Open Letter to Radio VP Jane Chalmers

Letter sent on Tuesday, September 4, 2007

Dear Ms Chalmers:

In November 2006, Kamloops was one of 12 Canadian cities scheduled to get a CBC Radio One station. That decision has apparently been reversed, and a new transmitter and more air time substituted, instead, for the present Kelowna station.

Why was the decision changed?  Kamloops and the region that would be served by a Kamloops CBC station is inadequately served by Kelowna.  Geography separates us! Demographics separates us! Kelowna is a major retirement centre, especially for prairie retirees.  Tourism and the fruit and wine industries are also major contributors to their economy, ours is ranching, forestry and mining.  The main thruway from the coast to the BC Interior goes to Kamloops where it connects with the two major national highways, the Trans-Canada, and the Yellowhead.  A diversion of the thruway near Merritt leads to Kelowna, where it abruptly ends, graphically illustrating the insularity of that city.  The roads to and from the rest of Canada from Kelowna bypasses the Nicola/Thompson/South Cariboo/Chilcotin region.  Our paths simply don't cross.

Kamloops is an integral part of this special region of BC.  We create much of the resource wealth of BC. Our culture is as separate from Kelowna as Cape Breton is from Halifax.  Our history is unique, from the building of the railways in most difficult terrain, to the gold rush .  Kamloops is one of the few communities in the West having both railway main lines running through it.

There are many substantial towns in our region that are now only mentioned in occasional weather reports, if that.  Merritt, Ashcroft, Lillooet, 100 Mile House, Williams Lake, Alexis Creek, Clearwater, Lone Butte, Clinton, Horsefly, the Douglas Ranch and the Nicola Valley, all have histories and culture and style as colourful as their names.  There are too many geographic and demographic separations for the CBC outlet in Kelowna to adequately represent us.  There are reasons for the inadequate Kelowna CBC station representation of our region to date.

Many of our region's residents work and live in comparative isolation, and in the isolation many have developed musical and other talents. Kamloops' "Music in the Park" has amazed me with the local talent from our region.  They are the people who have chosen to give up the urban comforts, to contribute disproportionately to the wealth of our country with the production of our resources.  They deserve any opportunities the CBC can provide in sharing their talents and lifestyle.

If at this time you are unable to return to your original decision, I would hope that at the very least you establish a studio in Kamloops, and broadcast the proposed new afternoon show here.  Otherwise, along with the CBC TV decision not to broadcast CBC TV, you are creating a CBC black hole of our region.  Maybe such a studio would encourage your Kelowna on-air personalities to do more travel in our region than their once a year visit to Kamloops.