Before attending a town hall event on Wednesday night (Feb. 7), BC United leader Kevin Falcon and Kelowna 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.

含羞草研究社淚含羞草研究社檓 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,含羞草研究社� said Falcon. 含羞草研究社淩utland deserves it, it含羞草研究社檚 long overdue. The superintendent who we met with, the school board trustees, and the chair were all in agreement this has to happen.含羞草研究社�

While Falcon noted he likes the nostalgia and history of the school, he recognized it含羞草研究社檚 time for it to be replaced.

含羞草研究社淭here含羞草研究社檚 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,含羞草研究社� said Falcon. 含羞草研究社淥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.含羞草研究社�

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

含羞草研究社淗e got it down to the one-yard line and it was moving forward,含羞草研究社� said Falcon.

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

含羞草研究社淚含羞草研究社檝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,含羞草研究社� said Falcon. 含羞草研究社淢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含羞草研究社檒l make me a better Premier, it will help me as an opposition leader, but it含羞草研究社檚 about really engaging with the public and doing it in a way that politicians don含羞草研究社檛 do it anymore because they try to manage all their crowds and I don含羞草研究社檛 like that.含羞草研究社�

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

He will also reveal the name of the party含羞草研究社檚 candidate for the new riding of Kelowna-Centre at tonight含羞草研究社檚 town hall.

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

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