Get priorities in order

It was interesting, although not surprising, to hear at the recent tourism conference in Kelowna, the keynote speaker, Destination BC President Marsha Walden, said that Destination BC has clearly recognized that tourism is tied to taking advantage of technology to improve digital access directly to customers, saying the industry has moved from reliance on the visitor centre brick and mortar concept to on-line platforms.

The movement away from the brick and mortar concept has been in play for years. This was an issue voiced and repeated numerous times to council when the infamous visitor centre public hearing debacle was held in Kelowna. Despite the voices of a vast majority of citizens not in favour of the hijacking of public water front real estate for a business use, for reasons that included the obsolescence of the brick and mortar concept, council voted to defy the wishes of the citizens.

I’m not alone in believing there was something very sinister in how council voted to counter the wishes of the citizens. I think it is a good opportunity for all council to do a gut check on whether or not they truly have the best interests for all of Kelowna at heart in their oath of service rather than just the real estate/development industry.

The sooner they do the gut check the better, the 2018 municipal elections are not too far off.

Jim McMullan