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Stomp forced to shift gears

Motorcycle event: Agricultural Land Commission denies application.
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This scene from last year's Stomp event is uncertain

The Salmon Arm Summer Stomp, set for July 13 to 16, has run into an organizational speed bump.

The Agricultural Land Commission has denied the Stomp’s application to hold a five-day non-agricultural event on four properties in Silver Creek that lie within the Agricultural Land Reserve.

Colin Fry, executive director of the land commission, told the Observer Monday that the request had been denied. He said the reasons for the decision won’t be available for two to four weeks, but the commission informed the applicants verbally last week about the denial.

He said the normal process would be to communicate with the applicant in writing with the reasons included, but this was a special circumstance.

“The property owner was very anxious to learn of that decision,” he said, so the commission told them verbally.

Mike Smith, Stomp organizer, told the Observer he would not comment on the denial, but organizers would be issuing a statement later this week.

On Tuesday, the Stomp website map was showing a new site along Salmon River Road south of Yankee Flats.

For the past 22 years, the event featuring motorcycles, bands, an all-night party and fundraising for charity was held at the Silver Creek Community Park grounds.

Following last year’s event, however, the Columbia Shuswap Regional District informed the group it would not allow the event to take place at the park, as it is too small for an event of that size.

The CSRD voted unanimously to support the applicants’ request to have the non-agricultural event held on the ALR land.

CSRD staff had recommended the use of the land for one year only, stating the event represents an economic benefit of regional and community significance, and the impact of the one-time event on agriculture would be negligible.

The properties that were the subject of the application are across from the Silver Creek Store. Two properties are owned by Murray Jackson at 885 and 919 Salmon River Rd., which would have been used for parking. Another two parcels of land are adjacent to Salmon River Road, and are owned by a corporation listing Loretta Wyness as the director.

 

The Wyness property was the proposed site of the Stomp events.

 

 



Martha Wickett

About the Author: Martha Wickett

came to Salmon Arm in May of 2004 to work at the Observer. I was looking for a change from the hustle and bustle of the Lower Mainland, where I had spent more than a decade working in community newspapers.
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