WESTERN NEWS - LETTERS TO EDITOR One obvious answer was missed as candidates were asked “How would you go about making the city more attractive for people to move their families to?” Summarizing Ryan Foster’s platform yields 3 main pillars: FOOD, FUEL, and FUNDS. We’re in an agricultural region with a century-old heritage. Supporting small-scale food production, processing, and distribution by and for young families and others right here in the Penticton area is a critical employment and business opportunity. Ryan Foster is a Director of the Penticton Urban Agriculture Association, which has provided courses in food growing with a teaching garden downtown. Now other individuals and initiatives such as Incredible Edible are taking up the cause of using urban land for food growing. Okanagan College distinguishes itself as a tech teaching centre, but why not expand its offerings to teach ways of producing food in small-scale plots scattered within and around urban areas. Curtis Stone has pioneered Small Plot Intensive (SPIN) farming in Kelowna and makes his living not only farming in urban spaces, but teaching the concept. With city and college support for expanding and enhancing the food-producing ability of this region, young families could supply nutritious, affordable, and readily available food for all while teaching their children the joy of local food abundance. FUEL is another of Ryan Foster’s platform pillars. Renewable energy from solar, wind, hydro, and ground sources has already been embraced at the Centre of Excellence at Okanagan College. Young people can be encouraged to stay in Penticton, or move here, to develop their skills in these technologies and have solid, satisfying, well-paid employment as they decrease our dependency on fossil fuels and cost of living and also help create more energy efficient, affordable housing. FUNDS is a third pillar of Ryan Foster’s platform and this means good jobs that enhance the quality of life for everyone in the region. The City of Penticton must support local initiatives to promote affordable, sustainable living. The basics of life – food, clothing, shelter, transportation – plus communications technology can all be produced in Penticton. If residents experience quality employment, bountiful local food, and low energy costs, abundance in terms of local spending and municipal revenues will enhance community resiliency. Ryan Foster’s platform offers all Penticton residents the opportunity to develop and benefit from a localized economy that will create a strong community that can weather whatever changes, internally or externally, that buffet it in future. Merle Kindred Penticton, BC
Posted on: Thu, 13 Nov 2014 18:40:55 +0000
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