Vernon 2022 Municipal Election – Councillor Questionnaire

2022 VERNON ELECTION CANDIDATE QUESTIONNAIRE (1)

City of Vernon Elections 2022

On Oct. 15, 2022, the City of Vernon will hold a municipal election. In the lead up to the election, the Greater Vernon Chamber hopes to gain an understanding of how the candidates for the six councillor seats will focus on business if they are elected to council.

We asked the candidates the following questions:

Many residents say they don’t feel safe being downtown while businesses throughout Vernon are experiencing safety and security issues. What are you going to do to address that situation?
If elected to Vernon council, what will you do differently to provide businesses the best chance of success?

JENELLE BREWER

I agree something needs to be done about crime. I live and work in the downtown area and I am dealing with the same challenges. In reality the underlying problem is addictions and we need realistic solutions. I am planning on working with local agencies to access funding that will provide Vernon the ability to access more mental health support, treatment beds, and trauma recovery programs. There will not be significant changes if we do not get to the root of the problem. I would like to say that my platform is to be tough on crime, but there needs to be enough policing, prosecutors and space in the penitentiary systems to prosecute offenders. The city has limited control over policing outside of investing more money through increasing taxes or reducing services in another area. We need to work with the resources available and create solutions.
If elected to Vernon council, what will you do differently to provide businesses the best chance of success? A lot of businesses have struggled throughout the pandemic, and supporting our local businesses is important for our economy. I will promote supporting local businesses at every opportunity. The current economic development goals already identify how the city intends to support the local economy, but I would like to see a pandemic recovery plan with measurable actions. I would like to hear from the business community what they need to be supported at the municipal level. There are limited resources, and we need to be strategic so that solutions are developed that will meet the needs of our local businesses. We can look to other cities to see how they are supporting their businesses and implement solutions that will fit with the local issues we are facing. The role of Council is to advocate for the city for the resources that are needed here at home. By listening and learning about what challenges our businesses are facing, I am committed to taking these issues to the provincial and federal levels of government to advocate for the creation of funding programs that are meaningful.

TERESA DURNING

City safety has been a top item in citizen discussions since before I won my seat in 2021. We need to get to the root of the problem and that will likely be managing the street entrenched population in a better way. The numbers that are reported from Superintendent Shawna Bahr are promising but not good enough to change the current situation of crime and infractions that impact the downtown core.In September I co-supported a motion to try and find a spot that we could manage the homeless population in a specific area. I understand that that idea was floated at council in the past but I would like to revisit it and see if there is a better way to manage the situation and hopefully reduce criminal behaviors and activity that might be taking time away from our law enforcement. The RCMP being called to situations that might not be criminal, created by street entrenched persons that may be both mentally ill and or drug dependant, all over the city is not a good use of their time.This situation might be resulting in a lack of perceived presence deterring crime and threat of crime throughout the Vernon area..I would like to see a conversation happen regarding coverage of by law enforcement in the downtown core during the night or the increased use of contract security.I would like to explore options to increase enforcement coverage specifically in what we used to call red zones. Advocating for funding from the province that will increase resources for RCMP supports with the mentally ill and treatment or wrap around care for drug addicted would be a good start.
I will continue to push out of the box thinking and encourage creative problem solving until we get these items resolved or to a level that is reflective of a healthier city culture.

I am a firm believer that too much non- mixed housing in one place can be detrimental to areas of the City. I believe that is what has happened in the downtown area creating the situation we see today.

I look forward to advocating against this type of housing density and for solutions that assist the downtown business community that is impacted. It is my view that both municipal and provincial government bodies need to correct what isn’t working.
Working with business on the above mentioned item of downtown safety as well as supporting the city planning through densification of housing to increase housing for much needed labour are priorities for me as a City Councilor. The Housing Action Plan will help with this. This housing plan also aligns with the OCP (Official Community Plan) .I often hear complaints regarding the city process for business start ups being difficult. We need to continue working on our “Open for business” messaging so Vernon is considered a first option. I understand the importance of a successful business climate in our community and how that correlates to a sustainable economy in the municipality.I owned a business in the city for many years and understand the challenges faced by local business. I will also continue to support and advocate for increased tourism traffic within the city throughout all four seasons to bolster business.

