The Province Makes Kelowna Sound Like Detroit-West

[Donald G]

No one who reads the Vancouver Province should be surprised at the negative point of view expressed in most of their articles. Over the last few years they have slowly evolved into a smut type tabloid given more to trying to sell papers and make money rather than report the facts. They no longer seem to have any interest whatever in helping to build a community or allow others like CASTANETE to help build a community. Their opinion of Kelowna is not of any real interest to me.

[Static]

No one who reads the Vancouver Province should be surprised at the negative point of view expressed in most of their articles. Over the last few years they have slowly evolved into a smut type tabloid given more to trying to sell papers and make money rather than report the facts. They no longer seem to have any interest whatever in helping to build a community or allow others like CASTANETE to help build a community. Their opinion of Kelowna is not of any real interest to me.

Living in Vancouver, that is a big part of the reputation Kelowna has. If it didnt have the lakes, it wouldnt be an Abbotsford.

[techrtr]

Truth hurts. Where else do gang members in colours take over an upscale pub/restaurant in the heart of downtown in the middle of the afternoon at the height of the tourist season?

[bob vernon]

Of course the mayor will dispute the story. He's fronting for the urban sprawling developers. All you have to do is take a good look at the city. Overdeveloped tasteless urban sprawl. Continued attempts to hand the waterfront parkland over to private developers. Gangs openly wearing their colors in public. Bums and panhandlers, pimps and hookers accosting the tourists. Paving over the valley just as fast as possible. "Certain" lands somehow getting favorable zoning. And all the movers, shakers, and Chamber of Commerce types sayin' "there's nothing wrong here."

[SurplusElect]

Of course the mayor will dispute the story. He's fronting for the urban sprawling developers. All you have to do is take a good look at the city. Overdeveloped tasteless urban sprawl. Continued attempts to hand the waterfront parkland over to private developers.

Wasn't Walter the King of the strip mall and Mr. Two Thumbs Up development?

Of course he is sour grapes about the article. Kelowna looks like a giant gas station complex.

[Winston_Smith]

The article entitled Kelowna: Paradise Lost -- Something is rotten in the state of Kelowna, says the city is overrun by gangs, that Kelowna is the drunk driving capital of Canada, the city has a domestic violence problem and urban sprawl is out of control.

The article has caught the attention of Kelowna Mayor Walter Gray.

"There were no statistics in the Courier story, in the Vancouver Province story about living in Kelowna. And a lot of what I would say lazy journalism in terms of definition of our city. We are preparing a press release that will hopefully correct in a positive way some of the comments that were made," says Gray.

RCMP were not available for comment.

But they did issue a news release stating that drunk driving numbers are tops in Canada mainly because of cell phones -- everyone has one and therefore more people are calling in drunks on the road.

As for domestic violence. The police's response is that spousal abuse happens everywhere in Canada and not just in Kelowna.

http://www.chbcnews.ca/mayor+rcmp+react+to+kelowna+paradise+lost+article/6442816431/story.html

Not buying what the RCMP is selling.

[Takin it easy !]

Of course the gangs and other scum love Kelowna its the closest you can get to Florida or Vegas as you can get weather wise in Canada and the livin is easy.
If you want things to change and not get worse there must be enough pressure put on these losers as possible and the message that there is no room for them here must be firmly entrenched !

[JbT]

If the Mayor is denying the fact that Kelowna is a major gang/drug hub than I can only assume he's frankly stupid or receiving payments or favors from the gangs, Montreal-esq.

There really isnt any dispute to this if 1) You've spent any time in Kelowna 2) Are local and know where the local drug dealers graduate too 3)Read the news 4)Are not being paid to downplay the situation.

[SurplusElect]

For a year the first thing people saw past the airport was - a illegal drug gang clubhouse!

Who does Walter think he's kidding?

...just listening/reading his quotes from today's newsreels. "Not a Kelowna problem".

Completely old school (but you elected him Kelowna!). The new school of PR is to get ontop of things and address not deflect. The public does not lack information. He looks ridiculous.

We had a carbomb go off downtown at a gang affiliated strip club - less than a month ago?

Keep towing the line Walt.

[artifact cat]

The criminals love all the amenities that everyone else does in the Okanagan.

I believe the police are overwhelmed with the number of grow ops reported and have to priorize their take downs. As a result some exist and build on their success of apparently not getting caught until inevitably the hammer falls. In the meantime there is a flourishing subculture of drugs and trafficking that is obvious to those that are observant. Ask social workers, doctors, merchants and policeman. They know the truth, Walter. Quit trying to cover up a serious, sometimes deadly, social problem.
False PR only goes so far.

[Whyme2]

[quote="SurplusElect"]For a year the first thing people saw past the airport was - a illegal drug gang clubhouse!

That old fruit stand has never looked so good.

[Trigger69]

Not buying what the RCMP is selling.

What exactly are the RCMP trying to sell? If you are refering to the domestic violance issues what would you expect any police force to do? The law is the law and the police are bound by legislation as well as other factors we are all bound by. I would really like you to explain your "not buying" comment.

[Trigger69]

I am reading all of the posts and they seem to blame this person or this group or that group for something and the thought struck me right between the eyes. I have read that "gangsters are not that bad, you just need to stay out of their way". In that comment lays the problem IMO. NO they are not "ok or not that bad" and no we shouldnt stay out of their way. IMO its every persons responsibility to take the power of intimidation away from these people. If the public didnt just stay out of their way and stood up and said enough is enough, get out of our town maybe then they would not have such a hold on this place. This is my town, this is your town, this IS NOT THEIR town. Stand up people and support the efforts the police and government are making to get rid of these low lifes. The charter was created to protect you and I and I support it. BUT...when gangsters use this same charter to hide behind we as a society need to say ENOUGH.

[Winston_Smith]

Not buying what the RCMP is selling.
What exactly are the RCMP trying to sell? If you are refering to the domestic violance issues what would you expect any police force to do? The law is the law and the police are bound by legislation as well as other factors we are all bound by. I would really like you to explain your "not buying" comment.

I'm not buying into the notion that kelowna's high drunk driving rates are "mostly" the result of people carrying/owning cell phones.

[Donald G]

For years Kelowna and surrounding areas got by with as little policing costs as possible ... well below the national or provincial average. Like any untended garden criminal weeds began to grow, becoming stronger and more numerous as the years went past. The people of Kelowna are now paying the price for those years of questionable decisions by elected politicians to minimize policing costs and hope for the best. The day of reckoning for that political ineptitude has arrived. It will be far more difficult and costly to root out and destroy the criminal culture that was permitted, through resource limitations and neglect to become entrenched in our society, than it would have been to prevent the accumulation of the criminal lifestyle in the first place. Too many short term decisions have led to long term problems.