One Foot Off Center: What's next for Airbnb in Kelowna? (One Foot Off Center)

Castanet presents One Foot Off Center, a podcast tackling the big issues facing the Okanagan. Rick Maddison, Ron Mattiussi, Scott Lanigan and Jeff Cox meet every month to discuss how those issues impact everyday Canadians. Maddison is a well-known entrepreneur in Kelowna and owner of Tempest Media. Mattiussi is the former chief administrator of the City of Kelowna and has worked in local government across the province. Lanigan is the lead pastor of Trinity Church, one of Kelowna’s largest churches, who has served with various community groups like Journey Home. Cox is the founder and CEO of Kelowna-based Simply Benefits. On this week's episode, the panel discusses the impact of potential new Airbnb regulations in Kelowna, highlighting challenges during peak seasons like long weekends and the upcoming Memorial Cup. Trinity Church's lead pastor, Scott Lanigan, says his church does hundreds of weddings every year, and the Airbnb rule changes had a dramatic effect on Kelowna as a destination wedding location. "With all the people coming here, trying to find a place to stay, is so difficult, especially in the hot seasons of June, July and August," Lanigan says. "I think something has to change... With the amount of potential units coming online, it's only going to create more tension and I think it has to change, and I think it needs to be thought of from the tourist perspective, not just from the local community." Jeff Cox points out that Kelowna has been a tourist destination for many years, and the lack of places for tourists to stay over the past several years has had a serious impact. "We don't have Airbnb, we don't have a plethora of great hotel options. We don't have any real family orientated hotel options. The motor ins of the city have gone by the wayside. It's just so Canadian for us to take away all the places to stay and then ban Airbnb. How did we get here?" says Cox. Cox points out the irony that some buildings in Kelowna were built with Airbnb in mind. "We have buildings that were built for Airbnb, and we've not let them continue to operate, the Shore across from the El Dorado, Playa del Sol. I'd start there, and then you've got to move at a conservative pace to say, we are going to allow it in other areas," Cox says. Former City of Kelowna chief administrative officer, Ron Mattiussi points out that short-term rentals put pressure on people who live in Kelowna all year round. The other was where the city allowed some Airbnbs to operate. "I remember getting many calls, because the building next door is being rented. And they said, Look, 'I have to get up in the morning. I have kids, and I have to put up with Calgarians partying in the hot tub till three in the morning every night, golfing and then partying.' "When you get into the single-family neighbourhoods, I get a little concerned," Mattiussi says. The panel agreed that there is probably a way to zone Airbnbs so they wouldn't impact the long-term rental market. "I think it's really important that people know the rules. If I make a big investment in my home, I want to have some surety that it doesn't become a commercial hotel next to me," Mattiussi says. From there, the panel transitioned into talking about their personal grades for Premier David Eby and the provincial NDP government. Mattiussi gave him a B for effort, "he seems to act very unilaterally on most things that he deals with, not necessarily, it seems, in consultation with the ministers or people affected. That would be my biggest criticism, not so much the pieces of what he's doing, but how he's doing it." Lanigan says he feels policy is only successful when people can point to a real change in their lives, not just a headline. He gives Eby a B-. "You've talked about decriminalization, you've talked about these things, but what's the change for me? How's my Tuesday look different? And I think for so long, my Tuesdays looked exactly the same or worse on a number of fronts, and at what point does the frustration just boil over," says Lanigan. Cox gives Eby a failing grade. "David Eby is failing on every front right now. I'm sure Eby has the best intentions when he gets up in the morning. I don't think he's a bad human being. Healthcare is failing because of bureaucracy. Housing is failing, listen, we could do 10 podcast shows on decriminalization. It's never his fault," Cox says. Lanigan worries about how the next generation will view the political process. "What are we telling the next generation if we can't be grown-ups and just talk. Unity does not mean uniformity. It just means unity. It means I can have a differing opinion, but I can be a human being, and we can actually go towards a greater goal together, rather than trying to tear each other apart," says Lanigan. This article is written by or on behalf of an outsourced columnist and does not necessarily reflect the views of Castanet.