KELLY FEHR

Continue to allocate resources to the RCMP and support the successful collaborative initiatives they have undertaken. The current council has increased funding to RCMP services which has allowed the RCMP to add additional positions for both officers and support staff. The benefits of this are reflected in the August 2022 quarterly RCMP Report. Calls for service to the RCMP are down from the previous year by 244 calls and there is an increase in Criminal Code offences of 159 and property offences of 62. As the RCMP Superintendent stated this does not mean there is more crime, but rather that the RCMP are able to proactively identify and respond to crimes which may have previously gone unreported. It is also important to note that RCMP files related to “the street entrenched population decreased by 91 over the last year.Continue to allocate resources for By-Law Enforcement and support the successful collaborative initiatives they have undertaken. The current council has increased funding for By-Law Enforcement which has allowed the City to add additional positions with a focus on working with “the street entrenched population”. As reported by the Manager of the Protective Services department, over the term of the current council Bylaw Infractions committed by “the street entrenched population have been reduced by half.Continue to support the Province of BC’s housing initiatives. The province has invested in housing solutions which include purchasing and renting hotels to support moving ‘the street entrenched population” from living on the streets to living in their own accommodations/home.
Over 40% of businesses in every sector are experiencing labour shortages. The Rural and Northern Immigration Pilot is an important and viable option that can assist businesses in meeting their workforce needs. A challenge is around securing a sustainable funding model, so that Community Futures of the North Okanagan can continue to operate the program. The business and tourism sectors may benefit from working with the city to identify ways to expand and fund this program for the long term, to provide businesses with a skilled labour source.Continue supporting the strong relationship that the City of Vernon has formed with the provincial government and non-government organizations. The high cost of daycare is a hindrance to some parents being able to enter or return to the workforce. We have had several provincially funded $10 a day daycare facilities and housing initiatives announced in Vernon over the last term. Maintaining this relationship is essential in supporting and attracting employees to Vernon.
The high cost of housing and low vacancy rates in Vernon has a substantial impact on recruiting and retaining employees for our business community. Vernon will continue to struggle in retaining businesses in Vernon when potential employees cannot find housing specifically, housing that is affordable. In working to support business retention and expansion I will support the action items listed detailed in the Vernon Housing Action Plan which was approved on September 26^th, 2022. The actions I would prioritize include:
- Create a full-time permanent position for a housing planner to implement policy changes, streamline and accelerate the review of affordable and attainable housing projects, conduct educational programming and build relationships
- Explore zoning amendments and additional incentives to accelerate the development of new rental housing
- Reduce barriers and incentivize the construction of new secondary suites and secondary dwellings, including allowing suites in semi-detached dwellings
- Consider requiring new construction to be secondary suite ready
- Develop and distribute free pre-designed secondary dwelling plans that meet bylaw requirements and are building permit ready
- Regulate short term rentals to reduce their impact on long term rental inventory
- Explore zoning amendments to support affordable home ownership and rental, including floor space ratio density zoning, small lot subdivisions, minimum home size and tiny house zoning, rental zoning, zoning for manufactured homes, and apartment lock off units2
- Explore requiring a portion of new development to be affordable/attainable as part of rezoning processes
- Review existing incentives and explore additional incentives (DCC rebate, housing agreement process, fast-tracking, parking variances, tax incentives, grants)
- Understand the business case for attainable market housing and work with the development community to increase uptake
- Develop and implement a Land Acquisition Strategy that a) maps out priority areas for future land acquisition by the City, b) identifies revenue sources for land acquisition (municipal, federal and provincial) and c) explores innovative financing options
- Advocate to senior levels of government for financial support, surplus institutional land or other resources and assistance for affordable housing
- Make City-owned lands development ready in terms of assembly, zoning and servicing
- Support build-out of land already acquired for affordable and attainable housing, leveraging assistance from the Affordable Housing Reserve Fund (AHRF)
- Explore fast-tracking and reduced bylaw requirements for non-profit housing development, including reduced parking requirements based on location, housing type, proximity to transit, etc.
- Collaborate with Social Planning Council of the North Okanagan (SPCNO) – Housing First and other initiatives (e.g. 2019 Homelessness Strategy)
- Collaborate with RDNO and communities in the North Okanagan as appropriate on housing research and affordable/attainable housing development
- Work to build understanding in the community about the importance of having diverse housing types to build acceptance of affordable/ attainable housing projects
- Communicate with the community and developers about what the City is doing/offering
- Continue to build relationships and partnerships at all levels (provincial, regional, nonprofit, development stakeholders)

