The provincial government spends a lot of time bragging about how well it communicates with British Columbians but that edict obviously didn’t get passed on to the Ministry of Transportation.
Residents and businesses along the Swan Lake corridor just found out earlier this week that the ministry is holding an open house on proposed changes to the intersection at Highway 97 and Stickle Road. And they likely only found out about the session if they saw the advertisement in Sunday’s Morning Star.
However, while such a process may be expedient, it’s not a sufficient way of efficiently communicating with the public and particularly those who have a vested interest in any changes, and those are the businesses along the Swan Lake corridor whose bottom line relies on vehicular access.
It should also be pointed out that the open house Thursday occurs during the Southern Interior Local Government Association conference in Kamloops. That means many of the City of Vernon and regional district officials who have concerns about Stickle Road are out of town and can’t represent their constituents’ best interests at the open house.
But despite the short notification period, we would urge all Greater Vernon residents to attend the open house Thursday from 4 to 8 p.m. at the Prestige Hotel. That corridor is not only home to numerous businesses but significant future development is anticipated which will bolster the region’s economy.
Safety for motorists is vital if that area is to remain an active part of the community.
Get out to the open house, hear what the ministry is proposing and let them know what you think.
