Dear Editor:
I have been wondering why the Reception Centre was not opened for the citizens of Summerland during the lengthy power outage. The citizens of Summerland needed a place to get something to eat, something to drink such as coffee, tea or even a drink of cold water and just a place to enjoy some cool air.
During a similar outage back a number of years, on a bitterly cold day, Mayor Janice Perrino called me and asked me to open the Reception Centre at the arena, which was done.
Yes, very few took advantage of the venue at that time, but it was available for those who knew about it or were suffering from the cold.
This time, it would have been really great not to have to drive to Penticton in the heat just to get a cup of coffee or something to eat or find a place to enjoy a cooler temperature.
Why did our current mayor not take the initiative to have the local ESS team open up the centre?
Why did our ESS director not get permission or take the initiative to get the Reception Centre up and running.
We must remember that there are people living in Summerland that need electricity to operate health related equipment; phones that will work in case of a personal emergency; and also something to eat and drink during a power outage.
Ruth Manning
ESS Director (Retired)
Summerland