Study focuses on potential for future port

By Natalie Bank Friday, October 5, 2007 Vernon Courier

The North Okanagan could be home to an inland port if a study shows the operation would be viable here. On Wednesday members of the North Okanagan Regional District board voted in favour of paying part of the fee for a report to determine if it makes sense for the Vernon area to build a port service. NORD director and Coldstream mayor Gary Corner said he is in favour of the study and hopes the idea will go from report to reality someday. “I always think anything that brings money into the community – the spin-off to the community is quite large,” he said, adding a port service would create more jobs for the surrounding communities. The board will draw roughly $5,000 out of its feasibility reserve fund to pay for 10 per cent of the cost of the study. The rest of the cost for the research could come from a grant given by the Pine Beetle Community Diversification Initiative, a federal program set up to help B.C. regions
affected by the insect.

Denny Raincock, economic development manager, is working on that application now. “There‘s no guarantee we‘ll actually get the money, but we hope to get a definite answer as to whether or not an inland port would work here,” she said. The consultant would also look into whether a scaled down version of a port, such as a load/reload facility, is more realistic and if the regional district should be involved in a port service at all. Electoral Area B Director Cliff Kanester said he supports the study, but is not optimistic about what it might say about the possibility of a port. “I think if it were something that was viable, why wouldn‘t somebody in
industry do it? Why does it have to be government?” Raincock said if all goes well with the funding application, a request for proposals for a consultant to do the study could be out by spring. Meanwhile, Raincock said other Interior cities including Salmon Arm and Kamloops are also considering an inland port. “There is competition from communities who might even have a stronger case so I don‘t want to raise expectations, but what we need is some expert help here.” Raincock said politicians started talking about the possibility of a port after a visit by Vancouver MP David Emerson in May.