The Greater Vernon Chamber of Commerce (GVCC) is pleading with the City of Vernon to reassess and audit the large fee increases that they have enacted on non-profit user groups for rental fees in the city.
According to a letter from the GVCC sent to mayor and council on May 8, the chamber has been advocating for equitable treatment of non-profit user groups, but the city has approved two increases recently.
"Despite our efforts, council approved two five per cent increases and more recently an additional two per cent levy as recommended by Peter Weeber, Vernon CAO," said the GVCC.
The GVCC had met with Weeber to discuss its concerns, only to see the increases approved "within weeks" of the meeting.
The GVCC also referenced three non-profit groups that have suffered since the recent increases: Okanagan Military Tattoo, Creative Chaos and the Vernon Farmers' Market.
Okanagan Military Tattoo
The Okanagan Military Tattoo will not take place in 2025, due to high costs. The rental fee of Kal Tire Place for 2025 is $35,000.
"The fee for five days (setup, rehearsal, performance) ultimately rendered the event unsustainable," said the GVCC. "The city has not only lost that $35,000 in direct revenue, but also the broader economic benefits associated with 400 entertainers who would have stayed, dined, and spent within Vernon."
Creative Chaos
Now in its 50th year, the largest summer craft fair in Western Canada will operate at a financial loss for the first time, due to an increase of 27 per cent in rental fees of the Vernon Recreation Complex (which includes the Curling Rink and both indoor and outdoor arenas).
According to Ingrid Baron, the Creative Chaos chairperson, the event saw a $4,532.16 increase from 2024 (from $14,123.60 to $18,656.16). Baron explained that they are "still confused about the increase."
"The $4,532 increase is turned into a loan for us that we pay back over five years, but our increase is 32 per cent for every other year on top of that," Baron said of the now-escalating prices year-over-year. "The whole issue stems from the fact that they (the City) put us in a different category, from Community to Private Sponsored Entertainment."
Community rates are for free-entry non-profits, while the private sponsored entertainment category is for charged admission, however, the craft fair does not charge ticketed admission. It only asks for a donation to the Salvation Army Food Bank.
Vernon Farmers Market
In 2022, rental fees at the Vernon Farmers Market (VFM) were $4,000. It nearly tripled in 2023 to $11,700 and will escalate year-by-year until 2033, when it will cost $30,000.
"A lot of businesses have chosen to vend elsewhere because they can find other farmers markets locally for cheaper," said Rachelle Zelaney, owner of Zelaney Farms "We’re a nonprofit organization and I don’t think that we are being treated in a way that says the city values our place in the community.”
The market has lost 30 per cent of its vendors in 2024, with many choosing alternative, cheaper communities.
The Kamloops Farmers' Market, as an example, charges $700 annually for use of downtown city blocks and parks, and hosted close to 120 vendors during peak season.
In a recent GVCC survey, 91 per cent of respondents said that they didn't believe that facility pricing was competitive with similar pricing elsewhere.
The GVCC is asking council to audit the fee categories applied to all non-profit user groups to ensure appropriate classification and reassess both past and present proposed fee increases to evaluate their impact.
"We urge you to take these concerns seriously and act in the best interests of the entire Vernon community," said GVCC president Kirndeep Nahal.
The full letter from the GVCC can be found at vernonchamber.ca.
