Tall building obsession bad for city
Re: Reject trio of towers: city staff (July 22)
Kelowna was officially incorporated in 1905, with the motto “Fruitful in Unity.”
According to the City of Kelowna website, the motto “alludes to Kelowna’s steady progress, largely attributable to its fruit industry and the community mindedness and cooperation of its citizens.’
This motto is just too old-fashioned for the Kelowna of the 21st century.
It should be scrapped in favour of the forward-thinking “Fruitful in Mega Towers.”
Between 2020 and 2026, there could easily be close to 700 storeys in 25 new highrises, and that’s just in the downtown core alone. Let that sink in.
It’s not the building of highrises per se that concerns me; it’s that developers want approval to build so many of them close to, or on the waterfront.
In 2018, City of Kelowna planners recommended council not approve the development permits for Westcorp’s 33-storey downtown hotel on Queensway.
Council approved the permits anyway on Feb. 4, 2020, despite planners’ concerns that the building was too high and overwhelming for the waterfront property.
On July 26 there will be a public hearing at 6 p.m. regarding the 46storey UBCO tower.
The plans include four stories of underground parking but wouldn’t have also included parking spaces for hundreds of vehicles unless they would be used.
So if you think gridlock on Kelowna streets is bad now, imagine what it will be like in five years.
Santa Barbara is one of America’s most beautiful cities, called the American Riviera due to its Spanish Colonial Revival style architecture, world-renowned food and wine, pristine beaches and near-perfect weather.
The city’s aversion to tall buildings has lasted for decades.
However in 2020 city council voted to let developers build highdensity housing units in the downtown business district and may boost the residential height limit from 45 feet to... wait-for-it... 48 feet. about the rapidly rising prices for almost everything. Little by little I came to the realization I shouldn’t let things I have no control over ruin my day.I decided to look on the bright side and figuratively put on rose-coloured glasses.
Immediately I realized the groceries and gas were an investment, not an expense.
The groceries in the trunk and the gas in the tank had doubled the value of our car. You can call me a cockeyed optimist but my frown instantly turned upside down.
That’s when I recalled those insightful words in the 1988 hit song, ‘Don’t Worry Be Happy’; namely, ‘In every life we have some trouble but when you worry you make it double.’
Ensign bears the crosses of Saint George, Saint Patrick and Saint Andrew. Yes, it bears the crests of France, Scotland, Ireland and England – all Christian countries reflective of Canada’s founding as far back as the early 1600’s.
Members of the Royal Canadian Navy, the Royal Canadian Air Force and the Canadian Army fought with distinction and died under the Canadian Ensign in both World Wars and the Korean War. I and my classmates sang God Save The Queen and Oh Canada while the Canadian Ensign was raised.
Mr. Hussen owes Canadian veterans who are buried overseas and who fought and died for his freedom an apology. peers’ comments. As Peterson himself sated “I am an academic persona non grata…’
Peterson has been suspended from Twitter for fat-shaming a lady and refusing to apologize. This is completely in character. Carry out some critical analysis of his comments and views.
Pierre Poilievre is a Stephen Harper protégé but I understand the anxiety of Canadians who are concerned about global inflation and the cost of living, but to continuously blame the Liberals for global inflation is not justifiable.
And investors’ reluctance to invest in fossil fuels is global – not just a Canadian Liberal problem.
If you support Pierre Poilievre, then at least admit that you prefer: a balanced budget over social safety nets; freedom from mandatory mask wearing – no matter the danger to others; freedom to protest – no matter the disruption of peoples lives and traffic movement; freedom from mandatory vaccinations – no matter the health risks to others; freedom for unqualified (cannot meet Canadian standards) immigrants to practice their professions; freedom for oil companies to drill without meeting environmental standards; and the list goes on.
If you support the foregoing – that is your choice and I respect your right to have that preference; however, I do not support your choice.
As a Humanist, that is my right, and I defend that right.
I cannot imagine the attack-dog antics of Pierre Poilievre as the Canadian Prime Minister, and certainly not on the world stage.