ROTHENBURGER: Answering the challenge to see into the North Shore’s future

These are lofty items but there will be a natural tendency to view the matter from the perspective of infrastructure, everything from pot holes to major amenities.

It might seem at first glance that there isn’t much room for change to the North Shore, which has a long history of development going back to the fur trade and later agriculture. There’s not a lot of land left for new construction, but recent projects in the Tranquille Road corridor show what redevelopment of existing properties can accomplish.

Still, much of the issue revolves around upgrades to what’s already there. Sidewalks, for example, might seem like a small thing, but I’ve written previously about how important they are to the pride and functionality of a neighbourhood.

The reason there aren’t more sidewalks, and why the condition of streets has long been such a problem, goes back to the way the North Shore grew up, especially before amalgamation. When it comes to streets, the plan for sprucing up the route to the airport will do much both for aesthetics and efficiency.

I’m betting there will be a thousand ideas on how to make the North Shore into the kind of place people want it to be and many of them will be good ones. For example, the area needs another major public amenity — with the performing arts centre locked into the downtown core, who knows what that might be? Improvements to the McArthur Island complex will certainly help.

I sense that North Shore residents (I was once one myself) are generally satisfied with their community and just want it to get its fair share of attention when it comes to tax dollars. Beyond that, it really comes down to identity. It doesn’t want to be thought of as the other side of the river. In my view, the North Shore should keep on being the North Shore and building on what it already has going for it rather than worrying too much about carving out a new identity.

The marketing folks can’t be blamed for trying to jazz up the North Shore image but it can sometimes sound like trying to make it something it’s not. The campaign to brand it as “The Shore” rather than “The North Shore” is an example of that.

It hasn’t exactly taken off because it sounds a little affected and basically doesn’t mean much. It will always be the North Shore to those who live there. I’ve never heard anyone say “I’m heading over to The Shore” or, “I live on The Shore.”

The review of the neighbourhood plan is, as quite rightly stated by the City, about developing its potential. “We’ve seen positive change with new development, new businesses, and now is the opportunity to build on that energy and continue to make the North Shore a great place to live, work and play,” says community planning manager Jason Locke in a news release.

The key to it all is to try to envision what the North Shore should look like in five, 10 or 50 years, where things should be located and what kind of lifestyle residents want, rather than getting too much into the weeds about those sidewalks and shopping opportunities.

There’s room for discussion of the details but it needs to be done in the context of the overall vision.

One of the most important questions on the survey is, “What do you love most about the North Shore,” because there’s lots to love.

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Mel Rothenburger is a former mayor of Kamloops and a retired newspaper editor. He is a regular contributor to 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.

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.

by Mel Rothenburger

ROTHENBURGER: Answering the challenge to see into the North Shore’s future

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