Dear Editor:
Shame on you, mayor and councillors.
The Blossom Pageant has been part of Summerland’s history for many years. We have been lucky to have a sister city in Japan and the opportunity to send these fine representatives of Summerland to Toyokoro.
These trips are supposed to be promoting our city to their citizens. It will probably be a once in a lifetime experience for these girls to learn about another culture.
The pageant leaders and the girls spend timeless hours fundraising to help pay for their trip, yet Summerland Council can find a mere $500 in their (I should say our) coffers to help them.
You find $4,000 to paint rainbow sidewalks the first time and maybe another $4,000 this time. Please do the right thing and give this group more funding.
The second concern is also about promoting our town. You do not even have a float anymore. What happened to the train float?
Summerland tourism brings in thousands of people to ride the train. We have a town parade during Action Festival, but no float to promote our town. The largest parade in the Okanagan, the Peach Festival, has nothing to represent Summerland either.
Congratulations to Coun. Toni Boot for stepping up and entering the provincial election scene. When I learned that you will be running for the New Democratic Party, it pleased me to know that a young, intelligent woman with integrity will have her name on the ballot in the next election. A change is good.
Elizabeth Hill
Summerland