John Thomson's I Didn't Know That!

This is good news for Kelowna and the valley.  Penticton’s Greyback Construction has signed a management contract with the Edmonton developers who have taken over the SOPA Square development. The Penticton company, one of the best in Canada at what they do, can be remembered from all the cement work they did on the Bill Bennett bridge.

The city is fortunate that Greyback Construction accepted the job of finishing the project already started by Ed Fenwick. It will be done right and finally we will see progress towards finishing the site which will become a very valuable feature in the South Pandosy shopping scene.

I’m sure the new developers and Greyback have made some changes to the original design although we will have to wait and see.

Brothers Doug and Larry Kenyon established Greyback in 1983. With their strong knowledge of the construction industry, Greyback continues to maintain a strong reputation with emphasis on providing economical and viable options to owners and developers.

**********

Dick Munn and I took a run up to see the work under construction at Ponderosa Golf Club in Peachland. The new Greg Norman designed course is moving ahead with a construction company out of Georgia as the lead contractor.

The first thing that hits you is the views.  No matter where you are on the golf course the lake and mountains are always there. The developers have built a deck so customers can step out and see everything at once - it is quite spectacular. I swear I saw Ogopogo in the lake below! Of course no one would believe me.

Well known in the B.C. Golf community Doug Goubault is the general manager of the property and he is in charge of changing the mountain into signature golf course and as he says, “second to none in North America.”

Doug drove us all over the large 400-acre site, a large challenge to any golf architect.

They expect to be able to open part of the golf course next year. Right now the developer is selling town homes with an incredible view and they have moved quite well with 36 sold out of the 53 homes being built. There will be lots of real estate available up there, all with the same magnificent views I have been writing about. It will be quite a community and a boon to the community down below. I also understand there will be a name brand hotel on the golf course as well but no names have yet been released.

**********

Dominic Pataroia has had quite a year in the law profession.  He was presented with his QC and now his law firm has been named number five in the province. A number of years ago Dominic and his law group were seeking some form of expansion and were a much sought after firm by the large law groups in Vancouver and Toronto.

Their decision was to join with the firm Farris, Vaughn, Wills & Murphy. It has worked very well for all and now they have been named number five in the biggest law firm in the lower mainland.

**********

Here's another good story from the automobile industry. Vaughn Wyant Automotive Group from Saskatoon who are making another move locally with the purchase of land on Highway 97N, just beyond the Malibu Race track. According to my source they are going to build two dealerships there. VWAG already have set a foot in this market when they came from Saskatoon to build the new Hyundai dealership.  I understand that was sold and they opened a multi dealership on Enterprise Way - Kelowna Volvo, Land Rover Kelowna and Jaguar of Kelowna. These will move into the new facilities. The VWAG also own Vernon Hyundai. I interviewed one of the bosses in Saskatoon when they were moving here with Hyundai.   They have a total of sixteen dealerships in Saskatchewan and B.C.

**********

When we moved here thirty-five years ago, shopping at Lakeview Market was always a treat and the friendliest grocer in the Mission. Bill Jones didn’t even know me in those days but always had a smile and a thank you for coming in to shop. It was always a good experience.

It is hard to believe that this community grocery store dates back 67 years and is still counting. Bill Jones and his wife Barbara bought the store from the family that started it in 1946. The Jones family took over in 1968. Bill was a hockey hero here and everybody knew the man.

I can always remember walking into the store back then, before it was remodeled, and in those days it had squeaky wooden floors. It was the same atmosphere then. I don’t know when they stared the meat counter but they always had great meat for the barbecue and their hamburger was always fresh and made a mean hamburger.

Lakeview continues to be a family owned store with some the staff having been there twenty years. Their customer base continues to be strong and a great deal of the customers have been coming through the doors for decades.

**********

The Penticton Walmart is underway to be changed over to a Supercentre. It is the company's third such store in the valley. All the major grocery stores are in that shopping corridor so shoppers get the benefit of shopping from everyone’s flyer.

**********

I wrote about the sale of Tobiano Golf Club last week as well as two golf course entrepreneurs, one from Edmonton and the other from Palm Beach, Florida. John Preston of Florida and Henry Bereznicki of Edmonton are the owners with some real money who can make things work and everyone is hoping. That’s the case.

The original developer Mike Grenier seems to be back on the scene again but I don’t know in what capacity. I interviewed him years ago when he was still raising funds to build the Thomas Broom designed course.  He has won many awards over the years. Mike was having trouble with the Provincial Government over their desire to secure a license for a bus to run in from Kamloops to the course and at that time the proposed resort. They were not treated all that well by the government of the day.

I believe Mike was in the project with his father from Toronto although I may have a memory lapse there. Those were difficult money days for sure.

**********

There seems to be a dispute over rent with Orchard Park owner Primaris Management. Inc. and the Tom Collins Pub on the south-east corner of the Orchard Park property. The dispute is over the rent not being paid.  They were issued a demand on June 3, 2013 that $32,859.61 was owed and must be paid by June 7, 2013. It was not paid and Primaris cancelled the lease on June 7, 2013.

Do you remember when it was Ernie’s Place Pub and before moving to Orchard Park it was located on the property behind Skogie’s Car Wash? They were always so busy.

We haven’t heard the end of this story.