A busy agenda welcomed members of the Regional District of North Okanagan (RDNO) at their monthly Board of Directors Meeting on Wednesday, May 22.
Geese
The Guardians of our Salish Estuaries Society (GooSE) presented to the RDNO their proposal for a geese harvesting program.
The society had previously presented to Vernon council back in early March, where councillors agreed on pursuing the matter further at a future meeting.
The proposal looks at harvesting the geese for food, while also working in cooperation with Environment Canada and ethically monitoring the population.
“Effective mitigation can preserve the ecological integrity of our estuarine ecosystems, ensure agricultural sustainability, and keep public parks usable,” GooSE members said in a presentation.
RDNO members briefly discussed the proposal, however no direction has been given at this time.
Cultural Centre
The Greater Vernon Cultural Centre is a step closer to securing more funds for its bold design.
The RDNO board was provided direction to submit a grant application to the Canada Cultural Spaces Fund for the architect and consulting fees associated with the design of the Greater Vernon Cultural Centre. The grant is approximately $1 million, which would pay for nearly half of the $2.1 million in fees for design and pre-construction costs.
The 31,000 square foot building costs just under $42 million, however since being approved in 2018, costs have increased due to escalation. The RDNO has $28 million secured through borrowing, with the rest of the funds ($13.9 million) hoping to be funded through a combination of senior-level grants, foundation contributions and community fundraising.
The RDNO and its fundraising partners aim to have the remainder of the required funding by July 2024, to meet the target construction date.
The Centre will primarily host three tenants: the Museum and Archives of Vernon, the Vernon Public Art Gallery and the Vernon and District Performing Arts Centre.
If funding goals are reached, construction on the Centre is expected to start in September 2025, with an opening date tabbed for 2027.
Vernon Football
As football grows in the North Okanagan, a Vernon-based association is looking to plant its feet at the Greater Vernon Athletic Park (GVAP) property.
Two members of the Vernon and District Minor Football Association (VDMFA), president Chris Terleski and director Mark Budgen, presented to the RDNO a request for the building of a storage facility on the GVAP property.
According to Terleski and Budgen, the VDMFA had operated a leased property in the Alpine Centre on Kalamalka Road for the past 12 years.
“The property recently sold and we have since vacated,” said Budgen and Terleski. “We are in search of a long term home for our program and are requesting approval to construct a storage facility at the GVAP, our primary training and playing facility.”
The association is one of the only sports that provides players with a full set of equipment, which “necessitates us having a space to store and manage that gear.”
VDMFA runs two main programs, exclusively at the GVAP; tackle and flag football, for youth aged seven to 14 in the North Okanagan.
RDNO staff was given approval to investigate options for the construction of the building and told the association to come back when more information is gathered, and “options can be presented.”
The new storage facility would be 1,000 square feet and, if all goes to plan from the association, construction to begin in the summer/fall of 2024, to align with the installation of the new scoreboard at the GVAP.
In kind donations of material and labour has already been committed from a variety of businesses regarding design, concrete work, excavation and more.
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