Peachland students help municipality discover accessibility shortfalls

Accessibility plan adopted

Photo: Unsplash

Grade 5 students helped a council committee discover where Peachland comes up short on accessibility.

Council last week approved an accessibility action plan, drafted by a committee consisting of two municipal staff members, two councillors and three Peachland citizens. Creating the plan was an order from the provincial government, Coun. Terry Condon said.

Condon said the Grade 5s became role players in checking out just how accessible Peachland is.

The class went out in wheelchairs, walkers and canes “and other implements that might be used by somebody with a physical disability,” Condon explained. “They also drew cards from a box that identified non-visible disabilities, so some were on this exercise with the lens of somebody with Alzheimer’s, or somebody with a brain injury or somebody that was deaf or blind, or some other non-visible injury, and we took a walk through town.

“I was very impressed with the maturity level of the children that did this exercise. They showed a great deal of interest in what was going on and a great deal of empathy and compassion for those that were facing the barriers,” Condon said.

“We got a much better picture of the state of the union, so to speak, with the assistance of these kids.”

A survey and open house were also conducted to get resident feedback.

The feedback revealed, among other things, that public transportation is hard for some to access. Uneven pavement and sidewalks, and lack of ramps also make movement difficult.

“Our public buildings, they need some attention, but generally they’re in better shape than we thought they were going to be,” said Condon, “but many of the private businesses in town perhaps are not award of the barriers they actually present.”

Condon also said more information is needed.

“We do not have a very good idea of the number of people in Peachland who are facing these kinds of challenges,” he said.

Council approved the plan.

Peachland Classic Car Show donates $1,000 to school music program

Car show supports school

Photo: Peachland Classic Car Show

Rear adults: left Christi Ogg kindergarten teacher, right of car Wendy Briggs Principal. Front: left to right holding cheque, Aimee Maillet, Kim Letcher Peachland PAC. To the right of the 36 Chev Coupe: Darlene Thornton, Chamber CEO, Bill Wakeling Peachland Classic Car Show, Jonathan Wall, Chamber president, Cors Verhage and Allan Wiebe, Peachland Classic Car Show

After a bumpy ride earlier this year, the Peachland Classic Car Show is steering a new path and giving back to the community.

Representatives from the car show and the Peachland Chamber of Commerce presented a $1,000 cheque to the Parent Advisory Council at Peachland Elementary School last week.

“We are pleased to support our community,” said Allan Weibe, event organizer with the Peachland Classic Car Show.

“This year we chose the school music program for a $1,000 donation. The program is newly staffed and the new teacher is working on procuring the musical instruments.”

School Principal Wendy Briggs said, ”This donation will help us complete our set of musical instruments so that our students will enjoy learning to make music. Thank you for enriching the lives of our students.”

The long-running World of Wheels, a fixture on Beach Avenue for 25 years announced in late 2023/early 2024 that it would be moving to West Kelowna due to a number of logistical concerns. That triggered a backlash from some Peachland residents and prompted the Chamber of Commerce, the District of Peachland and others to step up and organize the new Peachland Classic.

Peachland rezoning approved amid concerns over neighbours' lake views

View impacts to be minimal

Photo: District of Peachland

Picture presented to council shows what developer says the project will look like on the hill in question

Two homes may have their lake views partially blocked by a new development in the Lower Princeton Avenue area of Peachland.

The potential obstruction was the source of a lot of consternation at last week's council meeting.

Council was debating whether to grant third reading to a rezoning application that would allow a 52-unit townhome project to be built between Princess Street and Highway 97.

“At this point as it is proposed now .... one or two homes across the street ... would be affected,” planner Nisha Gnanasingarajan told council.

The obstruction would only be visible from the ground floor of those homes, which are located higher up the hillside.

Coun. Rick Ingram, attending the meeting virtually from Ottawa, said he was disappointed a covenant wasn’t being used to restrict the heights of the townhomes. The developers had told planners they didn’t want height limits imposed through a covenant.

Coun. Terry Condon expressed concerns about traffic and emergency access to the site.

As the debate passed the half-hour mark, some councillors were finally assured the effects on neighbours’ sightlines would be minimal.

“There may not be a lot of sightline impediment,” said Coun. Keith Thom, “because very few people lie on the ground and look out at the lake. They generally look out the window.”

“I received the information from the presenter that it’ll be one or two homes affected across the street and only on the ground floor. That answers my questions,” said Coun. Randey Brophy.

The rezoning passed 4-3 with Brophy, Ingram and Coun. Terry Condon opposed.

Peachland deputy mayor gets 10% raise

Deputy mayor gets a raise

Photo: District of Peachland

Coun. Keith Thom

Peachland’s deputy mayor is getting a raise.

