So city council takes it upon themselves to tour correctional facilities on the coast? And on who’s dime, the taxpayers? Why are we wasting not only money but time on this visit. I’d like to know also how many who went were against the prison proposal. Seems like a pretty biased situation to me.
Putting a prison in Penticton is the stupidest idea I’ve ever heard of. This is a tourist destination and should be marketed as such. Would they put a prison in Napa Valley, or Sonoma, or on top of Whistler? Penticton has been called the “jewel of the Okanagan” and council wants to tarnish that by pushing this prison idea. And what jobs is this really gonna create?
Correctional workers can’t wait for this to go through, as they would be happy at the thought of a transfer to our “God’s Country”. I’m extremely disappointed and disgusted at this council and past, Penticton is clearly going in the wrong direction. I’d like to know also, who’s gonna build it? Another construction firm from Ontario? And we overlook another promising and reasonable all inclusive bid by a local construction company? Let’s not forget what happened to the SOEC. People should have been held accountable for that ballooned price.
Furthermore, council should let Global do their job and book as many acts as possible. This selection committee of city council members is silly, what experience do they have in booking events? Don’t they realize the economic impact the SOEC leaves, and the jobs that are created from that? Look at the events Prospera has just booked now, and our building is vacant.
Lastly, a prison will hurt our city and its real estate, period. This is a tourist destination dream, so build on that. I wonder who really benefits from this prison push. People of Penticton, I strongly urge you not to vote for this prison, and to really make sure you go out to the polls come election time and vote for a council who have a better vision of Penticton. I, for one, will move if this prison happens.
Mark LeBlanc
Penticton