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Flooding is impacting Okanagan tourism and local businesses

Click to play video: 'Peachland businesses hope tourists return soon'
Peachland businesses hope tourists return soon
Peachland businesses hope tourists return soon – Jun 7, 2017

Peachland is open for business.

That’s the message business owners along Beach Avenue want to get out.

“The majority of what we do down here on the strip is based on boat traffic and beach traffic, so no boats on the water, no beach to hang out on, that makes it tough for us,” Praneil Rai, owner of 91 Restaurant said. “Compared to [last] year we’re probably down 60 per cent.”

It’s much the same story down the street at Karen’s Place Hair and Body Works.

“We have a good set of clientele that are here but we rely on tourism in the summertime like all the other businesses.” Karen Gunnlaugson said.

“[There’s] not a lot of Alberta plates, not motorhomes, not walking traffic. Normally on a day like this, there’s a steady stream of people walking.”
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Even tourists who visit the town every summer say they notice a difference this year.

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“We were here at the exact same time last year, the same weekend, and it was much busier,” Andrea Dehaan said.

And business owners are also taking issue with a sign on the highway telling motorists a portion of Beach Avenue is closed.

They say it’s confusing because only a small, residential portion of the road is closed. Business owners say the sign is keeping tourists driving through the Okanagan from stopping in Peachland.

“So people are coming down and [saying] ‘Oh, I didn’t think I could come down,’” boutique owner Kelly Kalesnikoff said. “It was saying Beach Avenue was closed.”

Business owners say they are absolutely open, and even though there are no beaches right now, there is still shopping, dining and lots of patios.

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