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Kelowna mayor frustrated by residents91Ƶ climate change message

Colin Basran says desire to help more traffic flow will not help deal with climate change
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Contributed Kelowna Mayor Colin Basran.

Kelowna Mayor Colin Basran says he91Ƶs 91Ƶa little frustrated91Ƶ by the public91Ƶs reaction to the impact climate change is having on the city.

On Monday, Kelowna city council received two reports that in their own ways, each address the issue of climate change. One does so indirectly, while the other tackles it head on.

91ƵI don91Ƶt know if this (issue) is resonating with residents enough to (make a) change,91Ƶ said Basran speaking to one of the reports.

The first, the latest citizen91Ƶs survey, shows transportation issues are the second highest concern for city residents and respondents specifically want to see the city do more to keep the growing amount of traffic on local roads moving. The second is a community trends report that talks about climate change that says the city needs to take more action to help combat climate change after a year of floods and fires.

While not known to be the specific cause of the flooding or fires, city staff say climate change likely played a part in causing the conditions for both.

Basran said taking action like building more roads to accommodate more traffic will only exacerbate the issue of climate change. He added that if a spring and summer like the one Kelowna just experienced is not enough to prompt the public to rally behind change, he does not know what is.

91ƵThere is a huge disconnect,91Ƶ said the mayor.

He pointed to the impact of the flooding on private and public property, the fact many in the community could not go outside due to severely smoky skies for lengthy periods during the summer and the impact on city water (a water quality advisory was issued for a brief time) as proof climate change is real and having an effect here.

91ƵBut higher traffic flows are called for in the citizen91Ƶs survey,91Ƶ said Basran, expressing frustration.

The mayor said more traffic on local roads will add to the problem. Automobile exhausts emit carbon dioxide into the air, a greenhouse gas that, in turn, plays a part in climate change.

Following the council meeting, Basran said if residents are not prepared to make changes after the summer the city experienced this year, 91Ƶwhen will they ever?91Ƶ

He urged everyone in the city to play their part, no matter how small.

91ƵEvery little bit counts,91Ƶ he said.

He added he realized some may criticize him for still driving a car but said he needs one for his job most days. But, he added, he has taken steps in other parts of his life to make changes. Last week Basran and his family moved into a new home they bought specifically to be closer to both his and his wife91Ƶs work.

While his wife can now walk to work and 91Ƶnot drive around looking for a parking place,91Ƶ Basran said he can also walk to city hall or ride his bicycle on days when the weather is good and he91Ƶs scheduled to be in the office all day.

But while council welcomed the trends91Ƶ report on climate change, it was not embraced by all.

One of the city91Ƶs loudest critics, local environmental consultant Richard Drinnan blasted the report as 91Ƶbogus,91Ƶ saying it is inaccurate and ignores real scientific data describing local environmental changes that have occurred 91Ƶduring Mayor Basran91Ƶs watch.91Ƶ

Drinnan said the city has lost almost 600 metres of riparian shoreline habitat along Okanagan Lake between 2009 and 2016. (Basran was elected mayor in 2014 after serving one term as a city councillor.)

Drinnan questioned the reports91Ƶ statement that the city has made significant infrastructure investments through enforcing riparian protection and protection of natural areas.

To report a typo, email: edit@kelownacapnews.com.

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