MEDIA RELEASE - Greater Vernon Cultural Referendum!

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

DATE: August 28, 2018

MEDIA CONTACT: Tannis Nelson, Manager, Community Services
PHONE/EMAIL: 250.550.3700 / tannis.nelson@rdno.ca

Regional District Kicks off the Public Education Campaign for Greater Vernon Cultural Centre Referendum


The Regional District of North Okanagan has launched a two-month long informational campaign featuring over 20 public events and dozens of presentations regarding the proposed Greater Vernon Cultural Centre that will be going to referendum with the 2018 local general elections.

On October 20, 2018, Greater Vernon voters will be asked to decide whether they support borrowing up to $25 million for the purpose of constructing a new multi-purpose cultural centre in downtown Vernon. The referendum will be held with the upcoming general local elections, and will determine whether the community can move forward with grant applications and fundraising to generate the additional $15 million required to complete this $40 million project.

In order to provide residents with the opportunity to learn more about the project, the Regional District has developed a website for the project, which can be found at www.gvculturalcentre.ca, as well as print and electronic materials that can be used to help promote the vote. In addition to providing information that people can review on their own, the Regional District will be making presentations and holding open houses in order to be available to speak with residents and answer any questions.

“It is essential that people are given a variety of opportunities to learn about this project so that they are able to make an informed vote,” said Juliette Cunningham, Chair of the Greater Vernon Advisory Committee. “This is an important project that has been brought forward as a result of public engagement and years of planning, and people should have the ability to learn about that process and the project itself prior to October 20.”

The first information open house will be held at the Village Green Centre mall on Saturday, September 1, 2018, where Regional District staff and community volunteers will be available to answer questions and provide information to mall visitors and back-to-school shoppers. Additional open houses and information sessions will be held:

• Village Green Centre mall - September 11, 2018 and October 6, 2018
• Vernon Farmer’s Markets throughout September and October
• Vernon Vipers games (Kal Tire Place) - October 6, 2018 and October 10, 2018.

Residents are encouraged to check the project website for additional information opportunities that may be scheduled, at www.gvculturalcentre.ca.

For further information, please contact us at 250.550.3700 or culture@rdno.ca.
Quick Facts

• Greater Vernon Voters are made up of the City of Vernon, the District of Coldstream, Electoral Area “B” (Swan Lake), and Electoral Area “C” (B.X. District)

• The proposed Greater Vernon Cultural Facility was identified as a community need through the Greater Vernon Cultural Plan. The Greater Vernon Cultural Plan was adopted in 2016 and is the first Cultural Plan in Greater Vernon (www.rdno.ca/culturalplan).

• Through the public engagement process for the creation of the Greater Vernon Cultural Plan, approximately 15,080 people attended to share their thoughts on culture in Greater Vernon. Read the Public Outreach results  

(http://www.rdno.ca/docs/PublicConsultationResults.pdf)

• View the project webpage at www.gvculturalcentre.ca.

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Selected Morning Star Newsclips - In case you missed them.- Letters to the Editor

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An apology - For having neglected my blog for a number of months.

Looking back at my last post I realize that I have not updated my blog since March. For this I apologize to my readers! My excuse is that I have had a number of unfortunate deaths of close friends and I was unable to collect my thoughts well enough to put them into writing. My great friend's, City Councillor Bob Spiers, death was a crushing blow to my inspiration. His encouragement and support in my efforts to try improving the Greater Vernon Master Water Plan. Rest in peace, Bob, mu good Buddy!

A local election is coming up in October and I think some of the readers will be interested in the candidates vying for office in the Greater Vernon area.

They might also be interested in the opinions published in the local Morning Star by various letter writers. Re-publishing readers opinions does not necessarily mean endorsement of the opinion of the writer.

Obviously, the issue of the Master Water Plan will probably be discussed again. It is well known that this writer (and Coldstream Councillor) is not enthralled by the plan and will likely explain WHY! 

So Dear Readers, welcome back and I hope you will like (or dislike! who knows) what will be reported on these pages.

Welcome:

Gyula

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