As a follow up to my recent presentation at the Chamber of Commerce luncheon, I thought I would expand on some of the upcoming projects 2018 has in store for us.
We know that the cannabis legalization is imminent and there will be a role for local governments to play. It is important for council to hear what the citizens of Salmon Arm think and, as such, we will be hosting another public input session in the spring. Stay tuned for dates and times as this will be a conversation we want you to be a part of.
Also, we want to congratulate Salmon Arm Economic Development Society for bringing our Innovation Centre to life. A grand opening will be happening shortly and we can hardly wait! This was a remarkable undertaking which was made possible by a tremendous amount of work and collaboration. It is an amazing asset to our community and I encourage you to check it out.
The Branding Project, also led by Salmon Arm Economic Development Society, is also moving along towards completion, set for this spring. This has been an inclusive process that has brought together a diverse group of our citizens. The information we are learning about our beautiful city is really quite exciting. I am looking forward to seeing what we have collectively come up with!
Another exciting initiative that will be moving forward in 2018 is the city’s first rainbow crosswalk. Council has decided on a location near Blackburn Park and we are looking forward to the unveiling.
As we understand from our communications with the Ministry of Transportation and Infrastructure, they are gearing up to start preloading this spring for the four-laning and new Salmon River bridge project. As we are all aware, these improvements will make travelling the TCH through Salmon Arm a lot safer.
This year we will continue to hear more about the abandoned CP rail line, the Rail Trail, as it moves forward. It is important for us all to be aware that this is a long-term project with funding for the acquisition being the first step. What makes this project so unique is the unprecedented collaboration between multiple jurisdictions, the Columbia Shuswap Regional district and all its members, the North Okanagan Regional district and all its members as well as the Splatsin Indian Band. We have found working together we can achieve great things such as the Rail Trail project.
Watch for information sessions regarding the Ross Street Underpass and do plan to attend. Our engineers will be there to answer any and all questions you may have on this project.
Salmon Arm has once again been short-listed for an award; we are in the top three competitors, up for an Open For Business award. Erin Jackson, the City Corporate Officer and I will be heading to Vancouver for the gala event this Friday. Wish us luck!
To top all of this off, construction projections remain strong. It’s a really exciting time to call Salmon Arm home.