KARI GARES

Even though the issue of crime is a Federal issue managed by our local RCMP, as a Council representative we have a responsibility to ensure that adequate funding is being put into both RCMP Services and Bylaw Services. We are a growing community and with this growth comes the potential to see increased problems. In addition to this, Council needs to take a good solid look at the problem so that we can develop sound solutions by using data analysis to tackle the issue in order to reduce crime and improve overall safety in our community . We need to develop a reporting system that ties in both RCMP and Bylaw complaints into one document so that these issues can be tracked and measured against developed solutions that are targeted . Currently, Council relies heavily on our quarterly statistics by the RCMP and Bylaw services. But, this does pose significant disadvantages and these issues are not independent of one another. They do not operate within their own unique silos. The City of Vernon needs to develop their own "Crime Reduction Strategy" through collaboration with stakeholders (business owners, agencies, community members), RCMP and Bylaw in order to understand the main issues and where to allocate our resources. By creating a strategy to deal with crime reduction and safety in our community, we effectively will provide a document that groups these issues in one location so that we can be more open and transparent when communicating with the public. If we are to build confidence within our community and show the public that we take crime and safety seriously, we must develop a plan that is trackable, measurable and allows for the development of targeted solutions that address the core issue(s). When elected, I will bring forward a motion to develop a crime reduction strategy that addresses these local priorities. Further, we need to continue to put pressure on senior levels of government so that adequate funding is given for mental health services, treatment and recovery. It is no longer adequate to just build housing for the hard to house if wrap-around services are not being provided. And more importantly, we need to push hard with senior levels of government to put systems in place to deal with prolific offenders as the majority of the crime the City of Vernon sees is perpetuated by a small minority of people.
I believe the taxation multiplier may need to be adjusted. Businesses have just gone through a period of increased financial burden given COVID lockdowns and now they will most likely see an incoming recession. The downside with this is that many businesses have not had an opportunity to recover and/or to build strong financial reserves in which to handle an economic downturn. They will require a different approach from years past. Labor shortages are also proving to be a challenge for many local businesses. Despite an increase in consumer consumption during COVID, many businesses didn't have the labor in which to manage this increase. In fact, these issues are probably the biggest challenges faced by many businesses across the economic spectrum. Housing, and subsequently, development, needs to be a priority. To attract and retain a labor force, we need to have adequate affordable and attainable housing that meets the needs of a broader community. I have heard many businesses say that they have been able to find staff but housing, or the lack thereof, has made it extremely difficult for impending new hires to accept a position without a significant boost to wages. Housing affordability and wages have not kept up with one another and this is creating a significant burden for many employers and on our local workforce. We need a Council that views development, not as a burden to our community, but as a resource for the broader community. We need to ensure that we are continually building on our relationships with both the business community and the development community as private investment is, by far, the best and fastest way to fill the need. But, if our systems continue to slow the process, it will be the community that pays the price for our inadequacies. Effective & transparent communication with all stakeholders needs to be improved. Building timelines need to be significantly reduced. Improvements to ongoing relationships need to be fostered, molded and strengthened. We cannot do this alone. We need to rely on the expertise of our regional partners, stakeholders, staff and Council to develop a "go forward" approach of ensuring that our business community can remain resilient despite ongoing challenges. We can formulate strategies by listening, engaging and being creative in our approach. Relying solely on staff input is not going to solve the problem. We need a collective approach. We need an annual review, and not just through the Chamber or the DVA, but through an annual meeting that brings us all to the table. We need to be proactive and stop being reactive. Reactionary measures rarely hit the mark. They are simply a band aid fix to a much larger problem. It's time we take a proactive approach to working with our business community on addressing the short and long term issues and determine if there is something within our collective policies (or creation of policy) that we can employ to improve outcomes. Together we can continue to build on the many positive initiatives already done to date but we can do so knowing that they are guided through principals, integrity and a willingness to work collaboratively.

