Kin Beach Project Cancelled

Peter McIntyre Wednesday, 27 May 2009 107.5 KISSFM
The city of Vernon is advising residents with future concerns about Kin Beach to contact the Okanagan Indian Ban. Mayor Wayne Lippert says the band has put a stop to a city project along Lakeshore Road, aimed at reducing complaints like noise, vandalism and vehicles driving onto the beach. Lippert tells KISS FM, "We originally had an agreement with the Band to put up some barriers put up and improvements done on the beach to stop people from driving on it. There was going to be pedestrian walkways, parking, just essentially to clean it up, making it more pedestrian and people friendly, and make it safer for everybody. But the new band council changed it's mind on that and will not let us go ahead with that." Lippert says the new band council is disputing the road right of way for Lakeshore Road in a land claim with the province. The mayor says it means the problems at the beach will continue, such as noise, vandalism and animal safety issues. He says the project termination also means the city will lose out on using close to $400,000 in government grants. The total cost was around $680,000."It has killed the project so the grant funding can't be used and we will not be putting city funds into that project." The Band was going to provide sand and gravel.