Councillor wants more amenities

by Jennifer Smith - Vernon Morning Star posted Oct 18, 2015 at 1:00 AM
The delay of a referendum to twin the ice at Kal Tire Place has initiated a suggestion for more facilities.“It might be worthwhile looking at gymnastics or other user facilities,” said Coldstream Coun. Glen Taylor, when the issue arose during discussion at Coldstream council Monday. “We should be looking at other things and not just a total ice sheet.” Mayor Jim Garlick clarifies that a plan for other facilities has not been established yet, while a plan for the ice facility has moved ahead, which is why it is going to referendum. “Moving forward, we need a plan to deal with these others.” Adding additional projects onto the referendum was also not viable as a November referendum was being sought. “Because of that deadline, adding those others on was not likely to happen,” said Garlick. The Vernon Public Art Gallery has also requested to be added to the referendum. But it’s unknown if a referendum will even take place due to provincial holdups. Garlick says that the former minister and deputy minister made a suggestion of how the region should move forward. But that plan now isn’t being supported. “Now there is a new deputy minister and a new minister and they are questioning the direction that we’ve been given.”