Sometimes it’s easier to notice things when they are gone.
And so it was Saturday morning, with Highway 3 closed near Keremeos due to a rock slide.
Cannons could have been shot down that thoroughfare.
Someone could have safely organized a tennis match or a square dance in front of Dairy Queen.
There just weren’t any cars.
Seeing the road like that brings into focus how busy Highway 3 really is through Princeton, and how much local businesses rely on those folks traveling through from the coast to the Okanagan.
It begs the question: Is the community doing enough to capitalize on that mobile market?
Short of moving all the gas stations to Fenchurch Avenue, there is no way to actual drag passersby into the town centre.
There are only two opportunties to catch them - at Vermilion Avenue and at Bridge Street.
People drive pretty quick on that road too. There’s not a lot of time for a driver to make the decision to turn into Princeton.
Better signage coming into town has been suggested, and the economic development and tourism department is reportedly working on that.
Also recently, the municipality announced a $315,000 plan to erect 12 bronze statues in the town core, and build wooden gateways that will be visible from the highway.
The merits of that project have been thoroughly debated on social media, with some people loving the idea and others opining that it’s too expensive and lacks a unique quality.
There will never be complete agreement. If we sit back and wait for consensus on how best to beautify the town it will be 2050 and Princeton wouldn’t look any prettier.
Is someone going to drive all the way from Vancouver to see the new statue park?
Maybe some will.
It’s more likely day trippers and travellers will see the gateways and wildlife statues and make that split second determination that this town looks interesting and they will hit the turn signal.
Either way, it’s not as if any attempt at beautification is going to hurt business, or drive people away.
We need to get people off that highway - and not with rockslide.
Let’s build it, and see if people come.
-Similkameen Spotlight.