Carnival staying home?

Photo: Contributed

It appears the City of Vernon is willing to let the Winter Carnival Society stay in its home on 35 Avenue for a little longer.

The City had issued the non-profit organization an eviction notice from the city-owned property citing that the building was passed its useful lifespan and due to annual flooding the building was no longer safe.

In late 2018, the Winter Carnival Society again pleaded its case with the city to stay.

City council could decide today to allow the society to stay until May 1, 2020, as long as the society agrees to 11 conditions.

1. WCS be responsible for all repairs and maintenance to the building;
2. WCS will secure, at their cost, structural building and air quality assessments from qualified professionals, and will provide such to the City each year beginning in 2019;
3. WCS accepts all liability for the building, without exception, and indemnifies and holds the City harmless for any issues relating to the condition and use of the building;
4. WCS continues to actively seek a new location for their operations;
5. WCS will not request funding – related to maintenance or repairs for the building from the City of Vernon or the Regional District of the North Okanagan;
6. WCS will enter into a licence of occupation agreement with the City no later than March 1, 2019;
7. The City of Vernon shall not be responsible for any lost, stolen or damaged equipment belonging to the WCS;
8. WCS shall not sub-let or permit any other use of the building;
9. WCS shall provide and maintain in good standing, a Comprehensive Liability Insurance Policy in the amount of $5,000,000. The Policy shall name the City of Vernon as an additional insured, while WCS occupies the building;
10. WCS agrees that the Society will vacate the building immediately if ordered by a Provincial or Federal authority, or if the building suffers structural failure; and
11. WCS acknowledges that no further extensions to the Licence of Occupation will be offered at the subject building.

The City of Vernon has provided a home in one form or another since 1981.

The society moved into its current home on 35th Ave. in 1995.

The long-standing  Vernon Winter Carnival is in its 59th year. The carnival runs from Feb. 1-10. This year, there are 99 events planned.