There was a time not that long ago when businesses in Valleyview were closing their doors.
For some, there was no longer viability in Valleyview and they headed up the hill in hope of greater fortunes. In their wake, they left empty buildings.
Those days have since passed.
Office space is now scarce, and businesses are looking to a stable future with new developments on the horizon.
Included in that is a housing project proposed on the old Jimeva Farms property. When complete - perhaps in five to seven years - nearly 1,500 people are expected to be living in what's called Valleyview on the Park.
"I can't see how it can do anything but improve the viability of business in Valleyview. Seven-hundred plus homes, that's going to be a lot of potential shoppers here," said Steve Quiney, owner of FunStuff Bike Shop, whose own store has weathered the economic ups and downs of the last decade.
Quiney's pleased to see Valleyview on the Park also calls for a small strip mall. Retail space, he said, is in short supply.
Deryl Priebe, vice-president of the Valleyview and East Business Association, said there have been challenges in the past decade, and the tide in new development is giving business operators the boost they need.
"We saw a cycle when a number of businesses left Valleyview to other locations, and then Convergys came in."
The latter, a large call centre, brought more people to the area and helped fuel growth, said Priebe. Now, the area will not only benefit from the Jimeva Farms housing development, he noted, but also development farther east such as the truck stop and a new townhouse complex being built in Dallas.
Also for Valleyview, there's the bike park, a joint-project of the city and the local mountain biking community, which Quiney said will be a boon for his business and all of Kamloops as well.
Priebe recently viewed concept drawings of Valleyview on the Park and is pleased the developers are dealing with the touchy issue of increased traffic loads on Valleyview Drive. A new T-intersection at the Trans-Canada Highway is expected to divert most of the new traffic away from the existing two-lane road.
Darshan Lindsay - Staff reporter
Kamloops This Week
Wed Jul 21 2004
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Purchasing land to improve the lifestyle of a community is a bold step for a city council.
Taxpayers don’t always look kindly on land deals that don’t provide a direct return in revenue. However, a City of Kamloops decision to buy a stretch of waterfront land in Valleyview to extend the Rivers Trail is a good one.
The Rivers Trail, which will eventually run from one end of the city to the other, is an important project to promote Kamloops as a healthy, fitness-minded community. It offers residents and tourists a place to appreciate the rivers that contribute so much to the local lifestyle. It will eventually be a place for cyclists and pedestrians to enjoy in almost every neighbourhood.
There have been roadblocks. Kamloops Indian Band members decided a few years ago to stop construction of the trail on their land. They had their reasons and whether city council agreed with them or not, it was property under the governance of the band and its members.
What the city can do is take steps to ensure other obstacles to the project don’t rise up in the future. That’s why when council had an opportunity to snap up riverfront land that could have been easily lost to residential development near the Skelly-owned Jimeva Farms, the purchase was approved. It meant a $500,000 price tag for four lots, but along with it came waterfront on the north and silt bluffs on the south.
There were suggestions that had city staff and council acted a few years ago, they could have knocked down the price. However, municipal real estate manager Dave Freeman said the same deal was not available for the lower price.
It’s important to ask the questions when tax dollars are involved in land deals. In this case, misunderstandings were developing about what the city actually got for its money. Scrutinizing the real estate deal allows the public to realize this was an important and worthwhile purchase for the municipality.
Through its vision for sports, economic development and tourism, Kamloops is making good headway in developing the city as a viable place to live, visit and conduct business.
Ensuring completion of the Rivers Trail will become a reality one day is all part of the bigger picture for Kamloops as a progressive area in the B.C. Interior.
Susan Duncan - Editor
Daily News
Sat Jul 17 2004
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They had prepared for about 50 people to turn out for an open house, but the developers of a proposed 700-plus housing unit project in Valleyview were overwhelmed to see early birds come through the doors of the Gateway City Church on Oriole Road half an hour before the official start.
And, during the course of Wednesday evening's two-hour open house, about 200 curious residents came to see what was in store for the former Jimeva Farms property along the Trans-Canada Highway.
"It's quite community-friendly," Barb Jackson said after pouring over the plans and concept drawings presented by project partners Al Leela from Toronto and Denis Dube of Kamloops.
The woman was particularly impressed with the waterfront property north of the highway bought by the city from the developers. Access will be provided through a pedestrian overpass. As well, the project includes a biking and walking trail bordering the silt bluffs behind the development.
"This is exciting. It was inevitable the property was going to be developed," said Derek Smoluk.
Moving his young family to the area just four years ago, Smoluk showed up Wednesday concerned about the kind of traffic that would funnel onto Valleyview Drive.
He was relieved to see the development calls for a new lighted intersection at the Trans-Canada to accommodate increased volumes.
Most of the concerns raised were around traffic, said Leela, and once residents were assured an intersection would be in place, those worries seemed to be eased.
The project, currently dubbed Valleyview on the Park, includes a mix of single-family and townhouse-style homes, and condominiums.
Included are a seniors complex and a gated community.
Prices will vary to accommodate all types of families and ages, said Leela.
There is also a small strip mall proposed close to the highway.
The property was purchased earlier this year and work began soon after on a rezoning application. If all goes according to plan, the project will go to council and a public hearing in September, with digging to start soon after.
"Our team's goal is to make this a landmark site," said Leela.
Darshan Lindsay - Staff Reporter
Kamloops This Week
Fri Jul 16 2004
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The beloved waterslides are back in business, but finding someone to insure the important tourist attraction has been a wet and wild ride.
Dolphin Waterslides owner Bob Altenhofen said he's lucky to have found High Risk Insurance, a company that has agreed to insure his slippery new business venture.
"I knew with my tenacity I'd find someone. It was just a matter of time until I got it," Altenhofen said. "It wasn't all that bad. It didn't cost a hundred grand like it could have, but it wasn't cheap."
Insurance costs for the park crept from $8,000 to $20,000 between 2001 and 2002. The price of admission also increased as the previous owner tried to balance his budget.
The park shut down in 2003 after operating costs skyrocketed. The newly named Dolphin Waterslides opened its doors this week at the lower 2001 prices.
"It's quite expensive to run this operation, but we're going to keep the cost down for people who want to come out and slide," Altenhofen said.
A few children trickled in Friday as he and his staff scrambled in preparation for an anticipated steady stream of sliders.
"Here we are, come out, we're ready - ready for the herds and the hordes," Altenhofen said.
The slide has passed all current standards and regulations and they have been sanded smooth. The weeds that once twisted around the blue slides have also been pulled in preparation for summer sliders.
"It really looks like someone cares," Altenhofen said. "We're ready to go."
Aaron Paton - Staff intern
Kamloops This Week
Sun Jul 11 2004
Dolphin Waterslides is open daily from 11am to 7pm weather permitting.
The entrance to Dolphin Waterslides is just east of the RV Park east of the BC Wildlife Park.
For more information, please contact Dolphin Waterslides at 573-2213.
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Look for a color brochure being mailed out to all the Valleyview & East businesses and residences giving details of all the exciting things going on in our area.
We are in the process of reviewing a special event in the Fall, if you have any ideas, please contact Deryl.
The next general meeting of the VEBA will be Monday, Sept 13. We have adjourned the monthly meeting for the summer. If you have any ideas or suggestions, do not hesitate to call one of us or stop by my office (Deryl of Edward Jones Investments at 158 Oriole Rd) to discuss over a coffee.
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