Kelowna's future is bright
Lifestyle

Kelowna’s future is brilliant

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Kelowna has a massive competitive advantage when it comes to pandemic recovery.

It’s called desirability.

As COVID has rocked the world, people have been taking stock of their lives and many are making profound changes.

One of them changes how you work and where you live.

“The word is out and the future for Kelowna is brighter than ever,” Mayor Colin Basran said in his annual State of the City Address, which was practical this year due to the pandemic.

“People have discovered that they can move to Kelowna and live here and work for a company from anywhere in the world.”

The city’s calling cards are innumerable, according to the Mayor – Okanagan Lake, closeness to nature, our climate, food, wine, amenities, and entrepreneurship.

</who>On Tuesday, Mayor Colin Basran practically delivered his annual state state speech at the Kelowna Chamber of Commerce’s annual general meeting. “Class =” img-responsive “src =” https://www.kelownanow.com / files / files / images /Burgermeister%20Colin%20Basran%20(vertikal).jpg “style =” margin: 5px; “/></p> <p>“Newbies come because we are progressive and vibrant,” said Basran.</p> <p>“Even in a COVID year, we had a 2% population growth.”</p> <p>And that’s not all.</p> <p>Kelowna’s economy has managed to do its best in the face of a raging pandemic.</p> <p>The real estate market is booming and the unemployment rate is now lower than it was before COVID.</p> <p>“Hospitality and tourism still have challenges, but Kelowna Tourism has encouraged people to enjoy their own gardens and is ready to welcome tourists from all over the world when the time is right,” he said.</p> <p>“Kelowna will emerge stronger from the crisis. We are more connected than ever as a community because of the pandemic. Better days are coming.”</p> <p>However, the mayor admitted that we are not there yet.</p> <p>We need a swift introduction of vaccines and easing of social and travel restrictions in order to fully recover.</p> <p>“I firmly believe that Kelowna will benefit from the pandemic in the long term,” said Jeffrey Robinson, president of the Kelowna Chamber of Commerce, as he thanked the mayor.</p> <p>“Kelowna is the best place.”</p> <p><img alt=Kelowna Chamber of Commerce President Jeffrey Robinson affirmed the mayor’s optimism for the size after the pandemic. “Class =” img-responsive “src =” https://www.kelownanow.com/files/files/images/Jeffrey % 20Robinson (2) .png “style =” margin: 5px; “/>

Basran’s address was part of the Chamber’s annual general meeting at which Robinson, an attorney with Rush Ihas Hardwick, was sworn in for a second term as Chamber President.

While the tone of the meeting was mostly upbeat, the mayor admitted that the city’s # 1 problem is the intricate and intertwined problem of mental health, addiction and homelessness, and how it creates the impression that downtown is sometimes unsafe.

“We are working on complex nursing homes for the homeless that do not fit into the regular housing model in order to get more people off the streets,” said Basran.

In fact, homelessness, mental health and addiction have been identified as the most pressing problem by the 13 communities represented by the BC Urban Mayors Caucus.

Affordable housing, local public transport and a better relationship with the province ranked second, third and fourth respectively.

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