Money for Frivolity

Seems they can always find money for that.
During tough economic times, frivolous stuff is the stuff that you can't eat, sleep in, wear, or live in to stay warm.

So, yes, a rail trail for recreation is frivolous.

This time bureaucrats from Kelowna to Vernon and Coldstream, including the North Okanagan Regional District, are all ga ga (keen) to purchase Canadian National's 47.5 kilometre rail line for $22 million, despite 2.5 kilometres of it being smack amid the Okanagan Indian Band's reserve. 

And there's a refreshing comment--sadly missing from Coldstream and NORD administration--as Chief Byron Louis admits "...it may not fit into our (membership's) needs". 

Congratulations, Chief Byron.
You're considering whether your membership--residents--as a whole, would benefit.
Not just a few people here and there.
Unlike our area's administrators...

But there's apparently not a penny available from any government, at any level (including Interior Health) to put towards the $70 million Stage One water plan (its borrowing referendum failed three weeks ago).

Regional district director Bob Fleming was quoted in The Morning Star today as saying "Canadian National still has to salvage the rails and the signals." 

Yet he added that "...possible uses are for a commuter rail service or a recreational corridor".

The Okanagan Rail Trail people will be upset if they lose it as a planned recreational corridor.

But a commuter rail service?
AFTER CN salvages the rails?
So we taxpayers would have to pay for laying down new rails after CN tore up its rails? 

"I smell a bureaucratic SNAFU," says Kia, rolling her eyes at the future cost.

A rail trail. 

"What we wanted was a continuous corridor..." said Coldstream Mayor and self-described pragmatic socialist Jim Garlick.


"To aid people gettin' out of Dodge," offers Kia. 

 Perhaps.
 Looks like Canadian National's the winner with this plan.

Okanagan Rail Trail photo (2013)