Why would you move away from Kelowna?

[Stinkerbell]

Smarty.. here is another one for blackberries.. cheese cake with blackberry sauce. Yummy..

[Rick Shea]

Smarty.. here is another one for blackberries.. cheese cake with blackberry sauce. Yummy..

And don't forget blackberry wine.

I've made it from Surrey blackberries, and that wine would come back and kick you in the head, leading you on to a life of crime if you weren't careful.

I've also made it from Island blackberries, and that was a more mellow, smoother, laid back kind of wine.

I tried growing an interior variety of blackberry in my backyard garden in Kelowna. The berries were big and full of promise, but completely sour and tasteless.

[CarMa]

Was that a deliberate analogy, Rick?

[Rick Shea]

Was that a deliberate analogy, Rick?

Good. Someone is actually reading this stuff! It was but, ironically, it's also almost completely true (except for the life of crime part).

[Assinine2.0]

If you can't find a job in this town, I would seriously question your work ethic.

[wanderer]

Before I write more I should say that I know that growth is inevitable, that I should "just suck it up".

If there is anything that will make me move from the home that I own and have I've lived in for the last 23 years it is the housing devolopments that are encroaching into my comfort zone. I live in Springvalley where it is mostly single family housing, now there is a development that is beginning to peak over the roof of my garage ... this should give the tenants a clear view into my yard and my house... just wonderful. Then there are the devolpers down the street who want to make as much money as possible on their investment so they are asking to put two huge houses on one lot ... oh and they have two lots, so make that 4 houses. These are not a house and cottage, they are all full size two story houses. There is nothing else like it in this area so I'm thinking it's just the beginning.

The feeling that there is no one, especially at "pro development" city hall, who will listen are what lead many of us to a feeling of apathy with a bad taste in our mouth. I'm frustrated that I've lived here a large portion of my adult life and contributed in miriad ways to my community and now feel that I'm the last person listened to. Money talks and the city listens, and who has the money? Developers, often from out of town, buyers, often from out of town, administrators, often recruited from out of town. Am I mistaken that our municipal government should be working for the citizens in the community alredy paying taxes, not for the citizens they are trying to lure into the city? I know I know, they want a larger tax base and more money in their coffers.


Sorry for the rant....

[Struts 'N' Stuff Auto]

I would move away from this City if the Police cannot control the growing Crime rate, and the growing number of loud vehicles and speeding traffic we have here.

Being a Neighborhood Watch person also has helped to cut crime and druggies from taking over neighborhoods.

A big problem here in Kelowna is that it, is the Residents that need to help the Police catch criminals by monitoring their neighborhoods and documenting vehicular traffic in your area.

Last week alone, I called in 2 vehicles which I believed were related to drugs, and both were stopped, and arrested on drug charges. Both under 23 years of age.

[SpazmoTheMagnificent]

Sorry for the cross post like link...but these points make Kelowna not so attractive.

http://hermajesty.blogster.com/things_hate_kelowna.html

We laughed when we read it...becuase we had commented on these very topics ourselves before even knowing somone else found the same things and posted them on a blog. We pointed it out to some friends and co-workers that are not origionally from Kelowna...they did the same thing...laughed. All said it was so true and that they had come to those conclusions themselves.

So if some Kelowna-ites want to see some reasons why...here you go.

My wife and I have many friends in Canada and the states...we make friends easily...but not in Kelowna...It was near impossible to make friends! That would be one of the reasons for us.

The crime rate in Kelowna is alarming to us. We have lived in cities that have very poor crime rates...Washington DC, Chicago...and Kelowna resembles those cities. Greater Chicago is close to 9 million, Kelowna feels the same and is only at a little over one hundred thousand!!! Yikes! That would be another reason.

The entire city seems like one very long, poorly designed strip mall. I'm really not in the market for a 200K rolling home thank you.(Harvey Ave). That would be another reason. (not to mention the lack of shopping in town). For our population we should have at least 2-3 Orchard Park Malls.

My wife and I are out in the public alot with our volunteerism. We meet a good cross section of the Kelowna public. Most we have met are almost completly solopcistic in nature. I can see where some have said that folks are snobish...although I think they have misinterpreted the self centered attitude we always encounter for snobishness. This would be another reason.

Now...that said...we have made friends, kind of. We try to avoid the crime, we like Orchard Park Mall, and try to avoid the folks with an undesirable attitude. We like the scenary and we like the amount of money we make at our careers. So, we stay.
But,
in comparison to other places we have lived...Kelowna in our books, is very undesirable. Alot of these things may change (we are hoping) but its hard to see how.

[wanderer]

I would move away from this City if the Police cannot control the growing Crime rate, and the growing number of loud vehicles and speeding traffic we have here.

Being a Neighborhood Watch person also has helped to cut crime and druggies from taking over neighborhoods.

A big problem here in Kelowna is that it, is the Residents that need to help the Police catch criminals by monitoring their neighborhoods and documenting vehicular traffic in your area.

Last week alone, I called in 2 vehicles which I believed were related to drugs, and both were stopped, and arrested on drug charges. Both under 23 years of age.

I hear you Struts ... some of the others in my neighbourhood who have been here since "ancient times" have made a point of walking around and being aware of what's up in the neighbourhood ever since Mindy Tran was murdered. Many of us helped search for her after she disappeared, now we make a point of reporting things suspicious. As well some of us old biddys will hang around some of the newer parks when we see possible drug activity happening many of these scum are cowards who hope no one will see or notice what they are up to.

I still don't feel like the "doers and movers" at city hall give a rats *bleep* what I do for my neighbourhood or community, or what my idea of community is. Their main focus right now is not on improving the lives of those already living here, rather their focus seems to be how can they best accommodate developers, who in turn are focused on making a profit, not on community development, crime prevention, burdens to the infrastructure, etc. That is unless the developers are forced to address those issues ... instead they are more likely to apply for and receive variances to the building code, zoning that is different than the community plan, blind eye inspections that would make you hope the buildings never face a disaster.

ag'in sorry for the rant...

ummm I think I called myself a biddy ... I'm not I'm a feakin' granny

i think we need a few more cantankerous crones out there standing up for common sense and what is right

ugh ... i'm ranting again

[ferri]

that was a lovely rant though!!!

welcome to the forum wanderer!

[Bubalouie]

Springvalley..........did you get your assesment. Almost fell out of the chair

[wanderer]

Thank you Ferri .... I'm glad my rant wasn't too bad ... it helps relieve some of the stress so I don't explode !!

Yup, MaxMom .... I'm thinking of finally getting around to appealing my assesment this year ... my house is tiny, under 1000 sq ft, so I don't see how they can make an assessment based on the other houses in the area which are close to twice the size. Mind you I have a nice big lot.

[Piecemaker]

Thank you Ferri .... I'm glad my rant wasn't too bad ... it helps relieve some of the stress so I don't explode !!

Yup, MaxMom .... I'm thinking of finally getting around to appealing my assesment this year ... my house is tiny, under 1000 sq ft, so I don't see how they can make an assessment based on the other houses in the area which are close to twice the size. Mind you I have a nice big lot.

The land is worth more than the building in many instances.

[wanderer]

yes I know Piecemaker ... I'm sure they'll bulldoze the house when I leave
... which is why I won't leave ... I love my lil' house ... I don't care how many humungus developments start towering over me ... I won't leave I won't ... I'll just keep ranting about it ....

I'll be that "eccentric" ol' cat lady living in the little house surrounded by towering monstrosities ...

[ferri]

ooooooooh goody! maybe once you get to know us all better we can come over for tea???