WANTED: Fresh ideas to make Penticton even better

[sissy]

I would like to have more things to do here in Penticton. How about...a waterslide park? I know that we used to have one but it got shut down. Last year we had to go all the way to Chilliwack to Cultus Lake to go to a good waterslide park. The one in Westbank was alright too, but they closed that one down as well. I don't know, a waterpark, outdoor skating rink, how about upgrading that awful mall of ours.

[Thinktank]

those waterslide things are obsolete. we're an aging population that don't like waterslides.

outdoor skating rink only good for a few weeks per year here in the okanagan.

how much does it cost to go skiing? I heard it was $68.00 at Big White - so it's only for the rich people. Everything
good costs money, and we spent all our money on SOEC - so that's the end of it.
Should've saved our money, but unfortunately we didn't.

[southy]

ThinkTank ... perhaps you should try a creative ThinkTank

[Beerhunter341]

Penticton desparately needs a nice resort hotel. You cannot hold a world class event here without one. When one of the nicest rooms in town are at the Ramada then you know there is room to improve.

If you are going to promote the channel as a tourist activity then you have to hide the sewer (and other unsightly objects) that you pass. This I suppose would fall in line with the previous posts about a make-over. The side along 97 should be lined with trees at the least.

It would be awesome to have something like dinner cruises/wine tours on the lake in the summer.

However, none of this ideas mentioned in this thread stand a chance at all unless a generous budget for tourism marketing is established.

[First Strike]

Penticton is a hidden diamond and shouldn't be hard sell to entice bigger business to open here. This will bring in better wages and more opportunity for everyone.
* Flanked between 2 beautiful lakes
* Airport in town
* International Airport 1 hour drive away
* US boarder 1 hour away
* Housing prices cheaper than most major cities like Vancouver and Toronto

Some changes that need to be made:
* no more business licenses for Pay Day Loans and Pawn Shops
* get the right people to run SOEC on contracts. You don't produce you don't get your contract renewed
* educate the public on productivity and the benefits that could come from change

Some of ideas mentioned were great to improve the beauty of Penticton and again this will help keep brining the tourist back.
If you want to be a tourist town you better get some more activities ex. more car/boat shows, concerts, sporting events... I love the wineries but there needs to be more for every age group.

Keep the positive ideas flowing!

[sissy]

well i personally like waterslides. a nice family thing to do. that and i personally can't afford to go up to apex or big white every weekend to go skiing/snowboarding. i understand that penticton is an aging community but there are young people here aswell, that enjoy other things besides cruising the market downtown, or do wine tours, dinner cruises, etc.

[Tony]

The only problem with a water slide is the insurance is incredibly expensive. That's the root cause for them shutting down.

Personally, Thinktank needs to get off the SOEC bandwagon. It's a great venue that brings lots of great events to Town. Move along Thinktank - you can't undo it. Maybe try some positive thinking instead.

[Graphite]

Penticton needs to think like a bigger city if it wants to be a bigger city.

[dogspoiler]

Peeler Bar.

[southy]

Penticton needs to think like a bigger city if it wants to be a bigger city

Graphite .. couldn't agree more. It starts with a few and God willing the light comes on and a few more begin to see what can happen when ideas begin to flow and become real. Think like a winner ... become a winner. Pretty simple really!!

[Drip_Torch]

Thank you Castanet!

A story yesterday, reminded me of a moving, perhaps the most moving, performance at the opening ceremony for the Olympics. The poem captures the essence of my thoughts and feelings on this thread and linking to it saves me a whole lot of time in the attempt to express myself here.

"We Are More" http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Pq_xddkO064

I didn't realize that Shane Koyczan grew up in Penticton until I read the story about his latest project. We might do well to take a pause and think about what Mr. Koyczan drew upon for inspiration.

http://www.castanet.net/edition/news-st ... .htm#87730

[Static]

Thank you Castanet!

A story yesterday, reminded me of a moving, perhaps the most moving, performance at the opening ceremony for the Olympics. The poem captures the essence of my thoughts and feelings on this thread and linking to it saves me a whole lot of time in the attempt to express myself here.

"We Are More" http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Pq_xddkO064

I didn't realize that Shane Koyczan grew up in Penticton until I read the story about his latest project. We might do well to take a pause and think about what Mr. Koyczan drew upon for inspiration.

http://www.castanet.net/edition/news-st ... .htm#87730

I was playing cards with him two nights before the opening ceremony. He was super nervous and wouldnt tell us why. Then all of a sudden I saw him on TV. That sure helped his career. He often does shows around the valley by himself and with his band the Short Story Long. I highly recomend attending.

[Spocky]

I've already outlined my concept for a high tech BC-tax-free compound in the Airport thread, so how about taking it one step further and going: "CHARTER CITY?"

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Charter_city

The Honduran model might be a bit too "separate" for local tastes and it would take the blessings of Ottawa (which isn't likely to happen) but, hey, it would turn Penticton into Singapore in short order. And for those who haven't been to Singapore, consider it heaven on Earth as long as you have cubic dollars in the bank.

If you don't like my two concepts so far as they're too out in left field, here is an easily achievable one:

A huge movie studio.

The big Vancouver studios are booked up for mega-productions, and there is nothing in the Okanagan. Nothing at all. We have the most unique and varied landscapes which make the most superlative locations anywhere in the country (as well as the best movie-making climate) and we are offering the production companies a big fat ZERO in the way of soundstages to draw them here. The proposed soundstage would have to be at least 50,000 sq. ft. and have smaller stages plus workshop and production office areas, etc. With major movies spending tens of millions of dollars on productions locally, it would be a boon to Penticton unlike any other "conventional" plan.

[Static]

I believed someone tried to open a studio in the South Okanagan. It flopped. Hi-tech centre? It will flip too. People who work in the tech-industry tend to be urban folk not geared for small town living. If there was demand for the above, it would already be done. A charter city? Good luck. I think locals have a biased and skewed perception of the valley. It is what it is, and it will always be that way. The world has urbanized economically and socially.

[Spocky]

I believed someone tried to open a studio in the South Okanagan. It flopped. Hi-tech centre? It will flip too. People who work in the tech-industry tend to be urban folk not geared for small town living. If there was demand for the above, it would already be done. A charter city? Good luck. I think locals have a biased and skewed perception of the valley. It is what it is, and it will always be that way. The world has urbanized economically and socially.

The studio that opened in the Okanagan was an old fish packing building or something. It was tiny, uninsulated, and would have been laughed at by major movie producers. As for the other aspects, I guess we should all just give up and move to Toronto?