I am writing to share my dismay and disgust at the actions of Vernon’s bylaw division on Monday, June 3, 2019, when it was deemed necessary to pull two busy bylaw officers from essential work in downtown Vernon and get them to drive the 20 kilometres out to Ellison Provincial Park in order to ticket approximately 60 cars belonging to the parents of participants taking part in the NOCS/Olympia “Sprockids” Mountain Biking event.
Apparently they had received one complaint about the parking and felt the urgent need to respond.
It’s kind of ironic that when you need a bylaw officer in downtown Vernon (dogs off leash in Polson Park or fowling on school playing fields, drinking alcohol on the beach, drug taking in a downtown alley, etc.) you can never find one.
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But one complaint 20 km from town and two officers rush out. It’s not even as though the cars in question were causing any problems.
They were all parked neatly to the side of the road and not causing obstruction. Traffic flow is very minimal.
Sprockids is a volunteer based event designed to get children away from their computers and outside to introduce them to the much healthier activity of mountain biking.
Perhaps in future the council would be better served spending their time working with Parks BC to improve parking and facilities at these sites in order to encourage, not discourage, parents and children to take part in these events.
With a healthier population, both physically and mentally, the problems that plague downtown Vernon would be greatly reduced.
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You may have appeased one disgruntled voter, but I can assure you, your teams actions have ensured a hundred or more taxpaying voters now have a considerably lower opinion of this council and its bylaw division.
Dave Cross
@VernonNews
letters@vernonmorningstar.com
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