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Council briefs: Vernon supports Canada Day festivities

Tradition at Polson Park to continue July 1
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The City of Vernon is in the Canada Day spirit.

Council gave unanimous support to approving Canada Day activities in Polson Park July 1, hosted by the North Okanagan Canada Day Society.

“The mandate of the society is free family fun, and fun for the whole family,” said Kerry MacLeod, speaking on behalf of the society at a presentation to council.

Among the events planned throughout the day at the park are face painting, games, music, food, dog agility, horse/carriage rides, ATV club display and animals.

The society asked, and received, for in-kind support in the form of the use of Polson Park, tables, chairs, porta-potties, and on-site traffic control at the park.

Canada Day festivities in Vernon wrap up in the evening with the fireworks display from Kin Beach at 10:30 p.m.

Smoking bylaw amended

The city has officially amended its parks and public places (prohibit smoking bylaw), cleaning up some definitions in the regulation.

In the bylaw, no person shall smoke in a public place but does not include a highway. Highway includes “every road, street, lane, bridge, viaduct or right of way designed or intended for or used by the public for the passage of vehicles, and any other open way open to public use, other than a private right of way on private property, but within the bounds of park, however, does not include public pathways, walkways, sidewalks, carriageways or a road right of way.”

You also can’t smoke in a park.

Nor can you smoke at or within 7.5 metres of a public transit stop, defined as “a sign-posted location where public transit vehicles or vehicles for hire stop to pick up riders.” Distances from a transit stop will be measured from the sign that identifies the transit stop location.

Smoke, or smoking, is defined as inhaling, exhaling, burning or carrying a lighted cigarette, cigar, cigarillo, pipe, electronic cigarette or other smoking equipment that burns or vaporizes tobacco, cannabis or any other substance.

No fund support

Council voted unanimously to inform the Regional District of North Okanagan it will not be participating in the service establishment for a regional conservation fund.

A conservation fund is a local government service funded through a dedicated tax or fee, held or overseen by the local government, and earmarked for a specific purpose of undertaking projects that support environmental conservation and community sustainability.

Electoral Area Advisory Committee directors recommended a funding scenario for the fund of two cents per $1,000, which would mean $78,000 in revenue and would cost taxpayers $7.16.



Roger Knox

About the Author: Roger Knox

I am a journalist with more than 30 years of experience in the industry. I started my career in radio and have spent the last 21 years working with Black Press Media.
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