With the start the new year, the Salmon Arm Observer is taking this time to share some of the stories that made headlines throughout 2024.
December
Salmon Arm rolled into the holiday season over the weekend with the 2nd annual Rotary Holiday Parade and downtown tree light up. More than 20 parade entrants, including local businesses and not-for-profit groups, helped light up the downtown on Saturday evening, Nov. 30, with a mix of float/decorated vehicles and people on foot, sharing cheer and sweets to parade-goers.
A medium density development proposed for an area along Turner Creek will do more to protect greenspace and trails in the area than single-family residential. This was one of the points shared by Salmon Arm council when voting to support an application to rezone 1730 9th Ave. NE, 1470 TCH NE and 1671 2nd Ave. NE (east of Hilltop Inn) to a CD-22 Comprehensive Development Zone, to accommodate a medium-density development project. The applicant, Providential Developments Inc., is proposing 354 residential units – 140 assisted living, 188 apartments and 26 townhomes.
The Shuswap Youth Soccer Association (SYSA) was looking to extend the soccer season on familiar turf. In a letter to the city, SYSA operations manager Chad Foreman said the organization would like to assume ownership of the artificial turf inside the SASCU Indoor Sports Complex/Memorial Arena. SYSA was one of the arena’s regular users prior to the facility’s closure due to structural concerns, and the subsequent announcement by the city that the arena will be demolished. Foreman noted SYSA purchased the turf for the arena and said it holds no resale value and is a liability to the city “as removal and disposal of the turf will cost the city around $20,000-$30,000.”
With the new eastbound portion of the Tappen bridge up, the old two-way bridge will be coming down. In an update on the Ford Road to Tappen Valley Road Highway 1 project east of Salmon Arm, the Ministry of Transportation and Infrastructure said the eastbound section of bridge opened to traffic on Friday, Nov. 22. The new structure will serve traffic going in both directions until the west-bound structure is constructed. “The old Tappen Overhead will be dismantled and replaced with a new westbound bridge,” said the ministry in an email to the Observer. “The construction team is preparing to demolish the old bridge and replace with a new west-bound bridge.”
Options for the future of an historic part of downtown Salmon Arm continue to be explored. Members of the Salmar Community Association (SCA) gathered at the Salmar Classic Theatre last Thursday evening, Nov. 28, for the board’s AGM. Following 2024 highlights shared by other board members, board chair Chris Papworth shifted back to the Classic, and a June 2024 announcement by the SCA that continued operation of the theatre was “no longer feasible,” and that it would be seeking expressions of interest from other parties prepared to use the Classic for their own purposes. “I’m pleased to report we did get a number of written submissions,” said Papworth. “The board reviewed those written submissions and we continue to work with the interested parties that have said they’ve got a vision for how to keep the Classic a viable and vibrant part of the community.”
Recent changes to the Highway 97A/B intersection are not sitting well with drivers or city council. At the Nov. 25 Salmon Arm council meeting, minutes of a recent city Traffic Safety Committee (TSC) meeting prompted comments about two intersections of concern, both along 97B. The first was the intersection at 10th Avenue SE. Coun. Tim Lavery asked for more information regarding points in the minutes stating the Ministry of Transportation and Infrastructure (MOTI) is “considering changing the intersection of Highway 97B and restricting 10th Avenue SE to right in – right out only.” City public works and engineering director Rob Niewenhuizen elaborated, stating that MOTI’s representative on the TSC ministry informed the committee that ministry design engineers are currently looking into safety improvements at that location and that they are still within the design stages. Another intersection of concern was 97A/97B. Coun. “I don’t think there’s enough signage to say it’s been changed, and that corner now, people’s old habits are literally dying hard and hopefully nobody has a head-on when they think that they’re in a passing lane when it’s actually for the traffic coming down the hill,” said Coun. Kevin Flynn. “I have significant concerns with having driven it at night, having driven it after a snowfall, that that intersection is an accident literally waiting to happen."