Council approved the 10 per cent increase last week, then reappointed Coun. Keith Thom to the position.

The deputy mayor fills in when the mayor is away or can’t be in two places at once.

The increase will amount to about $175 a month, Mayor Patrick Van Minsel said.

“This increase reflects the expanded scope of duties the deputy mayor is expected to undertake,” a report to council said.

Council also approved expanding per diem pay when councillors attend conferences or other authorized events, and increasing the business and travel allowance “to reflect the actual cost of attending conferences.”

“In recent years, the scope of responsibilities for both the Mayor, Deputy Mayor, as well as Councillors, has expanded significantly,” the report to council said. “Local government requires individuals in these roles to engage in more community events, represent the municipality at regional and national meetings, and oversee complex issues that require considerable time and expertise.”

Coun. Terry Condon complained a “business case” had not been presented to justify the increases.

He was the lone councillor opposed to the increases.

Bears, not deer, most common animal conflict in Peachland

Bear conflict more common

Photo: Unsplash

Peachlanders have more problems with bears than other Central Okanagan residents.

In a presentation to council on Tuesday, Breanna Scott, WildSafeBC’s Central Okanagan co-ordinator, said the majority of calls to the local conservation office from Peachland was to report problems with bears.

In the rest of the Central Okanagan, deer are the No. 1 animal reported to conservation officers.

Between January and October, 75 calls were made from Peachland — 46 calls were “about black bears accessing garbage and fruit trees and breaking up a shed,” Scott said. Twenty-six calls were to complain about deer, two reported something to do with coyotes and one was about a rattlesnake.

In the rest of the region, 1,721 calls were logged. Half of them concerned deer, 37 per cent bears and the rest cougars, coyotes and rattlesnakes.

A big reason bears are such a problem is people put their garbage bins out too early. Bins are only supposed to be put at the curb at 7 a.m. on garbage pickup day.

Two thousand bins were tagged in the Central Okanagan for being put to the curb too early, 215 of them in Peachland, said Scott.

“The effectiveness of the bin tagging was around 74 per cent” in Peachland. On two Peachland routes, 24 and 27 per cent of homeowners were repeat offenders, she said, “which is better than the rest of the Central Okanagan where 39 per cent of residents would repeat.”

Photo: WildSafeBC

Work to start in June on new Peachland childcare centre

Construction to start in June

Photo: District of Peachland

Construction may begin in June on a 104-space child care centre in Peachland.

The municipality last summer received a $12.2-million provincial grant to build the centre near Peachland Elementary School. Council received an update on the project Tuesday.

HCMA Architecture and Design, and TKI Construction have been hired to put the project together.

A site analysis is now underway with detailed designs the next step in the process, Community Services Director Cory Labrecque told council.

BGC Okanagan (formerly the Boys and Girls Club) will operate the centre.

Coun. Terry Condon wanted assurances Peachland won’t be on the hook if the project goes over budget and wanted more information on what conditions were attached to the province’s grant.

“They gave us $12.2 million to get this project done. As far as how we get there, we pretty much have a free hand,” answered Mayor Patrick Van Minsel.

“Cory did exemplary work on this. The numbers that he gave them already take into account the worst-case scenario,” Van Minsel said. “Other child care centres that were built before this had an allocation of $3.5 million to $4.5 million from the province. They went over budget by 100 per cent, up to $9-$10 million. Taking that into account, we asked for $12.2 million.”

Peachland councillors ask RCMP for support in lowering Hwy 97 speed limit

Council wants lower limits

Photo: Colin Dacre

An impromptu attempt to get the new Mountie in charge to support Peachland’s bid for lower speed limits on Highway 97 came up short Tuesday night.

Staff Sgt. Brendan Dolan, officer in charge of the West Kelowna detachment, was giving his first report to council.

Dolan reported the detachment received 351 calls for service in Peachland in the third quarter of the year compared to 295 in the previous quarter and 333 in Quarter 3 last year.

“Nothing really stands out as an area of concern,” he told council. “If anything, there’s been a few areas where statistics have reduced. Motor vehicle offences have risen and I know that’s a concern of mayor and council.”

His brief discussion about traffic enforcement opened the door for councillors to ask Dolan if he supported Peachland’s request to the Ministry of Transportation to lower the speed limit on Highway 97 through the municipality.

“What would be your impression if we said we want 70 kilometres all the way through town,” asked Coun. Keith Thom.

“I’ll be honest with you, I’d have to look at that more, but my first impression on face is slower speed limits are generally safer,” replied Dolan. “But again, I’d want that studied or at least have more empirical data.”

