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Information on Wildfire Safety for your Home and Neighbourhood...

photo credit: http://www.flickr.com/photos/striatic/33595045/

We're all over the provincial and national news websites today. Residents in Barnhartvale have been allowed back to their mobile homes, but the area remains on evacuation alert. Thought it might be a good time to point to some really important locally put together information.

Artificial lawns - part of a solution to water and pesticide woes?

Had a walk around the spring home and garden show at the Mac Park sports and events centre today. Lots of interesting and good booths. One that particularly jumped out, given our community conversation on water metres and pesticide use, was a company called Synlawn.

These folks offer all sorts of artificial grass. Initially, this sounded quite icky and wrong to me, but after giving some of their samples the feel test, I think this stuff feels pretty much like the real thing.

Apparently, about 3 times more to install, but over times, a money saver. No water, pesticides, OR MOWING needed. I know how much most folks love mowing.

These types of products might offer a good meeting point between those who want green lawns and more money in their pocket, and those who want to reduce water and pesticide use. Even more beneficial perhaps for those struggling with all these concerns all at once.

UBCM - BC / Alberta Trade Agreement Raises Much Concern

Yesterday at the UBCM convention, we had a pretty intense workshop on a BC / Alberta trade agreement called TILMA. The stuff of trade agreements is admittedly pretty dry stuff, but this one is particularly important. The provincial government has basically extended this trade agreement to apply to the City of Kamloops and all other local governments in the province.  Many fear, including the UBCM executive, that the language in the agreement is vague and does not protect local government powers enough. For example, there is a provision in TILMA the requires reconciliation of measures between BC and Alberta communities. Does this mean that if we have a higher standard in what we expect from a private developer (for example, a higher contribution to funding parkland), that we would have to drop our standard to the lowest standard present in Alberta.

 

At the session yesterday,  Minister of Economic Development Colin Hansen assured us that TILMA would not effect civic measures or civic authority to plan land use. But, when pressed to make these commitments in writing in the actual text of the agreement, he sidestepped the issue. This made me wonder. Whats more, UBCM contracted lawyer Don Lidstone blew a lot of holes in the Minister's contentions. And a lot of questions followed from council members across the province.

 

I am all for increased trade and labour mobility, especially within the same country. Makes a lot of sense. But, I think TILMA could be much more than that. And the fact the province actually made municipalities subject to TILMA during a 2 year "transition period", without any meaningful education or consultation is simply bad form, in my humble opinion. We have been in fact subject to TILMA for the past 6 months, without really knowing what it all means.

Me, Peter Oswell, and the North Shore Plan...

Over the past year, I have been to many meeting with my friend Peter Oswell to work on a new community plan for the North Shore Kamloops. I like Peter a lot  - and we tend to agree on almost nothing. Yes, it is pretty rare to find Peter and I agreeing on a topic or an issue.

Ultimately, this is a good thing. And it is pretty indicative of how the North Shore plan community advisory committee works. We currently have a lot of people involved with North Shore Business Improvement Association on the committee. And although I am and have been a business person for a long time,  I think its important to state opinions from other North Shore interests. I try to do that when I can. Others do to. We have had some pretty animated discussions. What ultimately generally comes out of our discussions around the table is a pretty balanced view of where the North Shore is now, and where it could go.

Peter and I went for a drink after a committee meeting we had last Thursday evening. We continued a respectful, great conversation. Sometimes I find it hard to bite my tongue and just listen to what he has to say. But, I find listening to him almost always a rewarding thing.

I am beginning to think, through the many hours of meetings I have been to and the many hours of reading I have done, that the main issue on the North Shore is really one of perception. Statistics show the North Shore is really no more crime ridden than any other area of Kamloops, it is beautifully flat and enjoys some of the best weather. There are great deals to be had in real estate.

What we might want to focus on is changing people's perceptions. No street beautfication, no great condo or townhouse project will be able to do that alone. What we perhaps should do is showcase this part of town to the people we want to recognize its great value.

You can read a draft of the North Shore plan here.

More North Shore planning documents.

Kudos to the Mayor for Showing Up...

Last week, at the Save Public Waterfront sponsored meeting to discuss development of the current parking lot between the Interior Savings Centre and the river, Mayor Terry Lake gave his point of view and welcomed questions. This, to my mind, is huge.  People wanted to see him there and I heard some people say he clarified issues that were previously confusing to them. He stood in the line of a bit of rhetorical fire. People gave him a large round of applause as he left.