Mayor Victor Cumming said lots or projects on the horizon for 2021

There was a lot more going on in 2020 than a pandemic.

While COVID may have dominated the news, construction dominated the landscape with numerous projects from roadwork to housing being done in the city and Vernon's mayor said that trend will continue into 2021.

Victor Cumming said there will be the completion of one of the biggest projects of 2020 when the extension of 29th Avenue through the old Civic Arena site is finalized.

Cumming said that project, complete with two roundabouts, will be finished this year.

“As soon as the ground becomes warm we will find that to be finished and paved and ready and open,” said Cumming.

A park for that parcel of land is also on the agenda for 2021.

Cumming said Civic Park will be a great positive for the neighbourhood and the city.

Other projects happening in 2021 include a roof for the pickleball facility at Marshall Field. The local pickleball club raised more than $1 million in a matter of weeks for the roof.

And while the adults are playing pickleball, or taking a kick at the ball on the nearby soccer pitches, kids will be able to keep busy on a new playground that is planned for the facility.

“It will be a substantial playground,” said Cumming. “There will be a big playground there for the kids to play on.”

Just down the road from Marshall field is the Lakeshore Road redevelopment which Cumming said is “such a key thing for the city of Vernon.”

The popular Kin Beach will have an extension added on to the north-west side of the park and at the other end of town near the Foothills subdivision a path is going to be built from BX School to Blackcomb Way.

“It will be an off-road trail so kids from Foothills will be able to, fairly easily, get down to their school on the trail,” said Cumming.

The first-term mayor also hopes the city's Climate Action Plan gets approved in 2021.