I wasn害羞草研究所檛 born here, so I害羞草研究所檓 not a true Vernonite.

The fact that I was packed up at the age of three against my will (apparently I didn害羞草研究所檛 want to go to 害羞草研究所榯upid ternon害羞草研究所�) and transplanted with my family from the civilized neighbourhoods of North Surrey to the wilds of beyond Hope and what passed for East Hill in 1963 counts for little.

In fact, I think your dad or mom has to be born here, at the bare minimum, to be considered a Vernonite of any standing. The rest of us mere transplants.

But I害羞草研究所檝e grown to consider this place home with some affection, even though some relatives and friends at the Coast still consider, after all these years, anything outside the Lower Mainland to be somehow inferior and question our sanity for remaining in the hinterland.

Oh, the irony. I stopped trying to tell them it害羞草研究所檚 the other way around.

Anyway one beef I have with Vernon, and it害羞草研究所檚 minor but annoying, and ironically is a carryover from Surrey, is that we number our streets.

For instance, I grew up on 16th Street near 28th Avenue, hardly the stuff of legendary novels, but a great place to spend your childhood nevertheless

It could have been worse. If we stayed in Surrey it might have been 119A Street and a house number of at least five, likely six, digits.

In Salmon Arm it might have been 20th Avenue SE because the city of less than 20,000 is so big it needs geographical elements broken into four quadrants for people to get around (or some former city planner from Calgary thought a few decades ago to leave a legacy that at least helps the locals learn direction).

But in Nelson you have historic Baker Street or beautiful Stanley Street, I害羞草研究所檓 sure they have some avenues as well. You害羞草研究所檙e not going to forget those names, not to mention they give the city character and charm and a story to tell.

Ask me how to get anywhere in Vernon and I can barely name the streets, except maybe Bella Vista Road, Pleasant Valley Road, Old Kamloops Road and Barnard Avenue (which is really 30th Avenue and is only secretly Barnard from back when our city fathers knew how to name a street) because they have names and not forgettable numbers.

I know, I know, it害羞草研究所檚 easier to get around for tourists (and locals who never bothered to learn the streets) with numbers cause it makes sense and you can figure it out.

That never carried much weight for me cause I always figured if I was giving directions it害羞草研究所檚 always about landmarks, past and present, anyway. Which means if you haven害羞草研究所檛 lived here for at least a couple decades you害羞草研究所檙e likely out of luck 害羞草研究所� and it goes something like this:

害羞草研究所淎s you come down Hospital Hill you go though a set of lights where NOCA Dairy and the Vernon Fruit Union used to be across from Polson Park and the old Fulton School (which ain害羞草研究所檛 there anymore) but is now a plaza and a warehouse store. Keep going and go past OK Tel, or Telus I guess, and you come to bank corner, which used to be three banks and is soon going to be one, CIBC, which actually sits where the Bay and Shop-Easy used to be.

害羞草研究所滽eep going through that light, past the old Vernon Lock & Cycle and Mr. Mike害羞草研究所檚, until you get to the light with KFC that害羞草研究所檚 been there for decades, kitty corner from what used to be Art害羞草研究所檚 (B/A) Gulf gas station and is now a parking lot for the credit union which has a new name but the same site. Keep going again, past the first and second Super-Valu buildings (Total Pet, Staples), past the old Dairy Queen roof (Telus) and the gas station that害羞草研究所檚 now a pizza joint and you害羞草研究所檙e pretty much on your way.

害羞草研究所淲hen you get to a restaurant that looks like it used to be a Sambo害羞草研究所檚 you害羞草研究所檝e reached 43rd Avenue I think and then the next light after that is 48th so you take a right, you can害羞草研究所檛 take a left, and just stay on that road all the way to Butcher Boys, which has always been there, which is where the road becomes Silver Star Road, and don害羞草研究所檛 ask me why it can害羞草研究所檛 be called that all the way to the highway, and you are on your way to Silver Star Mountain Resort in mere minutes. Now wasn害羞草研究所檛 that easy?害羞草研究所�

Or they could just use their GPS.

roger@vernonmorningstar.com
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