No mood to celebrate

Although it wasn’t their intention, BC Housing has insulted our community. Penticton is a city with a vacancy rate of less than one per cent. Many young people can’t afford to rent an apartment on their own due to a lack of decent-paying jobs. Housing is unaffordable for a lot of working-class people. There’s a record number of homeless.

During this time, BC Housing constructed a Taj Mahal in the space it operates at 451 Winnipeg Street, spending more than $1 million on the project, complete with glass office walls. This isn’t your average Crown corporation — BC Housing is responsible for finding accommodations for low-income and marginalized people. Instead, they’ve looked after themselves.

The space was once a community hall, rented weekly by the local cadets and occasionally by outside events such as the Pentastic Jazz Festival. Some of the residents in the adjoining towers enjoyed sitting in this quiet, open space. But, borrowing from the City of Penticton’s catch phrase about Skaha Lake Park, this area was “under-utilized space.”

We were told about two years ago that it would be used for office space, which sounded fair. We just weren’t expecting something that looks like the boardroom from Donald Trump’s “The Apprentice.”

We recognize the need for a professional, positive working space for the employees. However, two of the dingiest working areas in most cities are the police station and fire hall. They too have stressful jobs. BC Housing can create good karma with a nice selection of potted plants, flowers, and decorative cubicles that would cost $100, not $1 million.

The Herald requested a tour of their new digs, but were turned down because it would be “disruptive” to staff. Gee, we could walk on our tippy toes and speak only in a whisper.

It reeks of a cover-up. Where was the official grand opening with our mayor, MLA, coffee and cake? This is the norm when renovations are complete for a service organization.

We learned of this only through freedom of information.

Penticton’s homeless number is estimated at 168 — and climbing.

— Valley editor James Miller