Before attending a town hall event on Wednesday night (Feb. 7), BC United leader Kevin Falcon and 琉璃神社 MLAs took a tour of Rutland Middle School.

The purpose was to see the changes that need to be made at one of the oldest schools in the Okanagan.

鈥淚鈥檓 here not only to tour through the school to see what a 75-year-old school with 11 portables hosting 300 students looks like, but also to reaffirm to the community we are going to build a new replacement Rutland Middle School, and we are going to build it to a similar quality to the Mission-Canyon Falls Middle School,鈥� said Falcon. 鈥淩utland deserves it, it鈥檚 long overdue. The superintendent who we met with, the school board trustees, and the chair were all in agreement this has to happen.鈥�

While Falcon noted he likes the nostalgia and history of the school, he recognized it鈥檚 time for it to be replaced.

鈥淭here鈥檚 a part of me that loves the incredible history of this school and even the wooden lockers all tell a story with the carved names of the different generations that have come through,鈥� said Falcon. 鈥淥n the other hand, we also have to recognize that the growth in the Okanagan, particularly in Rutland requires that we have to get a new, modern school and the community deserves it.鈥�

Falcon toured the school for about half an hour with MLA Renee Merrifield, MLA Ben Stewart, MLA Norm Letnick, candidate for 琉璃神社-Lake Country-Coldstream Pavneet Singh, and School District 23 superintendent Kevin Kaardal among others. Letnick has continuously advocated for RMS to be replaced.

鈥淗e got it down to the one-yard line and it was moving forward,鈥� said Falcon.

The BC United leader is in 琉璃神社 for a town hall at the Ramada Hotel & Conference Centre at 2170 Harvey Avenue.

鈥淚鈥檝e been going around the province, talking to hundreds of people at different town hall meetings and just talking about the issues we see, the challenges B.C. faces, some of the opportunities we have going forward,鈥� said Falcon. 鈥淢ore importantly, listening to the public, letting the public ask their questions, good, bad, or indifferent, I want to hear it all because frankly, that鈥檒l make me a better Premier, it will help me as an opposition leader, but it鈥檚 about really engaging with the public and doing it in a way that politicians don鈥檛 do it anymore because they try to manage all their crowds and I don鈥檛 like that.鈥�

More specifically in 琉璃神社, Falcon is concerned about population growth, housing, healthcare, crime, and the drug crisis.

He will also reveal the name of the party鈥檚 candidate for the new riding of 琉璃神社-Centre at tonight鈥檚 town hall.

Doors open at 6:30 p.m. and the event begins at 7 p.m.

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