. Fuhr went on to win the Kelowna-Lake Country seat for the Liberal party over incumbent Conservative Ron Cannan. and sewer.” Baker said the district has had good success securing money from senior levels of government at both the provincial and federal level in the past with the key being the grant applications sent in by the dis-
trict. “You need a strong proposal and you need to have plans in place,” said Baker of the keys to accessing infrastructure money. “It is imperative that we can access this money. We are such a fast-growing community
and we have a lot of deficits in our infrastructure.” Fuhr will leave for Ottawa on Nov. 1 to be sworn in and get his office set-up. Since the election he has been busy fielding phone calls from well-wishers and his new constituents and getting
organized, including a quick meeting with the City of Kelowna. He also plans to touch base with Lake Country on its specific needs this week. “Infrastructure was
counterpart last week, admitting Cannan did a good job representing his constituents for nine years. Fuhr said he intends to follow Cannan’s lead on issues and make them his priority as MP. “Ron is a good guy, he was never the target (of my campaign),” said Fuhr. Like Liberal candidates across the country, Fuhr made Conservative
leader Stephen Harper his target, laying unpopular Conservative government policies over the last nine years directly at the feet of the outgoing prime minister, who has been accused by many of being a control freak for the way he centralized power in the Prime Minister’s Office. Fuhr acknowleged Cannan’s success in securing federal funding
for many projects here and said he will also fight for funding for this area. In doing so, he hopes to work with re-elected Central Okanagan-Similkameen-Nicola Conservative MP Dan Albas. “I don’t know Dan all that well, but I expect of all the area MPs, he is likely the one I will be working with the most,” said Fuhr. The constituencies of
both men include parts of the City of Kelowna. The local Liberal MP-designate said he expects the fact he will be part of a Liberal majority in the House of Commons will help his cause when he goes looking for federal money for Kelowna-Lake Country. During the campaign, Fuhr said he talked to
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