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Farm Loop producing bumper crop of tourists PAGE 12
KELOWNA Hotwire Electric’s strongest advertising is word-of-mouth
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INDEX New Update
2
West Kelowna
4
Kamloops
5
Salmon Arm
5
Kelowna
14
Summerland
14
Vernon
19
Salmon Arm
19
Movers and Shakers 20 Opinion
22
Sales
23
Greensheet
23
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OUR 8TH YEAR
West Kelowna Economic Development Office pulling together and promoting local farms
W
EST K E L OW NA – Teamwork is beginn i n g to pay of f for members of the Westside Farm Loop. John Perrott, Economic Development Of icer for West Kelowna - BC’s newest city - told a breakfast crowd at the July Greater Westside Board of Trade at The Cove Resort that the Westside Farm Loop now includes different farms. All of the farms have posted increases. Tourists and locals are taking advantage of the opportunit y to visit the region’s agricultural operations in increasing numbers. It’s one of several tourism-related initiatives underway through the Economic Development Of ice, including wine tours and running and cycling routes. “I called them all in and got them to work together,” he says. “Our farmers are great personalities, and there are stories behind the farms.” Included in t he Fa r m L oop are a wide variety of different
operations, including Grifϐin Farms, Ciao Bella Winery, Paynter’s Fruit Market, Mountain Va lley Far m, L a z y U Far m, Sweet Pea Farm, Westbank
Harvest, Gellatly Nut Farm, Petterson Supernatural Horse and Farm Tour, Rabbit Hollow and Kalala Organic Estate Winery.
SEE FARM LOOP PRODUCING | PAGE 15
Business park creates synergy Signature style design creates consistent flow for pedestrians and vehicles BETH HENDRY-YIM
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John Perrott, Economic Development Officer for West Kelowna, is excited about a number of initiatives promoting local businesses.
“People couldn’t necessarily ind the farms,” Perrott noted, explaining he had to gently dish out some ‘tough love’ by telling members to spruce up their signs and place them in strategic locations. “We’ve got to tell people what is going on. We need to have the bread crumb trail to get people up here.” It’s not just viewing. Visitors can pick fruit at some of the farms as well. “We take for granted that we can do this any day of the week,” Perrott notes. “People will remember when they pick a fresh piece of fruit right off the tree.” An , annual budget is being spent on product development and retention, as well as visitor attraction and marketing. They also provide visitor services with the funding. “We went on a road trip and visited different Visitor Centres up and down the Valley, and brought dozens and dozens of donuts,” he
ELOWNA - Thirty years ago, Doug MacNaughton, owner of Pier Mac Petroleum Installations, purchased acres of property beside an ex panding Kelow na air por t . With the property’s rich vein of
aggregate and close proximity to a growing city, he saw multiple opportunities. “I saw a city that needed roads and development and a source of gravel close to the work being done,” MacNaughton said. “I knew that one day the land would be ready for secondary use and that having an airport as our
neighbour was always going to be good.” Today, Kelowna Airport Business Park i s t he i r s t of it s kind in the city and is ful illing MacNaughton’s long-term vision. The three phases of the integrated development include zones for retail, commercial and industrial. Phase One has only one lot left,
Phase Two is already nearly per cent sold and Phase Three will be ready for reclamation in . Yvette Mawson, MacNaughton’s personal assistant and consultant, said that the company started SEE BUSINESS PARK | PAGE 13