File photo courtesy: Mel Rothenburger

By Mel Rothenburger

ARMCHAIR MAYOR

ROTHENBURGER: Five important things Kamloops must get done in 2020

Dec 28, 2019 | 6:47 AM

NEW YEAR’S RESOLUTIONS have never been much of a thing with me. I tend to make them as easy as possible in order to avoid failure.

In 2020, for example, I will vow to pay more attention to myself. I get this from Facebook, where daily I read the self-congratulations of people who feel they deserve credit for having gotten through some kind of challenge and now must treat themselves better.

On the other end of the scale are those who are perpetually self-satisfied, who feel the need to tell the world about their latest accomplishment, such as picking out the correct coffee maker for their kitchen or paint colour for their living room.

So, at least once a week, or whenever, I promise to splurge on a latte for myself, and on a really crazy day I will add a chocolate croissant, warmed up.

And I will, of course, continue to offer my wisdom on how to make the world a better place. Here at home, for example, there are five big things Kamloops must do in 2020, and I’ll tell you what they are, in no particular order.

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A NIGHT AT THE PERFORMING ARTS CENTRE: The Kamloops Centre for the Arts Society has a big job to do between now and April, when Kamloops residents will vote on whether to support it. Above all else, it must draw a picture of the experience of using the PAC. That begins with parking. The society has to stop avoiding the crucial issue of parking. There must be a parking plan; right now there isn’t one. Proponents are so committed to a PAC that they figure by chopping off the cost of a parkade it will gain the public’s support but it’s a recipe for frustration and resentment down the road. And what will the building actually look like? Like the drawings and the video, or something quite different? What will the lobby look like? Where will we hang our coats? What will the theatres look like? Will there be enough room in the seats or will we have to climb over bodies as we do in the Sagebrush? Paint a picture. Tell people why a night at the PAC will be something everyone will want to experience.

A COUNCIL RECKONING: One year into its four-year term, Kamloops council has provided no obvious clues about its vision for the city five, 10 and 50 years from now. Maybe it’s not the kind of council who can do that. What it can do, though, is set some goals for itself on the kind of council it wants to be day to day. Begin with transparency. Get rid of the clumsy committee-and-engagement-group system. Stop insisting that people who come to council meetings can only talk to council if they address an item on the agenda. That restricts public engagement instead of encouraging it. Do away with rehearsal meetings. Make “bold leadership” a real thing, not a meaningless slogan. Take ambitious stands on things. Think about how you are doing the job today, not how it might affect the outcome of the next election. To those of you who want to be the next mayor — it’s no secret, you know — take risks instead of playing it safe.

THE PIPELINE IS COMING: What has long seemed only lines on a map will become reality in 2020 as construction on the Trans Mountain pipeline expansion gets underway. Some preliminary work has been done but the real digging will soon get started in the North Thompson Valley and work its way through Kamloops. The Westsyde route issue, the Tiny House Warriors’ attempts to disrupt, environmental protests and the worries of private land owners will all be in the news against the backdrop of hectic construction activity, an explosion of labour camps, the constant traffic of trucks and equipment and the game of politics. It will make the disruption of the Victoria Street West rehab seem inconsequential in comparison and the community division of Ajax like a minor distraction. The community — not just Kamloops but every kilometre along the route — will have to be prepared, patient and resilient.

THE GANGS ARE ALL HERE. Safe streets will continue to be a major issue in 2020. Once, the spectre of gang violence was something we heard about happening at the Coast, but it’s become all too common on home turf. The wail of sirens and the whir of reconnaissance helicopters in the wake of drug-related shootings is no longer just the stuff of gangster movies. If not common place, such scenes are no longer a shocking occurrence. People get shot down outside motel rooms and outside their homes, others simply disappear. But gang violence and the drug trade aren’t the only safe-street issues. Late in the year, car crashes and pedestrian fatalities in the downtown area made for sad headlines and memorials. Only pro-active measures will keep them from re-occurring in the coming year.

AJAX IS NOT DEAD. Speaking of Ajax, it’s entirely capable of re-emerging if we let it. As is so often the case when we dodge a bullet, our guards have been lowered. Since the provincial and federal decisions in 2017 and 2018 rejecting the mine, there has been no sign of Kamloops Code Blue, the Kamloops Area Preservation Association, and Mining Watch Canada. But in 2019 there were hints that Ajax might raise its head again. Nothing would be more devastating to the future of Kamloops than that. Until mining close to communities is banned, we’ll always live in the shadow of a possible rebirth of Ajax. This is unfinished business. 2020 would be a good year to do something about that.

The above, of course, are only five among many issues that will face Kamloops in the coming year, but they surely are some of the most important.

Mel Rothenburger is a former mayor of Kamloops and newspaper editor. He writes five commentaries a week for CFJC Today, publishes the ArmchairMayor.ca opinion website, and is a director on the Thompson-Nicola Regional District board. He can be reached at mrothenburger@armchairmayor.ca.

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Editor’s Note: This opinion piece reflects the views of its author, and does not necessarily represent the views of CFJC Today or the Jim Pattison Broadcast Group.