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Prepared by Councillor O'Hagan
I had the pleasure of chairing the June 9th Council Meeting as Mayor McKee
was unavailable due to other City business. It was a first and a
challenging experience. It has been a busy time for Council with many
issues outstanding.
A big HOORAY! On Friday the
13th, we actually had some great news with the announcement that
Revelstoke will receive $2 million for the Aquatic Centre project from the
Federal/Provincial Infrastructure Program. This grant, together with local
fund-raising and the previously approved borrowing authority, will allow
Council to proceed with the project in the near future. Many thanks to our
MLA Wendy McMahon, who worked diligently to garner support of the decision
makers. Also, we thank the Federal and Provincial governments for their
support of our worthy project. Stay Tuned!
At the meeting we had an
excellent presentation from the Okanagan University College representative
Dr. Katy Bindon. We leaned that they have now become a full degree
granting institution and most recently earned approval for its education
degree and master's degree programs. They have become a major educational
force in the interior and in Revelstoke and have many exciting programs
and resources to offer young and old. We are continuing our joint efforts
to establish a mountain research centre here in Revelstoke. This centre,
combined with the presence here of the Canadian Avalanche Centre, has the
potential to make Revelstoke a world centre for this type of research.
I continue to be puzzled by
the provincial government's drive to privatize alcohol sales and
distribution. We received correspondence from the B.C. Government and
Service Employee's Union. According to their information, the government
will lose approximately 636 million dollars of net income annually with no
return and the loss of up to 3500 good paying jobs. This does not make
business sense. In addition, based upon existing applications, it is
apparent that the number of outlets for liquor will more than double. In
Alberta the number of outlets went up by ten times after privatization.
This is dismaying. We already have enough liquor based social problems and
this will only increase with the more readily available alcohol. Council
has passed a number of resolutions to attempt to stop this process.
The Revelstoke Mountain
Beats and Blues Festival for 2003 will take place on June 20th – 21st this
year at Centennial Park. There will be activities for all ages with a
number of bands participating as well as a climbing wall, supervised kids
centre, a microbrew beer garden plus an eclectic mix of regional artisans
and food vendors. Mark this one on your calendars. Also, mark down that
the 2003 Revelstoke Timber Days are set for July 5th and 6th. They have
now been chosen to become part of the Lumberjack Challenge Series and will
be televised on both OLN and TSN.
The government is
continuing to propose the privatization of the Coquihalla Highway in spite
of significant opposition and an increase in the fuel tax. This
privatization would make travel on this important corridor much more
expensive and set a dangerous precedent. It was also noted that it would
be the only toll road in B.C. and would continue to erode the viability of
the 'Heartland' that the government keeps stating is so important to the
province. We are continuing to put pressure on the government to
reconsider this ill advised and discriminatory policy.
I am pleased to see the
replanting and landscaping and significant paving completed at the
Victoria Road and Trans Canada Highway intersection. It looks like it will
be finished in time for the major tourist season. I am sure that everyone
who uses this crossing and the local businesses will be relieved to see
this work completed. On the topic of crossings, Council is continuing to
work towards the cessation of train whistling in the downtown. We have
received approval in principal from the CPR, but have a ways to go before
getting Transport Canada approval. We will continue to pursue this
aggressively to make downtown Revelstoke a quieter place to live, work and
sleep in.
We are a fortunate
community indeed to have so many top rated and unique museums. The railway
museum is world class and attracts visitors from around the world but,
don't forget about our own Fire Fighters Museum located at the Fire Hall
on Fourth Street and the city museum on First Street. The heritage garden
project at the city museum is progressing nicely. Also, up the road a
short ways on Highway 23N, our Forestry Museum is now open again for
another season. It is growing and maturing with many projects on the go.
Have a look if you haven't done so recently.
On a disturbing note,
demand on the local food bank resources has increased significantly
lately. Please don't forget about them during the summer months. They have
asked that residents 'Donate a Row' of their garden produce. This can be
dropped at the centre in the downstairs at the Legion on any Friday
morning between 8:30 and 11:00 a.m.
On the positive side I am
pleased to see so many local businesses improving the exteriors of their
buildings. The Chalet Bakery, Kaos, Brandon-Bowers Funeral Chapel, Begbie
Glass, R & R, People's Drug Mart, Quite the Pair and the Dollar Store have
all indicated that renovations are in order. Keep your eye on them and
have a look.
Council and the community
owe a big THANK YOU to Sgt. Art Kleinsmith who, for the past year, has
filled the role of Detachment Commander. Art is a very capable
administrator/manager and did a terrific job while the RCMP was filling
the vacant Commander position. Art will return to his second-in-command
role now that Staff Sergeant Randy Brown has taken over the Commander
Role.
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