BC Gov. and Kelowna city council cancelled Targa Western Canada Road Rally. What's Canada coming to?
-Vancouver Grand Prix cancelled becuase there was too much traffic (read tourist dollars?) in the city and the several day race was "nongreen"
-Mission Raceway taken by Gov made into Cda Fiberglass plant then 14 years of broken promises. $1 million cost to build new racetrack had grown to $14,000,000 by the time that BC Gov. got sued and paid a lousy million - no interest paid.
-Mountain high racing at Westwood motorsports. Property taken back by Gov at lease end and sold out (since it was so nicely developed by BCCCA) for housing subdivision.
-Mopars at the Ranch/Vernon, rent raised to the point of causing the non-profit club to cancel weekend car show.
-Race City to close down next year.
-Targa Western Canada Bambina Rally cancelled by Prov. and Kelowna city council.
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I'm seeing a trend here in Western Canada and it's a **** style of Government control. It's also anit-tourist and anti-business. I also see fame for becoming an automotive unfriendly enviroment. Complete stupidity to be anti car since there is only 4 million people in BC as nearly all of Western Canada is remote mountains or countryside with no massive population centers other than Vancouver. There are very few buses and the only light rail transits are inner city in Calgary (puny) and the forever expanding LRT of Vancouver being mostly funded by fuel, insurance and other taxes from car owners ($.18 per liter of fuel).
Once city councilman said, "We can't afford the risk of Forest Fire." Really? Since rally cars are required to carry TWO 5 # fire extinguishers in every car I think that the councillor is a more serious fire danger and HE should buy a fire extinguisher for his car if he is concerned.
Another City councillor said, "It's not a GREEN event." Really? The preferred Rally car is a lighweight 4 ****** and even my 900hp Dodge Viper gets 25mpg - which is probably better than the average mpg of the councillor's cars. A Rally is a competition and not a race. Closest to required average time wins, not 'fastest'. Or could the councilor be referring to the spectators and Tourists coming into the Okanagan Valley to spend money in the Motels and Restaurants? Oh, bad tourists? With the current financial crisis in North America all Governments should be doing their best to promote any Tourism, especially here in BC where we have extra Tourist taxes like the extra Hotel Tax and extreme fuel taxes in the Okanagan Valley. With the highest taxed gas in all of North America quoting "Green" because of Tourist cars seems pretty stupid. Perhaps that councilman is trying to close the airport because we all know that jets cause more emissions than any other form of transportation? Tourism is not Green, perhaps the councilman wants to cancel Tourism to the Okanagan? Wonder how many business votes he'll get next election?
I wrote to [email protected] as I found the councilmen comments on their site, Castanet.net - Kelowna's Home Page and was PO'd.
"Land of the FREE"? When personal anti- autosports agendas are being utilized to ruin autosports in Western Canada? NOT. Seems more like a **** atittude.
This morning I had a call from an editor at [email protected] and interviewed for a half hour. Story tomorrow. Greg Welfen sent in his opinion as he was going to be my Navigator. Anyone else want to spank the Gov. for ruining their chances to appear on TV? Newfoundland hosts a Targa Rally and I watch it each year. Kelowna residents are boating to New Zealand to compete in the Targa being held there. Calgary and Merritt host gravel Targa Rallys that I've also watched on TV. But ... no Kelowna Rally with Ted competeing.
I will be travelling to Nevada with several other Western Canada VCA members to take part in Nevada's Silver State Rally. Land of the Free I guess.
Send YOUR opinion into castanet and say how assinine you think this cancellation is. If no one gives the Gov any direction or shows up the bad effects of what they're doing then it is the people's fault that Tourists are told, "Don't go to Western Canada, they hate cars there."
Ted
-Vancouver Grand Prix cancelled becuase there was too much traffic (read tourist dollars?) in the city and the several day race was "nongreen"
-Mission Raceway taken by Gov made into Cda Fiberglass plant then 14 years of broken promises. $1 million cost to build new racetrack had grown to $14,000,000 by the time that BC Gov. got sued and paid a lousy million - no interest paid.
-Mountain high racing at Westwood motorsports. Property taken back by Gov at lease end and sold out (since it was so nicely developed by BCCCA) for housing subdivision.
-Mopars at the Ranch/Vernon, rent raised to the point of causing the non-profit club to cancel weekend car show.
-Race City to close down next year.
-Targa Western Canada Bambina Rally cancelled by Prov. and Kelowna city council.
==============================================================
I'm seeing a trend here in Western Canada and it's a **** style of Government control. It's also anit-tourist and anti-business. I also see fame for becoming an automotive unfriendly enviroment. Complete stupidity to be anti car since there is only 4 million people in BC as nearly all of Western Canada is remote mountains or countryside with no massive population centers other than Vancouver. There are very few buses and the only light rail transits are inner city in Calgary (puny) and the forever expanding LRT of Vancouver being mostly funded by fuel, insurance and other taxes from car owners ($.18 per liter of fuel).
Once city councilman said, "We can't afford the risk of Forest Fire." Really? Since rally cars are required to carry TWO 5 # fire extinguishers in every car I think that the councillor is a more serious fire danger and HE should buy a fire extinguisher for his car if he is concerned.
Another City councillor said, "It's not a GREEN event." Really? The preferred Rally car is a lighweight 4 ****** and even my 900hp Dodge Viper gets 25mpg - which is probably better than the average mpg of the councillor's cars. A Rally is a competition and not a race. Closest to required average time wins, not 'fastest'. Or could the councilor be referring to the spectators and Tourists coming into the Okanagan Valley to spend money in the Motels and Restaurants? Oh, bad tourists? With the current financial crisis in North America all Governments should be doing their best to promote any Tourism, especially here in BC where we have extra Tourist taxes like the extra Hotel Tax and extreme fuel taxes in the Okanagan Valley. With the highest taxed gas in all of North America quoting "Green" because of Tourist cars seems pretty stupid. Perhaps that councilman is trying to close the airport because we all know that jets cause more emissions than any other form of transportation? Tourism is not Green, perhaps the councilman wants to cancel Tourism to the Okanagan? Wonder how many business votes he'll get next election?
I wrote to [email protected] as I found the councilmen comments on their site, Castanet.net - Kelowna's Home Page and was PO'd.
"Land of the FREE"? When personal anti- autosports agendas are being utilized to ruin autosports in Western Canada? NOT. Seems more like a **** atittude.
This morning I had a call from an editor at [email protected] and interviewed for a half hour. Story tomorrow. Greg Welfen sent in his opinion as he was going to be my Navigator. Anyone else want to spank the Gov. for ruining their chances to appear on TV? Newfoundland hosts a Targa Rally and I watch it each year. Kelowna residents are boating to New Zealand to compete in the Targa being held there. Calgary and Merritt host gravel Targa Rallys that I've also watched on TV. But ... no Kelowna Rally with Ted competeing.
I will be travelling to Nevada with several other Western Canada VCA members to take part in Nevada's Silver State Rally. Land of the Free I guess.
Send YOUR opinion into castanet and say how assinine you think this cancellation is. If no one gives the Gov any direction or shows up the bad effects of what they're doing then it is the people's fault that Tourists are told, "Don't go to Western Canada, they hate cars there."
Ted
