Some bonus labour has helped the City of Vernon move closer to the July opening of Phase 2 of Becker Bike Park.
The contractor, Contour Trails, in conjunction with the city and North Okanagan Cycling Society (NOCS), hosted a volunteer trail day to involve local youth in the project. A total of 15 Trail Ninjas G-Tribe members had their third annual Trail Fairies Day.
“Led by Cam Sorenson, these incredible girls built the new blue tech trail at Becker Park,” said Erin Whitten of the Trail Ninjas. "It was an amazing day of learning about trail building and gaining some trail karma. Everyone was keen to learn how a bucket brigade can be a super-efficient way to move dirt quickly."
World-class pumptrack builder Velosolutions was on site as of May 13 constructing the pumptrack.
The project is on budget and on-schedule to be open in July ahead of the BC Day long weekend.
Sikh Temple bus stop relocation
The existing bus stop for Vernon’s Sikh Temple, on Route 5 Mission Hill, won’t be moved closer to the temple.
Council inquired about a possible relocation at its regular meeting, Monday, May 13.
“It’s not possible to relocate the bus stop closer to the temple without re-routing the bus, which would either add additional delay for people riding to locations further along the route to downtown, or remove the stop at the main entrance to Mission Hill Elementary,” said staff.
The existing bus stop is 405 metres away from the pedestrian entrance, which is an acceptable stop distance in the BC Transit Guidelines.
Staff recommended not making any changes to the route. Mission Hill transit and active transportation connections are under review in Vernon’s Transportation Plan.
Building Safer Communities Fund
Cash from the Building Safer Communities Fund from Public Safety Canada will help the city develop and implement its Vernon Gun and Gang Violence Prevention Strategy.
The strategy identifies three key priority area of focus:
• Develop outreach and navigator support for at-risk youth during the hours the Vernon Youth Safe House is closed;
• Develop an Indigenous, peer-based, youth mentorship program to reduce discrimination and promote cultural awareness among young people, with a specific focus on fostering a greater sense of belonging for Indigenous youth;
• Develop a waitlist management program to prevent children and youth from experiencing additional negative outcomes due to delays in receiving necessary services.
The project aims to provide support for children, youth, and their families who are currently unable to access services and for whom prolonged waiting periods may lead to long-term negative impacts and increased risk factors.
To that end, the city has agreements in place with North Okanagan Youth and Family Services Society (NOYFSS), Okanagan Indian Band, and Canadian Mental Health Association Vernon and District to deliver on these initiatives.
The agreements are in place through March 31, 2026.
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