The news that Rosa’s Taco Stand may cease to operate in Blackburn Park after nearly a decade seems an unnecessary loss.
Rosa Guthrie has operated her taco stand between April and October for the past nine years out of the city-owned concession facility at the park. Along with planned improvements to the park such as an accessible playground and a LifeTrail exercise system, the city will be constructing a new concession building and retiring the old one.
A request for proposal (RFP) process is now underway to give everyone an opportunity to compete for the contract. Guthrie, too, has put in a bid. However, she’s been told, and the mayor confirms, that the city would favour having a wider variety of foods available, including hamburgers, hotdogs and ice cream.
Guthrie admits she would not like to operate on Sundays and Mondays, as the city is proposing, nor does she want to change her menu.
While, if, as the mayor says, not everyone likes tacos, most would agree they’re generally more healthy than hotdogs and hamburgers.
We would hope that a more creative solution could be found that would allow a business of nine years to continue to operate – particularly one that offers healthier options in keeping with the health-promoting LifeTrail system and an inclusive playground.
Perhaps a shared facility, or shared hours, or some other workable solution would let Salmon Arm aim a little higher than the usual fare.
- Salmon Arm Observer