A recap of some of the latest decisions made by City Council
Pride declared, students get rainbow crosswalk
The City of Penticton officially declared June as Pride Month in the City of Penticton and, after a request from students, a rainbow crosswalk will be installed.
Grade 1 teacher Nicole Simons made a presentation to Council on behalf of Project Respect at Queen’s Park Elementary and read notes from students ranging in age from five to ten who asked for this visual representation of support for the LBGTQ2S community.
Council was moved by the eloquence of the youth and unanimously supporting installing the sidewalk across Power Street to the community centre.
The City’s official proclamation of Pride Month, which was read out after a presentation from Madeline Terbasket and Melisa Edgerly, said “it is imperative that all people in our community, regardless of sexual orientation, gender identity, and expression, feel valued, safe, empowered, and supported by their peers and community leaders.”
Memory bench for those lost to addiction
Gord Portman estimates he’s lost 104 friends to addiction – including his best friend in a store washroom – and he thinks of them often, especially as he walks his dog Zippy on the beach.
Portman’s way of honouring them is a bench on the Okanagan Lake waterfront that memorializes them, an opportunity for family and friends to remember them in a peaceful setting. It also overlooks a place where he would overnight and dream about getting clean.
Now two years clean, he plans to raise around $10,000 for a bench and overhang and plans on making it a grassroots campaign to allow those who can only afford $5 or $10 can contribute.
Council decided to provide the cement pad for the bench when the necessary funds have been raised.
If you would like to contribute, contact Gord Portman through Facebook at Gordie Portman.
Animal Control changes closer
The City of Penticton is one step closer to an updated animal control bylaw which modernizes and clarifies responsibilities of owners and the City.
Council approved minor changes from the Ministry of Environment to the bylaw first proposed last fall and gave third reading to the amended Animal Control Bylaw. The latest version will go back to the provincial government for a final review.
Transit expansion, rerouting for construction
BC Transit plans to make it easier for transit users to catch the bus through real time trip planning and an electronic fare collection system.
The real time planning is in place now, with the new fare system expected to be in place by the spring of 2023. More details are available at https://bctransit.com/south-okanagan-similkameen
Council was also updated on plans for route expansion, which include:
- Expanding service to upper Wiltse and Sendero Canyon in 2024/2025 ;
- Increasing frequency of route 5 (20 minute frequency throughout the day) in 2024/2025; and
- The introduction of custom transit service (HandiDart) on Saturdays by means of Taxi Supplement to better align with conventional service days in 2023/2024.
These expansion plans are now with BC Transit to finalize.
There are also route changes coming due to construction projects.
The removal of the Nanaimo Street Bridge will have a minor impact on transit routes 3 and 16 and will result in the elimination of one stop at Nanaimo and Abbott (west bound). The route change will take effect June 13, 2022.
The closure of Kinney Avenue, from South Main to Skaha Lake Road/Main Street, will impact routes 1, 5, 15, 16 and the school route. These changes won’t come into effect until September.
Public hearing results
Three projects received second and third readings on zoning bylaw amendments, following public hearings on Tuesday.
The projects are located at:
- 713, 737 and 795 Westminster Avenue West
- 914, 920 and 926 Churchill Avenue
- 221 Huth Avenue