After reading the article (Western News, Sept 18, Creek side gets touch of green) about planting of trees and flowers near Penticton Creek, an eco-sensitive area, dealing with fish and plants — my understanding is about $400,000 has been spent on the two creeks.
Mayor Jakubeit stated his gratitude to the TD Friends of the Environment as he should — a great job. The mayor on the other hand is very quiet about another ecosystem that runs right through the middle of the proposal by Trio Marine in Skaha Lake Park. This is also an eco-sensitive area, over 200,000 sq ft.
This particular area has registered over 80 different varieties of bird life, according to ebird.org, recording bird life such as the Blue Heron, Red-necked Duck, Wood Duck and the American Robin. It is also the home of the rare Western Painted Turtle. This turtle is blue listed (special concern) by the Province of B.C. and the South Okanagan Similkameen Conservation Project and The Committee on the Status of Endangered Wildlife in Canada. As well, this area of Skaha Lake Park has over 100 trees, many dedicated to events and in memory of loved ones. A few of the trees are the Mountain Ashe, Cedar, Willow, and Maple. This is the most sensitive area in the whole park and, if we are going to be true to the riparian area and the legal status has changed, we should be removing the parking lot parallel to the beach as it sits in a riparian area (flood plain).
I would like to remind the council that we already have a mini golf area at Loco Landing and a waterslide at our municipal pool. There is another park which needs attention. It’s called the Industrial Park. Maybe the council should be paying more attention to the empty buildings and empty lots. We could provide more permanent jobs if these areas were filled.
Let’s put the cards on the table and tell the truth about what’s going on. A 30 year lease, plus five and five, I understand, is not about a waterslide. We, the taxpayers, cannot allow our council to lease land which we own without being consulted.