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Editorial: Now is the time for Sicamous to shine

Shuswap community might be just what people who work from home are looking for
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A young Sicamous Canada Day parade-goer is awed by a colourful float filled with beloved Disney characters during the July 1, 2020 community event. (File photo)

Now is the time for Sicamous to shine.

Some might say this Shuswap community always shines, especially in the summer when its population swells with people wanting to enjoy all this lakeside town has to offer. Maybe not so much last summer with COVID-19, and possibly this summer depending how pandemic restrictions restrictions affect travel.

For now, it is good to prepare for the day when Sicamous can roll out the welcome mat once more and offer all the activities and events it is known for.

It is also an excellent time to focus efforts on attracting potential future residents.

Though 2021 has been rife with setbacks related to the ongoing pandemic, real estate has been booming in the Okanagan-Shuswap.

According to realtors, a contributing factor behind this unprecedented seller’s market are people who have realized they do not necessarily need to live where they work. This has led to folks/families in larger urban centres looking at relocating to smaller communities in the Interior that may offer a little more space and a desirable change of lifestyle.

How does that not scream “Sicamous,” with its clean air, sandy public beach, an elementary school and a high school, a medical clinic, a recreation centre, local trail networks and so much more?

Read more: Column: Yukon bound after five years serving the Shuswap

Read more: Column: A little thing I love about living in Salmon Arm

Not enough amenities? Salmon Arm is a short drive away and Vernon not much farther. There is opportunity in town for growth and commercial development. Even on Main Street. A growing population might provide the push needed to finally make that development happen.

Slowly but surely, Sicamous has been upgrading its infrastructure to support some kind of population boom. It has the potential and capacity to offer what people are seeking.

So now is the time for Sicamous to shine, be it on YouTube or TikTok or any other social media platform where someone itching to move might discover a community they’d be thrilled to call home and where they could begin to live more.

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Lachlan Labere

About the Author: Lachlan Labere

Editor of the Salmon Arm Observer, Shuswap Market, and Eagle Valley News. I'm always looking for new and exciting ways to keep our readers informed and engaged.
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