Kelowna City Councillor Mohini Singh wants to make sure the city乌鸦传媒檚 new signature sign is designed by a Canadian artist乌鸦传媒攁nd only a Canadian artist.
乌鸦传媒淚n light of today乌鸦传媒檚 environment, where we are supporting our Canadian talent and focusing on made-in-Canada goods, I wondered if there was any appetite to strictly focus on Canadian artists doing the Kelowna sign,乌鸦传媒� Singh said at a council meeting on Feb. 24.
But Deputy Mayor Luke Stack quickly pointed out that the city has rules when it comes to awarding contracts.
乌鸦传媒淚f we were going to change our policy, we would have a debate independent of this,乌鸦传媒� he said.
City Manager Doug Gilchrist added that most contracts already go to Canadian companies.
乌鸦传媒淲e always look for those opportunities but stay within our procurement and trade guidelines that we are obligated to follow,乌鸦传媒� he explained. 乌鸦传媒淚f council wanted to make a specific purchasing policy change as a result of what乌鸦传媒檚 going on politically乌鸦传媒攜ou乌鸦传媒檙e welcome to do so.乌鸦传媒�
Gilchrist said staff could put together a report on what, if anything, could be changed while staying within the rules.
Singh made it clear that she doesn乌鸦传媒檛 want to see the contract go to an American artist.
乌鸦传媒淚t乌鸦传媒檚 a Kelowna sign. Can we get a Canadian to design the Kelowna sign? I would hate for an American to do it. Maybe a Mexican, maybe a European. In this political environment, that乌鸦传媒檚 the appropriate thing to do,乌鸦传媒� she said.
Stack acknowledged her concerns but reminded her that policies are in place for a reason.
乌鸦传媒淎s the city manager indicated, there is an extremely high chance that this will be a Canadian designer and builder,乌鸦传媒� he said.
The city put out a call for design proposals in December 2024 for the new signature sign, which has a budget of $500,000. That covers everything from design and fabrication to installation and permits. The sign will be located in a green space between Stuart Park and the Kelowna Yacht Club.
Construction is expected to start later this year and continue into 2026.