Mayor to contact band over road closure

Richard Rolke - Vernon Morning Star Published: July 07, 2009 7:00 PM

The City of Vernon wants to know once and for all if a road will be shut down. Mayor Wayne Lippert plans to contact Chief Fabian Alexis this week to discuss the Okanagan Indian Band’s proposal to block Lakeshore Road. “I will see if we can get together and find out what’s going on,” said Lippert. Contact with the band has ground to a halt since it announced in late May that it could possibly shut down a portion of the road over a legal dispute. Both sides of Lakeshore from Tronson Road to the creek, including the beach (not Kin Beach Park), are part of the reserve. The band states it never extinguished ownership over the land the road is on. However, the city claims it has authority over the road right-of-way and it will take legal action against any closure. “We have made plans in case it happens,” said Lippert.

While a road closure would impact emergency vehicles and local residents, Lippert says there could be a negative impact for the band and particularly when it comes to issues of mutual concern. “They have more to lose than we do. With the size of the city, there are things we can do and we’re willing to work with our neighbours,” he said. “We are doing economic development and tourism and if they want to improve things, the band needs to work with us.” Lippert added that the city is looking at planning along its portion of Okanagan Lake, and reserve lands could be part of the process if the band gets involved. The possibility of a road closure surfaced shortly after the band asked the City of Vernon to abandon a $733,000 project that would have addressed safety concerns along Lakeshore Road and the beach. The Okanagan Indian Band could not be reached for comment.