Time for talk is over

Sep 17 2006 http://www.vernonmorningstar.com/
It didn't take a report to point a glaring problem in the North Okanagan's economy and that is the lack of light industrial land. However, the document presented to the Greater Vernon Services Commission and Community Futures is valuable in that it adds some concrete facts to what many of us have known for years. There certainly appears to be a lot of political interest in resolving the issue, but it should be pointed out that the same politicians have also been partly responsible for the problem. Over the years, certain areas of Vernon have been set aside for industrial land, but because development didn't occur as fast as property owners would like, the city agreed to rezoning most of these sites to residential or non-industrial uses. One just has to look at the new Aberdeen business park on 48th Avenue to see the situation is still occurring. That area was opened up for industrial activities but it's largely commercial businesses moving in there. But the past aside, it is time to take the matter of industrial land seriously. While all of the commercial growth has been positive, the jobs they create generally don't pay significant wages. The region needs jobs that allow people to support a family, make major purchases and pay taxes. If one positive is coming out of this process it is the increasing recognition that any solution must be regional. Any available land is in Spallumcheen, Enderby or Lumby, and if businesses set up there, employees may live in Vernon or at least support the merchants there. It's time for all of the talk about how important industrial jobs are to come to an end and for the politicians and bureaucrats to get down to work themselves.