To the editor:
I join with many other citizens who are adamantly opposed to the location of a new visitor centre.
Our lakeviews are irreplaceable and I cannot believe that we would, with intent, block yet another bit of our view. Can you imagine somebody in this day and age attempting to build a new building on the waterfront of Stanley Park, or English Bay?
Make no mistake, this building is on the waterfront despite what is said about a wide walkway between it and the water.
Tourism Kelowna states “Our current visitor centre location (located on Harvey Avenue) is outdated and visits to that location are rapidly declining, down by about half in just four years.”
I suggest that perhaps the decrease in visits has less to do with the location than with the internet which has taken over as a tool to plan and book trips.
The visitor centre needs a more user-friendly location with adequate access for cars, trucks and big rig RVs, complemented by a storefront or kiosk in the downtown area. Tourism Kelowna states they have few RVs coming to their current location and it is easy to understand why: It’s a very difficult entrance off the highway for an RV and it has limited parking.
Tourism is an important business in our community and we would be well served by ensuring it answers all tourists needs, not just the summertime walk by traffic.
I hope that the mayor and councillors will consider our concerns.
Dee Capozzi, Kelowna
