Kamloops Olympian tours Vernon track and field facility

COLDSTREAM – Greater Vernon politicians were all smiles Thursday afternoon showing off the under construction, $7.5-million sports facility in Vernon to a track and field star from Kamloops.

Olympic shot put bronze medalist Dylan Armstrong had nothing but glowing comments for the Vernon Community Sports Field and Athletics Facility during the tour with the members of the Great Vernon Advisory Committee, according to a media release.

The facility at the corner of Highway 97 and College Way next to Okanagan College in Coldstream includes a regulation-sized synthetic track, a regulation-sized synthetic turf field, a natural turf field, seating for four hundred spectators, a classroom, changing rooms and bathroom facilities.

The sports facility was approved in a referendum held in the spring of 2013. It was a close vote. Only 8,220 people cast a ballot. Of those, 4,303 said yes and 3,917 voted against the proposal.

Proponents argued the facility would let Greater Vernon host events like the B.C. Summer Games and the B.C. Senior Games which stimulate the economy by generating tourism.

Construction began on the project in the fall of 2014 and is scheduled to be complete by the end of this year.

To contact the reporter for this story, email Howard Alexander at halexander@infonews.ca or call 250-491-0331. To contact the editor, email mjones@infonews.ca or call 250-718-2724.