The decision to not allow construction of an amphitheatre at Okanagan College demonstrates government at its best.
The proposal received significant opposition from adjacent residents, and elected officials from the District of Coldstream also came out against the plan.
Eric Foster, Vernon-Monashee MLA, heard the concerns and he did the right thing. He acted.
“I made my feelings, and the feelings of local residents, clear to the Ministry of Advanced Education...” he said in a release.
However, while government’s ability to listen to the public over the amphitheatre issue deserves praise, its inability to do the same with Stickle Road can’t be ignored.
Through three public meetings and countless letters and e-mails, the Ministry of Transportation has been told to put a traffic signal in at Stickle Road and Highway 97. But instead, it has cast that input aside and gone in a completely different direction.
In scrapping the Kal Bowl, Foster stated, “I feel that an amphitheatre at that location would degrade the quality of life for residents who live near the campus.”
But won’t the ministry’s plans for Stickle Road create a similar impact to the quality of life for businesses and residents in that area?
The government appears to have its mind made up at Stickle, but hopefully leadership will still prevail.