Bridge a 'flashy promise'?

Everything from ICBC to childcare was up for debate, but a campaign promise for a new Okanagan Lake crossing had the three candidates vying for votes in West Kelowna - Peachland the most animated.

"That's never going to happen. The second crossing built within eight years is nothing more than a flashy campaign promise that ignores all the deficient infrastructure needs that we have in this community presently and have had for two decades,” Independent candidate Stephen Johnston said at the North Westside Community Association meeting.

“It's not the way forward. And don't be fooled by that. That's a flashy promise.”

Johnson said he thought it would be a better use of resources to work on making the existing corridor connecting Okanagan cities, Highway 97, more safe and efficient.

"We have a bridge that allows a third lane going northbound, and with a pedestrian cantilever that can be added— it was designed for that” he said. “There are a lot of options that we can do to reduce congestion and get people moving, and it's about safety, and it's about not ignoring the priorities we have in front of us right now."

Conservative Party leader John Rustad was in Kelowna Oct. 4 when he made the promise for a second crossing.

Pointing to an October 2023 Ministry of Transportation and Infrastructure report saying that WR Bennett bridge is expected to max out at capacity by 2040, Rustad said the timeline to add another crossing should be moved up.

Conservative candidate Macklin McCall said that moving forward the second crossing planning is the right way forward, given current issues with congestion.

"It's a beautiful place, tourists come here. It's a big destination, people are wanting to move here,” he said.

"I've talked to the mayor of Peachland the Mayor of West Kelowna. They're expecting growth,” he said. "Do we do it now? ... Do we do it 20 years from now and just kick the can down the road? I think having a conversation and looking into this is definitely worthwhile.”

He said he’s spoken to thousands of people since the campaign got underway and highway traffic and congestion is a common theme.

NDP candidate Krystal Smith said the Ministry of Transportation study already looked at the issue, noting that a second crossing wouldn’t help alleviate congestion.

"I don't think it's the right promise for people right now. I think we need to invest money into services that matter for people, like housing and health care,” she said.

The whole forum lasted slightly more than an hour but offered the first time constituents of West Kelowna-Peachland to see how their candidates would hold up when questioned.

Earlier in the month, Johnston was the only candidate to attend a Chamber of Commerce all candidates meeting.

McCall and Smith were no-shows to the event.