For the first time, residents of the valley, from Princeton to Chopaka, have joined together to plan for a sustainable Similkameen Valley. The first planning session was held on Saturday in Princeton’s Riverside Centre.

This unique project was instigated by the Similkameen Valley Planning Society.

Advertisements and requests recruited the Sustainable Similkameen panel. The panel members were chosen to represent a cross-section of the whole valley. Between them, they have experience in agriculture, arts/culture, business (small/service/manufacturing/processing), education, employment/economics, environment/conservation, First Nations, forestry, health care, history/archaeology, infrastructure (servicing/communication/utilities), marketing, media, politics/governance, recreation/trails, safety (police/fire/ambulance), science, seniors, spirituality, tourism, transportation.

The seventeen panel members range in age from their twenties to seventies. The panel is still looking for one or two high school students who would be willing to represent the youth in this valley.

The Sustainable Similkameen project aims to establish a sustainable and harmonious socio-cultural, economic and environmental strategy for the Similkameen Valley that will enhance the quality of our rural and small town lifestyle.

The Similkameen Valley Planning Society has hired consultants Dr. Laurence Moss and Dr. Romella Glorioso to facilitate the planning process. Dr. Moss is a world-renowned specialist in strategic analysis, planning, management and environmental assessment, urbanization and regional planning, cultural change analysis, amenity migration and tourism analysis and planning. Dr. Moss, a Western Canadian, has lived and worked principally in western North America, Pacific Asia and central Europe, working for local communities and regional and national bodies, and through a number of international organizations in some 25 countries.

Dr. Glorioso has worked both in Canada and internationally. Dr. Glorioso is a specialist in community strategic planning, geographic information system mapping and analysis for public policy research and decision-making, engineering geology environmental impact assessment and ecosystems management.

The panel members have volunteered their time and energy for the project, which will consist of eight planning sessions plus research in between sessions. The venue for the sessions will alternate between Princeton and Keremeos.

The project will comprise four full days of planning and four evening sessions. The public will be invited to participate in two of the evening sessions to have input and help with the major decision making. Communities working together can help in their futures. The Sustainable Similkameen Project aims to encourage working together for the overall benefit of the valley while at the same time celebrating the diversity of the valley.