Mayor Patrick Van Minsel noted that 50 per cent of respondents in a citizen survey said they don’t see the RCMP enough in the municipality.

“Perception is reality. If the community is not seeing us enough, then that’s an issue,” Dolan answered. “That’s something I can take back to my detachment and pass on and (you) should be able to see an increase in that.”

Council put off a review of the survey results until next week’s meeting.

Peachland pickleball plans may need to be scaled back

Pickleball plan over budget

Photo: Contributed

Lambly Park

Plans to build four outdoor pickleball courts in Peachland may have to be scaled back.

Council earlier this year budgeted $200,000 to build four pickleball courts in Lambly Park, but heard on Tuesday they may cost more than that.

Community Services Director Cory Labrecque told council consultants have advised planning for $315,000 with a 30 per cent contingency added in.

A pickleball society is trying come up with additional money – and is applying for grants – but has nothing yet to add to the project, council heard.

Mayor Patrick Van Minsel urged council to proceed with a recommendation that Peachland issue a request for proposals for the project. That way, Peachland will find out what the project will really cost, he said.

“This does not make any kind of commitment. It just gives us some pricing opportunities,” explained Coun. Terry Condon.

Council agreed to prepare the RFP but also instructed staff to take a second look at whether Lambly Park, which runs along Highway 97, is the best park for the project.

If the project proceeds, construction wouldn’t start until at least late spring or early summer, Labrecque said.

“The bottom line is the process we’ve chosen, we’re not going to spend more than $200,000. That’s the only money you gave us, so if it comes back we can only build one (court), we’ll come back to council and say we can only build one,” said administrator Joe Creron.

Some councillors noted a recent municipal survey showed pickleball is not a high priority for residents. The survey will be analyzed at next week’s council meeting.

Peachland widow wins ICBC fight for benefits

Widow wins ICBC fight

Photo: The Canadian Press

The Civil Resolution Tribunal was recently tasked with considering whether the Christina Passmore was entitled to accident benefits following a July 19, 2022 motorcycle crash that preceded the death of her husband, Gerald Prins, 11 days later.

A Peachland widow whose husband died after a 2022 motorcycle crash won her claim against ICBC.

The Civil Resolution Tribunal was recently tasked with considering whether Christina Passmore was entitled to accident benefits following a July 19, 2022 motorcycle crash that preceded the death of her husband, Gerald Prins, 11 days later.

ICBC refused to pay out spousal death benefits because, by their view, Prins did not die because of the accident but, rather, an underlying medical condition.

That assertion, however, fell flat when it made its way to Tribunal member Amanda Binnie, due to a lack of evidence.

Passmore swayed Binnie to see her view through evidence submitted by Prins's doctor who said the 77-year-old had been in good physical health at the time of the single vehicle accident that preceded his death.

Dr. Elizabeth Allen said it was “highly likely” that the accident played a role in the fatal venous thromboembolism. She also provided medical literature supporting the position that pulmonary embolism can be caused by both major and minor trauma.

ICBC tried to counter that view by submitting the opinion of internist Dr. Benjamin Wiestra, as well as an on-call coroner consultation from Betty Noble. Noble felt the accident was “unlikely to be causally related to the subsequent pulmonary embolism and cardiac arrest” but her opinion was deemed hearsay, as ICBC provided no statement or opinion directly from her.

ICBC also said that Prins had hypertension, osteoarthritis and carpal tunnel syndrome.

"ICBC does not provide any supporting evidence of whether these conditions would have increased Mr. Prins’ risk of a pulmonary embolism, or whether they did in this specific instance," Binnie said.

"ICBC does not specifically dispute Mr. Prins was an otherwise healthy and active man of his age at the time of the accident."

Ultimately, the Tribunal ruled Prins' cardiac arrest was a result of the motorcycle accident, and ICBC was ordered to calculate the amounts of death benefits for a spouse under the policy and pay Passmore.

According to an obituary, Prins settled in Peachland in 2000 where he shared his love of motorcycling with many good friends. He joined the Peachland Fire Department, where his service and mentorship were valued for 15 years.

Peachland boat launch closing for repairs

Work to close boat launch

Photo: District of Peachland

Peachland’s southern boat launch will be closed next week for repairs.

The launch at T Dock and Doggie Beach will be closed for one week starting on Dec. 2.

“Okanagan Dock and Dive will begin work to replace the non-floating dock and damaged lakebed concrete base,” said the municipality in a statement.

The nearest alternative boat launch is located on Beach Ave across from 8th Street.

The dog park will remain open throughout construction, but users are reminded to use caution near the work zone.