Record Breaking Temperatures Mean We All Have to be FireSmart
… a message from Glen Maddess, head of Quail Ridge’s FireSmart team
With this period of intense heat and dryness, the danger of fire has increased. We are facing a similar situation which destroyed 234 Kelowna homes in the 2003 wildfires.
Even though, because of Covid-19, we have not been able to schedule a Quail Ridge neighbourhood cleanup, now is the time to protect both you and neighbour’s homes by carrying out these few simple tasks:
· No smoking or fires on the Quail Flume and Eagle View trails. Monitoring by the City of Kelowna's Parks Department is difficult because these trails have a number of access points
· Motorists are reminded to properly dispose of any smoking materials in ashtrays and to not flick them from vehicle windows
· Mow your lawn – it is more fire resistant
· Trim shrubs – remove fine, dry, dead material
· Windblown leaves and needles – remove from yard and home
· Prune tree branches – within 2 metres of the ground
· Put together a “grab and go” bag with your valuables and important documents
· Review the Quail Ridge Evacuation Plan on the FireSmart page. See: https://www.qrra.org/firesmart
· Visit cordemergency.ca/beprepared for further preparedness information, checklists and videos.
Doing the above will assist in making both your home and your neighbours’ homes a bit more fire safe … in spite of the weather!
“Meet Me on Bernard”
Opening July 1st and running to September 6th, Bernard Avenue will be closed to vehicle traffic and reopen as a great public space for pedestrians, performers and artists to meet! Festivals Kelowna will provide local entertainment and restaurants and retailers (all downtown businesses) will be able to offer their services in on-street patios and retail spaces.
NOTE: Bernard Avenue will close between Abbott to St. Paul for program set up on June 28th.
Work on Pandosy Waterfront Park Has Started
Site preparation has begun at the site of Pandosy Waterfront Park with demolition of houses on the site. Pandosy Waterfront Park Phase 1 will include an urban beach area, beach and picnic seating, a pedestrian promenade, access to Okanagan Lake and much more. To learn more about this park and others being constructed around the city, visit kelowna.ca/cityprojects.
What Would You Like to See?
The City of Kelowna is looking for community input on the types of shows residents want to see at Kelowna Community Theatre. Okanagan residents can take the “What to See at KCT” survey until July 16: www.getinvolved.kelowna.ca
Plogging?
“Plogging — a combination of jogging and picking up litter — has become a worldwide trend to combat the increase of plastic pollution. The next time you head out for a jog [or a walk], consider bringing an empty bag. Plogging can not only improve your overall health, but it also helps clean up your community while you enjoy the benefits of exercise”. Source: Nature Conservancy of Canada.
Kelowna Friends of Library: Summer Outdoor Book Sales (June-Aug 2021)
Kelowna Friends of Library have started back up. From 10 am to 2 pm in the parking lot outside the Friends’ sorting centre at 2476 Westlake Road in West Kelowna, you can find great books at great prices - Adult & Young Adult books $2; Children's & Junior books $1.
Dates: July 11 | July 25 | August 8 | August 22
Cash only.
Curbside Mosquito Control Treatment
Between July 4 and July 9, the Regional District Mosquito Control program crew will be out treating roadside catch basins with environmentally approved mosquito larvicide. Approximately 12,000 roadside catch basins will be treated in Kelowna, Lake Country, Peachland, Westbank First Nation, a portion of West Kelowna Estates in the City of West Kelowna and the Sunset Ranch community in the Central Okanagan East Electoral Area. Another round of catch basin treatments is expected in early August.
City of Kelowna Official Community Plan Engagement Results
City of Kelowna’s Council heard the results of the 2040 Official Community Plan Phase 4 public engagement. Next steps in the OCP planning process will focus on refinements to the draft Plan based on these results, with a revised draft OCP presented to Council for their consideration later this year. Council will then decide to initiate the bylaw reading process, public hearing, and final approval.
Interested in Helping Reduce the Noise of Boats Roaring Up and Down the Lake?
The Decibel Coalition is a national volunteer effort trying to convince Transport Canada to change the laws on noise coming from power boats. The current rules are based on equipment installed and while manufacturers do work to build quieter boats, they can still legally install bypass switches for owners to turn on.
The Decibel Coalition is working to have regulations changed and be based on decibel levels that will greatly help with enforcement.
Interested in learning more and/or to sign onto Decibel Coalition’s initiative? See: https://safequiet.ca/decibel-coalition/
Black Bears, Rats, Raccoons and Coyotes
Summer is here and with it comes wildlife on the golf courses and trails.
Please, lock up your garbage cans and remove bird feeders and any attractants to reduce the likelihood of raccoon, rats, bears, coyotes and potentially cougars from relying on our neighbourhood as a food supply.
Again, if you encounter threatening wildlife that is aggressive, breaking into buildings or causing property damage, to call the Conservation Officer Service at 1-877-952-7277 or WildSafe BC at 250-828-2551 (ext. 110).
IMPORTANT: Notify us of any bear sightings so we can send out an email broadcast to alert the neighbourhood.
Complaints…
We get a lot of you emailing in with very valid concerns about parking issues, safety issues, road issues, etc.
Unfortunately, there’s not much that we can do as a residents’ association with the City of Kelowna. In fact, numerous individual complaints are more likely to be dealt with rather than a lone complaint from us. And…the City is very prompt in responding and has developed a great website portal so individuals can bring many types of issues forward to the City. See: https://www.kelowna.ca/city-services/online-services/services-requests .
Community News
There has been a flurry of development permit requests brought forward for our area with most of them are on Matrix Crescent. Here are the latest:
2065 Pier Mac Way - ACE Hardware and Harmony Home offices
2150 Matrix Crescent - Commercial Building (under construction)
2030 Matrix Crescent - Matrix Business Centre in the property west of Overland Trucking and north of the Vaults 1 - office/warehouse buildings for lease
2050 / 2070 Matrix Crescent - Finning/Caterpillar offices and yard south of the Vaults
2105 / 2135 Matrix Crescent - Trail Appliances office and warehouse
2090 Matrix Crescent – Vaults II
2175 / 2185 Optic Court.
When these are properties are completed, only 1 lot will remain to be developed east of Quail Ridge Boulevard on Matrix Crescent.
Quail Ridge Garage Sale
The Board has decided that the Annual Quail Ridge Garage Sale will be held in the Spring of 2022.
Many of you have inquired about, and we have debated a great deal about, running the garage sale this Fall. We ultimately decided to stick with our traditional schedule and the ‘spring cleaning’ mindset because while we are slowly emerging from COVID pandemic, we want to be very sure that the relaxation of restrictions hold. It takes a great deal of planning on our part, as well as everyone who sets up a table for the sale, to plan the event…we just don’t want to be cancelling at the last minute.
Thank you for your understanding.
Please, lock up, stay safe and keep an eye on our neighbourhood.
Report any suspicious activity to the Kelowna RCMP at 250-762-3300.