Vernon offers more family fun

Dear editor: I enjoyed reading the editorial on lost fun attractions in the Okanagan (Okanagan Weekend, March 17; Courier, March 20).

I do agree with most posts and there were some very good examples mentioned such as Okanagan Game Farm, Flinstones Park and Old McDonald’s Farm, to name just a few dearly missed.

In their utter wisdom, Kelowna and West Kelowna took these awesome attractions away due to only a big money-grubbing ploy on new land developments. Most city officials here care nothing about family fun in Central Okanagan and Penticton.

Vernon, though, is holding strong with Atlantis waterslides, O’Keefe Ranch and Davison Orchards. Even the golf in Vernon is better on a whole with the likes of the Rise and Spallumcheen, both quite affordable for what you get compared to Kelowna. Even though Kelowna does offer many nice festivals for kids over the spring and summer, Vernon is a more family friendly town by far.

Four missing fun attractions really needed in Kelowna/West Kelowna are to have an old school drive-in movie theatre like in Enderby; a well-kept, challenging nine-hole pitch and putt like they have so many in the Vancouver area; an old school drive-in hamburger and malt shop; and a combo of Old MacDonald’s Farm and Flintstones. Some attractions such as these would get kids off their darn cellphones and outside to discover what the Okanagan can have to offer.

What I thought was utterly ridiculous and one of the dumbest things I had the displeasure of reading was one lady who actually chimed in and declared she misses smoking in bars. Really, lady? This is what you miss? Why did this even get printed?

I think it may be time to reevaluate that cave-like thought and maybe quit smoking and maybe live longer. Do you even know how second-hand smoke affected others? Do you even care about employees?

Nol Preen Kelowna