Let’s talk culture, meeting with minister sought

Jun 18, 2019 | 9:31 AM

Greater Vernon politicians are hoping to soon meet with the province’s Arts and Culture Minister Lisa Beare to lobby for financial support for a new cultural centre.

“If you don’t ask, you don’t get,” Greater Vernon Advisory Committee Chair Akbal Mund said.

The meeting could take place within the next month, according to information supplied by the Greater Vernon Chamber of Commerce.

Local residents voted in a referendum last year to allow the North Okanagan Regional District (NORD) to borrow $25 million for a cultural centre.

The remaining $15 million must come from other levels of government.

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Meanwhile, NORD is on the hunt for a project manager to move the plan forward.

“This will start to connect the consultants,” Tannis Nelson, NORD’s community services manager, said.

Mund asked for a timeline, concerned the project could already be falling behind.

The proposed location for the cultural centre is the undeveloped Vernon Block (old Coldsteam Hotel site) on the 3100 block of 30th Street in the downtown.

The building would be three storeys and would provide more than double the space currently available to Vernon’s art gallery and museum.

by Kate Bouey

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