Lippert asks businesses to speak up

By Tyler Olsen - Vernon Morning Star - February 17, 2008

The City of Vernon is hoping businesses will make their voices heard as the municipality works to adapt to a new reality in the 21st century, Mayor Wayne Lippert told a large business crowd Tuesday at the Greater Vernon Chamber of Commerce’s annual mayors’ breakfast.“We’re looking at ways to give you more of a voice on different committees so we can hear what you have to say,” said Lippert. He said the city is working on a new official community plan that will look to go beyond land use issues by looking further down the road to try and craft a well-planned city. “We want to have a community that we all are proud to live in,” said Lippert. “I’m pretty positive about where we’ve come to and where we’re going. I want to see this community grow because growth and development are necessary.”Chamber members were asked to make their voices heard on the city’s transportation options and Lippert spoke about the importance of moving people around town while at the same time making it easier for residents to leave their cars at home. And he added, “Bypasses are just one part of our transportation plan and I want you all to remember that.”Lippert also noted that work with Telus may bring improved Internet and wireless access to Vernon soon and touted success in making the downtown core safer.The difference between walking downtown today and a couple years ago, Lippert said, “is night and day,” pointing to activities in Cenotaph Park, although he conceded there is still work to be done. Meanwhile, the regional district’s industrial growth strategy is trying to identify land for new industries in the area, whether in Spallumcheen, Lumby, or somewhere else. Lippert said industrial land may be hard to come by but it is not the only thing prospective businesses need.“They’re very, very much interested in what the amenities of the community are,” he said. That means activities, shopping outlets and homes for both middle-class workers and high-paid managers.

Earlier, Coldstream Mayor Gary Corner told the audience his municipality has targeted three areas for commercial growth – the town centre, the area near the lakeshore and a parcel of land near Highway 97 and Aberdeen Road, where a mall has been planned for sometime. Corner said the property’s owner is currently seeking a major food anchor before the project goes ahead. Corner, who is chairman of the Greater Vernon Services Committee, also presented the area’s economic outlook for the coming year and beyond. The outlook, which was drafted by economic development manager Denny Raincock, forecasts good business conditions through 2009 and moderately strong population growth. Job growth should be robust, it said, led by construction, non-forest product manufacturing and retail and wholesale trade. And it said Vernon is forecast to have the lowest unemployment rate and tightest labour market in the Okanagan. The report also mentions the need for more campground spots and improved lake access.

UBC-Okanagan Dean of Management Ian Stuart kicked off the event with a less positive outlook.“I think this particular year is going to be a very challenging one for businesses and services in the area,” said Stuart. The economy “really is a U.S.-Canada issue and obviously, with the amount of trade we do with the U.S. and import from the U.S., it has significant implications.“The best thing you can do is take a good hard look at the service you offer and products you manufacture and try to differentiate yourself as much as possible.”