Salmon Arm is growing and the best evidence of this is the newspaper article indicating elementary school enrolment is up. Additional classrooms have been added to four elementary schools and extra blocks have been added to secondary schools in the school district.
When did we last hear this kind of news? All we have heard for many years is declining enrolment and school closures. I can hardly wait to hear when the actual student numbers are released.
Things are changing, moving forward and growing. R.J. Haney Heritage Village began construction of their $1.4 million Montebello Block project with the opening planned for July 2017.
The Salmon Arm Tennis Club came forward with a proposal for a three court indoor facility.
The Fish & Game Club is planning on opening a new shooting range on their current site and up at Larch Hills the Larch Hills Nordic Society has plans for a major expansion to their chalet and while not within the City of Salmon Arm this facility is highly utilized by our residents.
We are experiencing new sub-division development and construction statistics showing an increase of 61 per cent in construction of new single-family dwellings over last year.
Add to this a number of major infrastructure improvements which are completed or nearing completion, which include:
• Asphalt overlays - $1 million which equates to approximately four kilometers in various locations
• 46 Ave SE industrial park storm extension - $ 500,000
• Old Jackson school site (downtown Activity Centre) Improvements - $ 1 million
• Blackburn Park improvements (champion soccer field, life skills trail, new picnic shelter and spray park) - $ 1.1 million
• Shuswap Memorial Cemetery - $900,000
• TCH and 30th Street Water Main Upgrade - $250,000
• Water and Sewer SCADA Radio System Upgrade - $ 220,000
• Sidewalk curb and gutter projects - $150,000.
With all the road works going on it wasn’t a surprise when a gentlemen stopped and talked to me about his difficulty in getting home one day. He said “while, I’m not complaining because it’s good to see all that is happening in town, there was a day last week when I couldn’t get home. I went one way and the road was closed because crews were putting pipes in the ground, I went around another way and they were pouring sidewalks, so I tried yet third route and they were paving.”
I also know the Fair parade organizers were concerned when they found a portion of the parade route dug up. Thankfully it was filled in and the parade went smoothly.
Lastly, I am certain many of you encountered road closures and detours this summer, so I would like to thank all of you for your patience.
-Nancy Cooper is the mayor of Salmon Arm