Put your Best Foot Forward

Lately Vernon City Council has come under some criticism for a decision to operate a single Tourist Information facility in a to be renovated building adjacent to the Civic Arena on 39 th street near the city core. They felt that it would more efficient and cost effective to operate just one center. Council is probably right. Two information centers for a community our size are luxuries that we can no longer afford. Still a lot of effort and resources have been invested in the two buildings that have served our community and visitors for many years. It seems a shame to let it all go. In my opinion what replaces these two facilities should be pretty eye catchingly special.

Most communities do position their tourist info centers close to the center of town to be close to accommodations that rely on visitor business: hotels and restaurants. The advantage claimed is that visitors actually do stop in your town. This thinking was likely part of the recommendation of the tourist advisory committee to council.

Council intends to spend over $300,000 to “gussy up” probably one of the least attractive buildings in the city core in the hopes of putting our best foot forward for the visitors upon which much our local economy depends. I hope the contractor has an impeccable reputation of turning a sow’s ear into a silk purse because surely that is the challenge to be faced.

Putting all the questions about difficult access, lack of visibility and inappropriate traffic in a downtown residential neighborhood associated with the new site aside: my question would be, after all the money spent will we indeed have something to be proud of that truly represents how wonderful an experience our visitors can have when they choose to spend their precious vacation time in our community?

I don’t think so. I have not seen any drawings. Is it just going be new floors and paint? I would have hoped for the something more special for the visitors to our city than a single story cinder brick building at the end of an unpaved parking lot.

I think the most important question to be asked and answered regarding the new tourist information center is: are we putting our best foot forward?

Cheers Shawn Lee a Vernon Taxpayer blog