Mayor Victor Cumming (photo by Liam Verster / Vernon Matters)

By Liam Verster

Look Ahead to 2024

Big projects planned in Vernon for 2024, mayor confident in local economy

Jan 2, 2024 | 5:00 AM

The City of Vernon has plenty of large projects planned for the upcoming year.

Mayor Victor Cumming spoke with Vernon Matters to outline plans for 2024, including moving forward with the Active Living Centre.

“I would expect we’ll see some drawings, a final design, and our expectation is that some time in 2024 you’ll begin to see site works with the goal of having it completed by 2026,” Cumming said.

“We’re basically on time and on budget as it sits now and we look forward to updates as 2024 moves along.”

While the ALC project is still in the preliminary stages, and will be for most of the year, the city has plenty of other work to undertake this year.

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Cumming said more than $1-million will be put towards replacing irrigation systems at the DND Grounds, Lakeview Park, and Alexis Park in the coming year.

“It’s really important. Those systems have aged out and people really are dependent on those parks,” Cumming told Vernon Matters.

The city will also be moving forward with establishing a bike park in Becker Park just west of the Vernon Recreation Centre and Vernon Curling Club.

“It’s going to be an upgrade of the trails and the pump tracks and things like that,” Cumming explained.

“It will be a really exciting addition to Becker Park.”

In terms of infrastructure projects planned for 2024, Cumming said a roundabout would be built in the East Hill neighbourhood at the intersection of Pleasant Valley Road and 39th Ave.; the upgrades to 32nd Ave. will be extended; the bridge on 43rd St. over Vernon Creek by the transit station will be rebuilt; and a new multi-use path will be built between 43rd St. and Okanagan Ave.

“So some real significant adjustments to our infrastructure under the ground and for our roads and sidewalks and multi-use paths,” Cumming said.

Vernon city council will also be reviewing its strategic plan in 2024.

In addition to the work on the municipal level, Vernon’s mayor wants to see work progress on matters that are somewhat outside the city’s purview, such as housing and homelessness, and health care.

“Our desire is that the province will step up their construction of housing and will support our not-for-profit groups that are putting in proposals to add to the social housing in Vernon,” Cumming said, adding health care is also a provincial responsibility and hopes to see action taken to address the local needs.

Cumming said the city has improved and simplified its approval systems and hopes that that, in addition with provincial housing legislation, will lead to more housing construction in 2024.

Looking at Vernon’s economy, the mayor remained optimistic for the year ahead.

“People expect 2024 to be steady, similar to 2023, maybe up a little bit, particularly in the areas where people are expecting to see an influx of people and slight growth in terms of new demand on the construction side of our economy,” Cumming remarked.

“As the number of people in Vernon continues to grow, there’s lots of businesses that provide personal and commercial services that have significant pressure on them to grow, particularly our professional services that are seeing continued demand stretching their capacity to find qualified staff. I expect that will continue in 2024.”

He also expected the city to continue to grow from both immigration and emigration, which will help put Vernon in good position to continue to drive the economy.