BRIAN GUY

I understand that some people are concerned about their safety while out and about in the downtown core and in nearby areas, and that businesses are concerned about burglaries, shoplifting, and vandalism. Addressing these issues requires a multi-pronged approach, and no single tactic is likely to be effective on its own. Obviously, policing is a core part of public safety, but social policy is also critical. The City’s effort over the past several years to working with partners like Turning Points Collaborative Society to develop supportive housing and contribute to substance abuse programs have been shown to be effective at reducing crime. Other tools within the City’s jurisdiction include Crime Prevention through Environmental Design (CPTED), technology upgrades, and supporting “Block Watch” and several other community programs that focus on crime reduction and prevention. Over a longer term, efforts to increase the number of people living downtown will help people to feel safer. If elected to Vernon City Council, I will advocate for Council and the Mayor to work with the RCMP, the Province, and our community partners towards evidence-based solutions to continue to make our community safer, and to reduce property crime.
If elected, I will bring my personal experience of starting and running a successful business in Vernon to Council. The firm I founded in Vernon in 1994 grew to more than thirty-five staff by 2010. I believe this perspective and my willingness to listen to business owners, individuals, and groups like the Chamber of Commerce and the Downtown Vernon Association will help me advocate on Council for developing policies and practices that are beneficial to small and medium-sized businesses in the community. Vernon City Council will be facing many challenges over the next four years, including key issues like housing affordability and climate change, and I will make sure that the needs of the business community are considered as we act. For example, business confidence improves when review and approval processes are well-defined with clear timelines. The City should look at all the ways it can expedite the development approval process for new housing and commercial construction, while ensuring that these processes are consistently followed.I will also support initiatives that assist local entrepreneurs in the early stages of a new business. Excellent work is already being done in this area by organizations like Accelerate Okanagan, Community Futures, and Okanagan College, and I will encourage the City to continue to support the start-up culture in Vernon.
Furthermore, I will work to advance initiatives that help businesses to attract and retain staff. The cornerstone of attracting talent to Vernon is a comprehensive housing strategy that enables housing to be available and affordable. Although the City is already working toward these goals, it can certainly take more action to make Vernon affordable compared with other B.C. locations. The City can also make the community attractive to newcomers with modern amenities and services that build on our natural advantages (e.g., attractive location, pleasant climate, “just right” size, excellent outdoor recreation opportunities, and proximity to the Kelowna Airport). The City should work closely with the cultural, educational, sports, and recreational sectors to make Vernon a prime destination for talent.

ROSS HAWSE

It’s trying, repeatedly having our hard earned property stolen and vandalized; it’s frustrating being told there is not much the RCMP can do and lastly, I’m sick and tired of being told “that’s Vernon”, because simply put - that’s not my Vernon, and it shouldn’t be yours.My wife owns a business in downtown Vernon. When she works late, she calls me to talk with her on the phone as she makes her way to the parking lot due to aggressive intimidation, she’s previously experienced. During the day, having an all-female staff, they lock the door, having to let clients in as they arrive due to repeated aggressive interactions, many times with local unhoused, and/or sadly those with suspected mental illness coming inside to either help themselves to a drink from the coffee bar, they say they can live with that, but unfortunately, they don’t know if that’s what will happen or it will be the other, folks coming in an aggressively arguing with the administrator. Unacceptable and terribly frightening.I have had my vehicle urinated on while I sat in it at a downtown parking lot. I have had to remove feces from the back door of my wife’s office. We’ve all had enough. These aren’t just our stories; these are unfortunately several downtown businesses realities. In our case specifically, these are all things that have occurred over the past year.

I know the solution isn’t simple, it’s complex. I understand that, and we need to address all the complexities. Housing, mental health, support services, all of it. But let’s get the prolific offenders off the street. Let’s get proper shelters and care for those who need and want it. Let’s review the federal bail program and let’s make it safe for me lock a bike in front of a restaurant or business in downtown Vernon and not fear it will be stolen while I’m inside. We have the ability to lobby different governments if that’s what’s needed and if this is as important to other community members as it is to me, then part of my roll on council will be to keep it top of mind, to bring ideas and stakeholders together to try something new.

2. I would like to see a “Bike Valet” in downtown Vernon through the summer months similar to the program Victoria and Kelowna have in place. Perhaps there is an opportunity to for a private enterprise to create a business while filling a need. I would like to see an extended Bike Bait program to reduce the amount of bike theft and get repeat offenders off the street. Perhaps this does mean more RCMP and or Bylaw presence for more enforcement, well, then let’s do it. These lower hanging fruit things can be done immediately.

These are things we can do, now. It's our civic responsibility to tackle these hard situations and to use our time on council to pursue genuine solutions that are in the best interests of Vernon.

