Canada Day plans finalized
Council officially approved the Canada Day celebrations that will be put on by the Vernon Okanagan Inspired Community Events Society (VOICE) at Polson Park.
The city will provide tables, chairs, park employees, traffic control and temporary permits for entertainment.
Parking at the park will be solely for event organizers, emergency personnel, as the public will be required to find alternative means of reaching the park.
The anticipated drone show that was scheduled to take place last year but was , will not occur this year, due to budget.
According to VOICE's Mayla Janzen, the price for the show jumped to $38,000, which was beyond their constraints.
A community art wall from the Arts Council of the North Okanagan, an animatronic dinosaur, a story walk from the Outreach Literacy Show, a mini-car show and other local organizations are to be featured at the event.
鈥淥ther local organizations who want to set up for free and interact with the community are more than welcome,鈥� Janzen said. 鈥淲e're happy to accommodate them according to their needs and capabilities.鈥� Those interested can reach out at .
Fireworks will also not be used, due to climate change risks.
New water reservoir
A new water reservoir is being proposed in Vernon, set on Okanagan Avenue.
The proposed reservoir would provide storage capacity and pressure for Greater Vernon Water (GVW) and provide balancing and improved service for existing residents and future development in the Okanagan Landing area.
Mayor Victor Cumming had concerns on the size of the property, considering the property is currently designated as Agricultural Land Comission.
"I am surprised that almost a third of the property is going to be unused. Is there a reason why they are taking so much?"
Wesley Miles, Vernon city planner, said that it would have to do with fencing, as the slope grade is high.
"This is a concept plan, and normally, I would agree that you should take a limited amount of area, but the exact reason why I would have to follow up with RDNO staff."
Council approved the application.
New fire hydrants
Four new fire hydrants will be installed in Vernon. The hydrants will cost up to $65,000, funded from the Infrastructure Reserve.
Hydrants will be installed on 42nd Avenue, between 20th and 27th St.
Councillor Brian Guy did query a concern relating to the Infrastructure Reserve, which has a current balance (prior to the hydrants) of $78,704.
"This seems like quite a small number," he said. "Is that all that is left?"
James Rice, public works manager with the city, confirmed that that was the case, while Elma Hamming, director of financial services, added more colour to why the number seemed low.
"At the end of 2024, there was 7.5 million in the reserve, and 7.2 million was carried forward to 2025 for projects, so projected to the end of 2025 is $72,000 left in the reserve..... said Elma Hamming, director of financial services "Every year, we have the annual infrastructure levy and we use most of that for capital funding, but it is replenished yearly."
