Alexander’s Owner Fuming Over Closure

One of Coldstream’s best known businesses is the latest to voice concerns about Vernon’s upgrade to Kalamalka Lake Road.

Alexander’s owner Gary Batula says closing the road for six weeks, along with delays, will have a major impact on his pub and liquor store.

“The City of Vernon doesn’t understand the tourism aspect and how important tourism is to the City of Vernon. They could do this in September and October and I don’t see why they can’t.”

Batula says closing the road with delays over the summer, their busiest period, will cost him local customers and tourists.

“When they get detoured either through the highway or up Aberdeen or through Husband Road it is definitely going to affect our liquor store and the pub as well as tourists just coming to the beach.”

Batula says his operations employ 50 people, and he wonders why the project can’t be put off until the fall.

“If they did it in September when all the kids go back to school and all the Alberta tourists leave, the affect it would have on businesses would be so much smaller.”

Vernon Mayor Akbal Mund says that’s not enough time to do the work in just two months in the fall.

He also says the detour routes will be well marked to help tourists find their way around and get to the lake.