PETERS: A city that builds things

Kamloops is far better at fixing amenities and infrastructure than it is at building them.

In the past number of years, we have spent tens of millions of dollars repairing and upgrading our existing public pools and arenas, paving roads and replacing the pipes that run beneath them.

The Noble Creek Irrigation System, of course, is a notable exception.

What the city hasn’t done to a significant degree is build anything new.

Active transportation routes and parks, yes. Public facilities like arenas, pools and performing arts centres, not so much.

Why? It’s not necessarily popular.

Money is tight right now, people say. We can’t afford it.

It’s a Herculean struggle to convince a lot of people in Kamloops that a public amenity is worth the money — and we can’t afford to waste this investment opportunity.

The task ahead is to persuade residents that spending money on a venue for public use is not a straight expenditure, but an investment that pays off in the long run.

Investing in new arenas will pay off in quality of life and abundance of opportunity for thousands of local residents.

Investing in a performing arts centre will do the same.

That’s saying nothing of the actual economic return. Building these facilities will help sustain our construction and adjacent industries for a decade.

Not only that, they will help attract more people and more professionals to our city.

If residents want to live in a place where nothing ever happens, nothing ever changes but their taxes stay low, I would suggest there are many small towns throughout Western Canada where they can live and die.

Here in Kamloops, we need to have a city that changes and grows and keeps up with the times.

We need to be a city that builds things.

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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 Pattison Media.

by James Peters

PETERS: A city that builds things

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