Happy New Year!

The wake of a new year brings reflection of the past and views for the horizon. Our commitment to our community remains focused on our six strategic priority areas, including municipal assets, health and wellness, housing, community safety, recreation and tourism and economic growth.

As the Sicamous (Sek’emaws) Health Centre reaches completion next spring and the patient panel grows, we are focused on finding the correct fit for additional occupants in our health centre. We are looking for health and wellness professionals who will benefit our residents and surrounding communities. Keeping health care local and accessible for residents is important to council.  Our “Live More, Live Well Strategy” is key to moving forward with sustainable, long-term health care.

Our contribution of district-owned land continues to support multiple long-term housing options in Sicamous. The Eagle Valley Senior Citizen’s Housing Society (EVSCHC) and BC Housing project is currently under construction, bringing 37 units of affordable housing for seniors to Sicamous on one acre of land. The district just sent a letter in support of another 37 units being built on EVSCHS property. The district continues to work towards supporting the establishment of long-term rental housing on 425 Main Street. The proposal includes a central, mixed-use apartment complex with one- and two-bedroom apartments and 3,900 square feet of commercial space on the main floor. This proposal has been crafted to cater to a diverse range of “missing middle” families and individuals. The project is intended to deliver safe and comfortable long-term rental housing in Sicamous.

Our outdoor recreation strategy is custom-built for our community. The pump track at Finlayson Park was an amazing addition, carved through the trees with bleachers for spectators. We look forward to the addition of lights in the spring. Already a huge success, the pump track is the best space for our kids to unplug-and-play. The Owlhead Mountain Bike Park is now in development stages and brings brilliant plans to add Sicamous to the list of municipalities with sought-after mountain bike trails.

We were excited to see the completion of the Shuswap North Okanagan Rail Trail on the west side of the Sicamous Narrows. On the horizon, we are looking for an easy and safe way to get bikers and hikers across the channel to enjoy their journey. The rail trail will attract tourists and visitors from all over the world and offer outdoor recreation experiences that all our residents and visitors can enjoy. The district continues to explore funding opportunities to build a pedestrian bridge over the Sicamous Narrows that would connect our downtown to the west side of Sicamous and the rail trail system.

We have invested in our municipal assets with the successful replacement of the watermains on Kappel Street and Riverside Avenue.

The District of Sicamous continues advocating for community safety. The province has started the replacement of the aging R.W. Bruhn Bridge with completion earmarked for 2027. We continue to advocate to increase funding and enforcement to protect our waters from invasive quagga and zebra mussels. We continue to work to make our streets safer and requested the province re-criminalize illicit drug use in public spaces. In Sicamous, the Parks Regulation Bylaw was amended to ban the public consumption of illicit drugs.

We have pressed forward with several resolutions that were considered by the Union of BC Municipalities. Resolutions include a revisit of the provincial Tenancy Act, economic resiliency for tourism-dependent communities and increased funding for defence against invasive mussels. Recently, we sent a letter urging the province to put an end to human trafficking of all women and children and implement stronger measures to deter criminal activity.

We continue to strive to be a year-round tourism destination. Our snowmobiling industry grows every winter, as Sicamous boasts four groomed mountains for sledders to play on. The BC 55+ Games were an excellent addition to Sicamous. We showcased our diverse and spectacular terrain while hosting the swim, bike and run triathlon event. The UCI pump track qualifiers brought people from all over to reach for international qualification status. 

We are also fortunate to have an amazing network of local not-for-profit organizations and volunteers, whose work is invaluable in our community.

In 2024, we laid down some major groundwork to continue to grow our community and be attractive for new businesses and residents alike. 2025 will be a busy year for Sicamous with a lot of construction in and around town.

On behalf of the district council and staff, I hope you had a safe and enjoyable holiday season with your family and friends. All the very best of health and happiness in the new year!

-Mayor Colleen Anderson