STEPHANIE HENDY

It’s a common concern with many aspects.
Polling residents to query whether they would want a Safewalk program to be created, would be worthwhile. Our downtown ambassadors program operates only in the summer months, and speaking with city staff, informed me that there were very few applicants this year. Many businesses close early downtown, which means that there aren’t many people walking around at night. The more abandoned a neighbourhood feels, the more people will express safety concerns. Working with the Downtown Vernon Association to learn what solutions they have done research on, and then ensuring those get put into place could also help. Advocating the provincial government to get an increase in funding to have our supervised consumption site and harm reduction sites open for a longer duration could help, as they are staffed by Interior Health.
Ensuring that everyone in Vernon has a place to live could also help. I would like to see the business directory include designations if they are Queer-friendly, and friendly for people with mobility and/or sensory challenges, as well as which ones allow public bathroom use There needs to be a bigger effort to get residents to spend time downtown. The closed off block on 30th Ave was far more lively this summer, but outside of retailers, we need to build our brand as a city, better. Our slogan as a city “Activate Life” should be prominent, so that it’s clear if people choose to establish their business here, they get to live where others vacation. That being said, I have heard from a lot of people that they don’t want the city to attract more people, to detract from its small-town charm. We should also be working with the Vernon Climate Action plan to retrofit commercial buildings, so that the cost of utilities is decreased. Retaining our existing businesses can involve free advertising in a local publication, less organizational barriers to acquiring signage or business permits, improve the walkability of commercial streets (constructing sidewalks, adding accessible pedestrian crosswalk signals, free bicycle parking), and consider whether city-wide buy ins for health insurance to reduce operational costs would be feasible. We should also be working with other municipalities in the North Okanagan, Okanagan, and the province, to learn what is working well in other communities as a community roundtable. We could also look to existing organizations like the UBCM and see which of the resolutions we could enact, or, lean into support from. https://www.ubcm.ca/about-ubcm/who-we-are/mous-agreements-protocols/memorandum-understanding-local-government-financial To assist businesses in the medium term, the city needs to look at different models of revenue for the city. Most of our revenue comes from property taxes, business and construction permits, and other fees (parking meters, special events, etc). The more revenue that our city has, the more grants and funding the city can offer to support businesses in their vulnerable medium term. Most businesses that survive >5 years will remain in business, but many businesses fold before the 3 year mark. Groups like Community Futures North Okanagan can provide wage subsidies to new businesses however, there needs to be a central resource for Vernon businesses to learn about what types of funding from the city may be available.

AKBAL MUND

Over the past eight years, Vernon Council has implemented many changes to help with safety and security in the downtown and North End business district, unfortunately as Federal laws were updated in 2015, it became harder as a business owner to protect their property from crime related activities. Council has offered grants to the DVA for businesses to apply for security cameras, the RCMP has introduced foot patrols and more patrols throughout the late nights, we have the Anti Tag Team removing graffiti , the Spokes on Folks team removes discarded needles, the Bylaw office was moved west of 32 street, and over night camping was banned at Polson Park, which saw a big decrease in the homeless moving from the park through the downtown core to access services. How do we solve the problem? We will continue to be proactive and create programs to safe guard businesses, working with the RCMP and bylaw, but we need help from the Justice system to stop releasing offenders back into the community, only to be arrested again, this is something municipal government has no control of.
The biggest complaints from businesses are parking, employees, rent, hours of operation, taxes, utility bills and crime. Personally, we have two businesses in the downtown area, have created a safe environment for our employees, have dealt with the homeless through meaning full discussion, have had no vandalism as of yet, no issue with having enough employees, all because we sat down and had a plan on how to proceed months before we opened. Running a business is not easy, but you need to take control of all the aspects you can, and be adaptable to concerns as they arise. Be proactive, not reactive, and I will gladly meet with any business if they are having any issues with any of the above, I helped many during Covid succeed. There are a lot of resources that business owners can use before they start fighting fires, planning will lead to success.

BRIAN QUIRING

I will continue to advocate for more RCMP foot patrols in the downtown. I have had my business located in the downtown for over 20 years and have seen firsthand the positive impact rcmp foot patrols have had on safety in the downtown.
As the council representative on the Downtown Vernon Association Board I will continue to advocate for downtown revitalization through tax relaxation incentives and programs that benefit the downtown such as the security camera grant cost sharing program. I will also continue to lobby for reducing the commercial to residential tax rate multiplier.

