Liquor store faces little opposition in UBCO neighbourhood

KELOWNA – Imagine, if you will, an application to open a liquor store in Kelowna that faced little opposition from local neighbours and in fact, will likely be warmly embraced when it finally does open.

That’s because the neighbours in the building on Academy Way where the liquor store will be located are by and large UBC Okanagan students who will almost certainly welcome the shortened trek for their weekend case of beer or bottle of wine.

The closest current option is almost two kilometres away located in the commercial/industrial subdivision across Highway 97 from the Kelowna Airport, neither a convenient walk or bus ride from the area.

Academy Apartments applied for the rezoning necessary to open the liquor store in September. It went to public hearing October 20 and will be considered for final adoption at today’s council meeting.

City planner Tracy Yuzik says there has been some opposition to the liquor store but not enough to stop council from endorsing the application.

In her report to council, Yuzik notes there are no restaurants serving liquor in the area and the addition of a retail liquor store in the University South village centre would fill a need for local residents.

To contact the reporter for this story, email John McDonald at jmcdonald@infonews.ca or call 250-808-0143. To contact the editor, email mjones@infonews.ca or call 250-718-2724.

John McDonald

John began life as a journalist through the Other Press, the independent student newspaper for Douglas College in New Westminster. The fluid nature of student journalism meant he was soon running the place, learning on the fly how to publish a newspaper.

It wasn’t until he moved to Kelowna he broke into the mainstream media, working for Okanagan Sunday, then the Kelowna Daily Courier and Okanagan Saturday doing news graphics and page layout. He carried on with the Kelowna Capital News, covering health and education while also working on special projects, including the design and launch of a mass market daily newspaper. After 12 years there, John rejoined the Kelowna Daily Courier as editor of the Westside Weekly, directing news coverage as the Westside became West Kelowna.

But digital media beckoned and John joined Kelowna.com as assistant editor and reporter, riding the start-up as it at first soared then went down in flames. Now John is turning dirt as city hall reporter for iNFOnews.ca where he brings his long experience to bear on the civic issues of the day.

If you have a story you think people should know about, email John at jmcdonald@infonews.ca

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