Ron Seymour 12/19/2009 The Penticton Herald:
The City of Kelowna‘s new parade float should be a slick new ride, not at all like a traditional one – and maybe solar-powered. That was the consensus among city councillors who narrowly voted this week to spend $50,000 building a new float after hearing the existing one, built in 2004, is banned from an increasing number of parades because it‘s considered too old. Its replacement, Coun. Robert Hobson suggested, should be “environmentally sustainable (and) not just a big honking thing” that is towed from city to city in the summer by a vehicle that produces greenhouse-gas emissions. Coun. Michele Rule had complimentary words for the City of Penticton, which she said spends about $20,000 every three or four years to redesign its float, ensuring a fresh new look that is well-received at many parades. Penticton Mayor Dan Ashton said on Friday he thinks the expense is well worth it, considering the exposure the float brings to the city. “That float is seen by in excess of 700,000 people a year,” Ashton said. “It‘s a phenomenal form of advertising.”
The idea of spending $50,000 on a new parade float in a recessionary year struck some Kelowna councillors as an extravagance. They noted that Tourism Kelowna said there was no way to determine if floats help draw visitors from other cities. “It‘s old-time marketing,” Coun. Andre Blanleil said. “People in Penticton aren‘t going to come here because they‘ve seen our float.” However, Coun. Angela Reid, who mentioned that she was Miss Kelowna in 1995 and rode on the float in many parades, said she believes there is value in the colourfully decorated vehicle. “I think it does keep the city‘s name front and centre in many communities,” Reid said. Even though he voted against the expense, Coun. Luke Stack suggested the new float might be something like a solar-powered car, which the city might be able to rent rather than buy outright.
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