Letter to the Editor - Morning Star (awaiting publication)

Now is the time to consider the long-term future of the historic Coldstream Ranch. Aside from its aesthetic, agricultural and environmental values, its rich history makes it worthy to be considered as one of Canada's World Heritage Sites.

Parks Canada's mandate states: "we protect and present nationally significant examples of the people of Canada, we protect and present nationally significant examples of Canada's natural and cultural heritage and foster public understanding, appreciation and enjoyment in ways that ensure their ecological and commemorative integrity for present and future generations".

Coldstream Ranch is rich in all these values. If this property is seen as having a value to the community beyond farming then why not enlarge our scope to envision Coldstream Ranch as an international tourist destination? The site, as well as being a working ranch could include an interpretive center presenting the history, flora and fauna of the ranch.
Coldstream Ranch was purchased by Lord and Lady Aberdeen in 1891. Lord Aberdeen introduced the first commercial orchard in the Okanagan:
"it was obvious to all concerned that the value of the rich bottomlands for fruit farming was far greater than any value they might have for ranching". The End of an Era 1895-1905

Lord Aberdeen went on to become the Governor General of Canada in 1893 and held the position through the terms of Prime Ministers: Sir John Thompson, Sir Mackenzie Bowell, Sir Charles Tupper and Sir Wilfred Laurier.

One can only imagine what Lord and Lady Aberdeen would think of a proposal to build a controversial project on prime agricultural land.

Katy Pace

It's NOT a Choice Between a Sports Complex and Residential Development - Press Release to All Media

The Yes campaign continues to tell residents that their choice is between residential development and a sports complex.

Last week a number of the yes campaign telephone canvassers were taken to task for telling residents that the land (Aberdeen parcel) has been slated for development for a long time, that it will just go to housing if we don’t put a park there and that the ranch owners have said they are willing to consolidate parcels of the ranch so it can happen.

Al McNivan from GVS said he hadn’t heard that, Rick Dubois from Funtastic and Bill Tarr from the VOSC said this was incorrect and that their telephone campaigners should not be saying it. The owner of the Ranch, Keith Balcaen was angry when he heard that the Yes campaign was telling people that. His words were that is “absolute bullshit”.

At the same time as the Yes campaign was saying it was wrong they put in an ad in the Sunday Morning Star telling people, “The Coldstream Official Community Plan (OCP) has dedicated a portion of the land for future single and multi-family homes if the owner amalgamates some of their smaller ALR properties. (They know that this proposal is no longer on the table for consideration). They also know that the owner has no intention of consolidating his properties. They continued to say “ A “NO” vote Does Not Guarantee this property will remain a farm.”

If the Vote is NO – the land stays as farm use and can only be used for those activities outlined for farm use in the Official Community Plan. It cannot be used for residential or mixed residential development.

Keith is not interested in consolidation and even expressed he wasn’t that interested in selling. It was GVS that approached him and tried to get him to sell for what he was led to believe was a community park. If however, he did sell the Aberdeen land block to another owner it does not mean the new owner can ask for development. The ALC and the District of Coldstream only offered the deal in exchange for a net benefit to the ALR from other holdings that Keith had. If the new owner does not have these same type of holdings, there is nothing to discuss or trade.

If however, a yes vote prevails, Coldstream agrees to send the application to the ALC for change of use, and the ALC agrees to non-farm use, then the land can be developed. Note the 160 units going up at Coldstream meadows on ALR – non farm use land. GVS could at any time sell off all or a portion of the land not used for the sports complex. With non farm use zoning a new owner could develop the property with residential units. Voting Yes – puts the property at the most risk. The ALC might however put conditions on GVS’s use of the land that prevents that.

Loss of Decision Making Power

If the yes vote wins the referendum, Coldstream will have only 1 voice out of 6 on the GVS Committee in determining what will actually be developed on this land. Coldstream’s representative to GVS has already gone on record supporting the original (sports complex) plan. So voting Yes, means Yes to a mega sports complex, not a community park.

No Cost Guarantees

Are Coldstream and Greater Vernon residents ready to sign a blank cheque to GVS for a mega sports complex? How many millions of dollars are you prepared to spend for a Mega Sports Complex designed for sports tourism? (8 million + land cost + infrastructure + landscaping + drainage + maintenance, etc.) We have been given no cost guarantees.

Are you willing to have the parks and recreation budget subsidize this mega sports complex for many years to come if not indefinitely? What will the ultimate costs be? Will our other parks deteriorate? Will proposed neighborhood parks be sidelined? These are questions the voters should ask and then determine if they will be comfortable with the consequences.

25% of our taxes already go to pay for parks and recreation. The GVS Master Parks Plan proposes a new, on going levy against all property owners to pay for purchasing more “park” land.

Public use:

This proposal is not for all ages and recreational needs. When is the last time you had a picnic or family get together in the middle of a ball field or soccer field. The largest growing demographic in Vernon is the 55+ age group. How often do you see them playing baseball, soccer, football or doing track and field? When will the general public who want to play – get to play if the fields are booked for leagues and tournaments? This is an Athletic park – what if you are not an athlete? What if you don’t participate in dog agility?

To date, there are no general public uses indicated on this site plan. The sports complex will take 80 acres (Al McNiven), add to that a water course with a 10 acre buffer; a buffer between the complex and neighboring properties; as well as the land dedicated for road improvements on Hwy 6 and Aberdeen and there isn’t much land left.

The public should not be fooled. This is a Mega sports complex not a community park.

Contact: Terri Jones, Representative for the GVAC. Home – 545-6405; Cell: 550-0338

visit www.complexfacts.com

Some Truth Revealed - Morning Star Article Nov 23 2007

In the Sunday October 28 Morning Star another possible location for the proposed sports complex was revealed to the public. Mr. Corner himself is quoted as saying that 50 acres of this 78 acre site along Highway 97 is usable. Although he was being negative and offering this information as an excuse for ignoring this site, it is anything but.

You see, the original plan proposed for the Aberdeen Road site occupied 60 acres, however, when Mr. McNiven made his presentation at the Sept. 11 Coldstream Council meeting, he said that the parking would be downsized from 1,000 spaces to 500 and the banquet hall facility dropped, as these items as originally drawn were not necessary. With these two changes made to the plan, it should fit quite nicely onto 50 acres.

This site is only marginal agricultural land, it is not productive, ½ has already been removed from the ALR, and there are no nearby neighbours. Perhaps some of the land that’s not usable for sports fields could even be developed into something for the general public. Wow, something for everyone, with known costs, and it’s not being shoved down anyone’s throat. The sports user groups get the playing fields they want and we preserve the agricultural land and rural lifestyle in Coldstream. Everyone wins; it just doesn’t get any better than that.

Thank God we have private citizens in our community who are willing to spend considerable amounts of their own time and effort to find out about, and then let us all know about other possibilities such as this. Again I challenge Mr. Corner and the other members of the GVSC to let us all know the true facts regarding this sports complex, not just the bits and pieces that suit their desired outcome.

by Denice Berlinski