City’s blemish

Dear Editor: I have been visiting Kelowna for the past 30 years. It is in my opinion the best place in Canada. I would however like to share an observation. Your downtown area close to the park continues to be Kelowna's biggest blemish!

While it is the closest vantage point to your lake and the beautiful park with amazing beaches and restaurants, this area should be your jewel. Instead it continues to decay away and is home to the “drifters” who loiter, do drugs, etc.

Where is your police department? Where are the patrols that should be scouring the area to keep it safe and keep these people out? In riding our bikes along your beautiful pathways, we were stopped twice by patrols wearing red tee-shirts looking out for animal safety and stopping people with dogs, asking if their pet had water, food, and shelter from the sun. Admirable, but in two weeks we never saw police patrols.

We were told by a local resident that tourists go to the beach but never the locals due to the bums that hang out there.

For 2018, I would suggest you improve your bike patrols and maintain a very noticeable presence. Currently there is none.

I see all the development is south, closer to the Grand Hotel, and in the meantime your downtown park periphery becomes a hang out for drifters. Don’t ignore this problem Kelowna — it is noticed by all who visit your city.