With the voting on the penitentiary under way, what I don’t understand is why the residents surrounding the City of Penticton do not get a chance to voice their opinion about a prison located here. The people living in the outlying areas of West Bench, Sage Mesa, OK Falls, Kaleden, Naramata, Twin Lakes, etc. may not be technically part of the City of Penticton but a prison built anywhere around here will affect us all. I may not live in downtown Penticton but it is still my city where I do the majority of my business and recreation. Penticton is where my children have been educated. My address says Penticton, B.C.
Although I live up a hill 10 minutes from downtown, I care about the future of Penticton just as much as someone living in the city limits. It’s frustrating that the city didn’t include the opinion of the surrounding areas and it’s unfortunate that the Regional District Okanagan Similkameen didn’t give us a chance to have our say either.
Naomi Ludington
West Bench