Gale Kleckner sent in a picture similar to the one above – and I said I would take a look at these two poles at the corner of Columbia Place and  Columbia *Street. I also asked when the new pole was installed.

I took a couple of pictures, drove around the neighbourhood twice reflecting on my past and an idea I had many years ago. What I discovered was that my eyes had been fooling me for 30 years.

Most of that area west of Okanagan is underground wiring – similar to new subdivisions in the Tuc-el-nut and Willows area in east Oliver. My past I lived in that neighbor twice in my life – many of the homes sit on the orchard (5 acres) owned by my parents. The second was an idea of making Oliver as wireless (visual) as possible and using the utility companies and the Town to make that a reality over a long period of time.

The idea to use franchise fees paid by utilities companies for the right to dig holes for pipes and erecting electrical poles and phone lines – creating a budget – fueling that piggy bank with a percentage of all taxes paid – say one percent – and then get the utilities to help win a prize. That prize a more visually appealing place to live. Taking small streets and putting the wires below. Pick any street with few wires to start it off – get the community involved.

Won’t say who – but a couple of fellow politicians scoffed at the thought. When a young lady was elected to council I took her on a tour and said – look! “do you see what I see?”

The ugliness of heavy overhead wiring near the hotel, the bridge and the community park. She agreed something should be done about it.

I am firm in my belief someone else will come along and have -the same idea- and then get it done.

There is no better time than now to plan for the future.

Thanks to John Kiss for correcting me on the street names. Both Gale and John indicated that Fortis installed the new pole about 3 months ago and for some unknown and undisclosed reason – they moved on and maybe forgot about this small project.