Like every other parent, I do believe that we need to provide our children with areas to play sports. However, the proposal to turn a significant portion of 118 acres of prime agricultural land into a sports complex is not the solution.Many people are under the misperception that if this land is not made into a sports complex it will be developed into housing. This is simply not true. The Agriculture Land Commission has already indicated that they will not allow this land out of the ALR unless there is a net benefit for agriculture.
The 118 acres is prime agriculture land that can support a wide range of crops, and is large enough to commercially grow produce. Only about one per cent of B.C.’s land base is prime farm land (our best crop land), and very few areas in Coldstream have such a large tract of excellent soil.
Preservation of farmland is becoming increasingly important to ensure that we can feed ourselves in the future. Climate change, political instability, water scarcity, rising demographics, and the decreasing supply of fuel could threaten the availability of the large amounts of imported food which we have come to rely on so much today. We must protect our ability to be more self sufficient in the future.
A mega, centralized sports complex which requires children to rely on their parents to transport them to the fields, is not for kids. With the exception of Funtastic, there is no pressing reason to have all sporting fields in one location.
Options do exist for neighborhood parks which could meet the needs of our sporting groups (ie. improvement and better utilization of existing fields, cooperation with the school district for development of their fields, acquisition of appropriate lands throughout Vernon and area).
GVSC has simply not provided the basic information that citizens require to make an informed decision. Where is the proper auditing of alternative locations? Where is the clear delineation of costs? How much money will be left for the development of bike paths, walking trails, increased access to waterfront, and improvement of existing parks throughout Vernon and area?
We do need to provide our children with areas to play sports, but let’s ensure that it is a solution that is truly for children and not at the expense of our future sustainability.
Joanne Osborn