ED STRANKS

I support increased bylaw enforcement and patrols in the City center as a cost-effective way to improve public safety there. Bylaw enforcement staff also act as ambassadors for the City encouraging increase foot traffic there. It is important to increase staff for this purpose and target areas where there are issues so that the public and tourists feel safe shopping in our core.
I support continued beautification works and utility upgrades in our core expanding previous works to create a larger updated core that attracts the public to shop there. As part of this the City needs to access BC Hydro’s Beautification Fund program to underground overhead wires. Actions identified in the 2011 City Center Neighbourhood Plan, especially in the Historic Downtown area, need to be implemented to support business there and encourage growth. I would also examine parking rates in the core as per the recommendations in the 2012 Parking Implementation Strategy with an eye towards lower rates on side streets. As these plans are now several years old it is important to work with businesses in the area to expand on what works and change what does not. It is important to find new ways to encourage more residential development in and close to the city core to increase the customer base and provide more opportunity for residents to walk to work.

DAWN TUCKER

Many residents say they don’t feel safe being downtown while businesses throughout Vernon are experiencing safety and security issues. What are you going to do to address that situation? I fully support investing in our RCMP and community support services, and in promoting increased use of our parks and downtown areas across many hours every day to ensure our City is a safer place for all to enjoy. I will encourage residents to connect with the Safe Communities Coordinator; to join or form BlockWatches, report crime, install deterrents such as cameras, and follow tips provided by agencies like Crimestoppers to increase their personal safety. I live downtown by choice, and we need more folks to gather here as a community, to keep us all safe. The more we go downtown, the more lively it becomes, the safer it becomes.
If elected to Vernon council, what will you do differently to provide businesses the best chance of success? I will encourage the City to make more efforts communicating our amazing lifestyle to future business owners, and as Councillor, I will continue to promote our City of Vernon as a wonderful place to work, live and play. I will encourage folks to shop local for goods and services, so that more folks stay employed and can continue living in this beautiful town while reducing our impacts on the environment. I will advocate for investing in our parks, in recreation, affordability and accessibility. Ensuring our City is a wonderful, welcoming, tolerant and inclusive place to work, live and play will help attract more talented folks here, and encourage talented folks to stay here. Supporting our local educational providers is key to allowing folks to not only work in Vernon but also grow in Vernon.

PATRICK VANCE

I will do several things:

Examine opportunities to harden the targets. Can businesses in Vernon have better security features?

Examine the feeling of safety felt by residents. What changes will make residents feel safer?

Explore creative options: Can occasional weeknights be “safe” nights where police presence is increased?

NOTE: These are very concise responses and my full responses are lengthy. I will provide an expanded discussion version of all of these on Friday, October 7th, on my campaign site: facebook.com/vance22.

You may also write to me at votevance22@gmail.com.

2. I will work to improve the connection of businesses with the community, and seek ways for good, caring employers to have ample supply of quality labour. That’s my magic wand solution. Practically, I will be a good listener. In seeking solutions or improvements, what I will do differently is work to ensure no decision of council creates unequal advantages for businesses.

ANDY WYLIE

The only way Vernonites can truly reclaim our City Centre, our beautiful downtown, The Heart of Vernon,

is as a community of like minded citizens walking safely together.

The GOTCH YA Party - The Get Off The CoucH Party! the YA is for Family Fun!

First Section - "The Promenade" of The Vernon Family Rail Trail

"The Promenade" runs along the bike path from Seaton High School, past Vimy Lane, (the Only Vimy Memorial in Canada) past the circa 1911 Lake Steamer, (later to be named by Vernon Elementary students) to the new Civic Children's Park then down past The RCMP, The Firehall, City Hall to the downtown, The DVA, coffee, gelato, shopping, dinner, lunch, or a movie at The Towne Cinema.

HOW and WHY go for a walk on "The Promenade" of The New Vernon Family Rail Trail?

Simple. Together we build something so beautiful that it will make you want to get off the couch and go for a walk!

FLOWERS - Planters full of flowers between the trees running along beside the bike path (little Christmas trees in Winter).

The flowers will be designed, donated and planted by Vernon Church and community groups.

The Planters will be donated by local businesses, individuals (like me), and social groups for promotional, personal and advertising.

The Vernon Family Rail Trail will be a concentration of Civic beauty funded and maintained by community groups, (Civic, private, public, business and schools) interested in building over time THE MOST BEAUTIFUL STREET IN WESTERN CANADA.