ROTHENBURGER: Arjun Singh’s valiant, short-lived plan to get something done

No question speeding up this long unrequited civic dream by at least a decade was a worthy goal. But there were all those reasons….

Reasons like timing. “This may not necessarily be the time.”

And cost. Where would the money come from?

How much would it add to the workload of staff?

What other things wouldn’t get done while this proposal is getting done?

Would it raise expectations of the public beyond what can be delivered?

Would it delay plans to improve sidewalks at schools?

Would it interfere with the strategic plan due in a couple of weeks?

Would it bump accessibility down the road?

Does it mess with other priorities?

All very legitimate questions. Enough questions, in the minds of most council members, to put the brakes on Singh’s idea. Councillors Denis Walsh and Kathy Sinclair sided with Singh, understanding that sometimes, to get something done, you simply have to do it. Or, at least, find out what it would cost to do it.

Sinclair took polite exception to a remark by Coun. Sadie Hunter that the proposal was “irresponsible.” What would be irresponsible, said Sinclair, would be to continue to put vehicular traffic over other modes of transportation.

That sums up the issue. The idea of de-emphasizing cars in favour of pedestrians and cyclists has been on the books for decades. And yet, Kamloops remains dedicated to the automobile. Certainly, there are plans to change that — over the next couple of decades. In fact, coincidentally, the City announced yesterday plans to connect the top of the Xget’tem’ Trail to the Summit Drive bike lane and the bottom of the trail to the Lansdowne transit exchange via a protected bike lane along Sixth Avenue.

That’s great to see but expanding this network is moving at a snail’s pace.

Getting people out of cars has many benefits, including cutting greenhouse gases and making us healthier. And yet, we cling to the combustion engine as if our lives depended on it.

As one councillor pointed out, not everybody can bike or walk to work. They need their cars. While true, our dedication to the automobile will never change until we change it.

What I liked about Singh’s motion was his understanding of the importance of momentum. If nothing is ever started, it will never get across the finish line.

Practicality must always be dealt with, of course. Sinclair talked about the huge amounts of resiliency funding available due to the COVD-19 pandemic. That’s true, but it’s also true the train will soon end.

There’s been far too much talk about such funding as if COVID support money is a golden egg that will enable Kamloops to create all kinds of new infrastructure. For example, will massive provincial and/or federal grants resurrect the performing arts centre?

One wonders. Speculation is that if senior governments make more major grants available to help communities get back on their feet, the project might suddenly make a comeback.

A year ago, we were expecting to go to the polls to vote on borrowing up to $45 million toward a $70-million arts centre downtown. Along came the virus and the referendum was called off because people were in no mood to spend.

But if several million was offered up by John Horgan and Justin Trudeau, the number might become a lot more attractive. Maybe even attractive enough for a referendum later this year or early next.

Couldn’t it be the same with the Singh Plan? Why couldn’t COVID-19 money make this the year of the cyclist or the year of the pedestrian or whatever?

It would be a great thing. But, sure, such projects are hugely expensive. For example, the relatively new, and somewhat sparsely used (from my observations), mountain-goat path called the Xget’tem Trail came in at well over $3 million.

A lot of communities, no doubt, would love to get their hands on millions of dollars more of “resiliency” money. But provincial and federal debts and deficits that used to be in the millions are now measured in billions and trillions. At some point, it will come to an end.

Regardless, we shouldn’t stop thinking big. There were many reasons the Canada Games Pool, Tournament Capital Centre and Rivers Trail should never have been built. People with vision didn’t let the challenges stop them, and Kamloops is better for it.

The kudos offered up to Singh for his proposal were nice to hear but it would be even nicer to hear a conversation about “how can we make this happen?” instead of “here’s why it can’t be done.”

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.

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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.

by Mel Rothenburger

ROTHENBURGER: Arjun Singh’s valiant, short-lived plan to get something done

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