Archives for February 11, 2019

National Park (Reserve) Day Monday at local town council

One. Will there be a public meeting Tuesday at the Community Hall ? No. Cancelled by Parks Canada – they don’t like meetings with more than 150 people. And I thought the locals were paying for the hall. I was wrong.

Bill Ross heads a local coalition of groups that wants a referendum and a bit of transparency on factual matters. Is Parks Canada up to that. The strategy of PC appears to be “divide and conquer” or ….”how can I tell you what you want to hear”?

Two. Will council re-consider a motion that failed tonight at a later meeting ? They might – a more experienced Mayor might have delayed it…. will he bring it up again. He can. What motion. Council was asked to consider a motion. “Will council support a motion requesting a local referendum on the establishment of a National Park. Two in favour – Two against. Defeated.

Three. Why is there resistance to a referendum and transparency on this issue ? Conflicts… not stated.

Three questions that I have tried to answer.

This is a complex issue. My background tells me a lot. My sources tell me even more.

Quote of the week:

Sarah Boyle on hunting rights. No hunting is allowed in a National Park.

But a NP-Reserve will be co-managed by  ‘neighbouring’ indigenous peoples who will have traditional hunting and other land-use rights.

Park maybe be closed for the season but you can walk it

Thanks to John Chapman for making the walk to the very end of it.

Osoyoos – looking north – a panoramic view

by Julie Martineau

DIFFERENT BED, DIFFERENT COUNTRY        

Tonight I sleep in my own bed.  It is getting old and has various hills and craters that wrap themselves round my body when I get in.  My pillow is equally old, is stuffed with feathers and can be screwed up into a tiny ball or shook out into a full sized, but flat, head rest.  What is great about my old sleeping situation?  It knows me, it welcomes me in and wraps itself round me like an old friend.  The blankets are exactly the right weight and warmth for cosy nights and settle around me as I lie down, what could be nicer?

We have just arrived back from our annual pilgrimage to the sun, two weeks in Mexico with good friends, perfect for the middle of winter.

I really love my winter vacation, it is perfect for getting rid of the winter blah’s and when I return I feel that winter is almost over and it will soon be time to get out into the yard and do some updating for the summer months.

We have been taking this yearly trip for quite some time so we have it down to an event of no fuss and very little excitement. Two weeks ago the four of us drove to Kelowna to our usual overnight motel, it is handy to the airport and looks after our car for the time we are away.  We always seem to catch a flight that departs at some ungodly hour of the morning, this time it was 7.00am which means arriving at the airport around 4.30, yuk!

Arriving in Kelowna after supper we book into the motel, Dave parks our vehicle in its reserved spot for the next two weeks and we go to our rooms.  The usual soulless motel room is clean, very comfortable and quiet.  We book wake up calls for 4.00am, and a cab for 4.15.  It is then the time I do not look forward to, that of getting into a strange bed with horror of horror, strange pillows.  I thought I had solved the pillow problem this year by taking my pillow from home but, in the transfer of luggage, leaving heavy coats in the car and getting into the rooms, I had forgot to take my pillow indoors.

Neither Dave nor I wanted to leave the warmth of the room to go back to where the car was stored so I didn’t bother getting it.  This is not to be confused with suffering in silence, I complained loud and long about the pillows being hard, too fat, the wrong shape and various other ills but to no avail, Dave pretended not to hear and I decided to shut up and make the best of it but knew I would never manage to fall asleep.  However sleep I did as the next thing I heard was the wake up call rudely bringing both of us from our slumber.

After the usual waiting around for the plane and then five hours in a sardine can we emerged into the sun filled world of Peurto Vallarta, where our tour bus was waiting to take us to our resort, half an hour later we were deposited at the check in desk and within twenty minutes were in our room and changed into summer clothes.  The inconvenience of the early morning flight gives the advantage of arriving mid afternoon and being able to get right into the Mexican lifestyle.

Our resort has everything we need, basic but very clean rooms, big buffet meals that seem to go on all day.  The food is sometimes strange but there is always lots of choice and we always find lots of nice things to eat.  The gardens around the various buildings are kept in immaculate condition and it is a beautiful place to stay. The beds are a bit of a nightmare as they have rubber mattress covers which make for a really hot, sweaty sleep and once again there is the nightly fight with the pillows.  However, as we spend so much time lying on loungers, by the pool, there is lots of time for afternoon naps, and even a few morning ones.

The waiters are wonderful and the US dollars left on our table every meal is much appreciated and ensures that we get lots of fuss and attention.  The Mexican wages are very poor but many of these waiters have been working there for years so must be a good place to work.

Two weeks of swimming, strolling, watching glorious sunsets over the ocean, eating and chatting to the many repeat customers that we have got to know over the years, goes by quickly and it is soon time to be repacking the bags to do the return journey.

I try to put myself into a self induced coma for the flight as I find it the easiest way to survive the knee crunching from the seat in front of me and the garlic breath of the person sitting next to me.  Less than five hours later and we are waiting for luggage in Kelowna.

One more night at the motel and we are ready for home.  Great news, the highway closed by the landslide near Summerland has been opened, with a short detour, this means we do not have to take several hours out of our way to get to Oliver.

A quick trip into the supermarket on our way home and here we are safe and snug in our own home.  Tonight we sleep in our own bed, however, at the moment it has two suitcases lying on it that need to be unpacked before we can get in it.  Not only that but the smiling waiters are nowhere to be found and there is no enticing smell of food drifting out of the kitchen.

Having my own bed does have it’s drawbacks but I guess I will survive.

De Jager

Superintendent Ted De Jager named President of the BC Association of Chiefs of Police in 2019.

Officer-in Charge of the Penticton South Okanagan Similkameen Regional RCMP Detachment’s Superintendent De Jager, has been named the newly appointed President of the BC Association of Chiefs of Police (BCACP).

At the recent quarterly meeting, De Jager was elected President of the BCACP for 2019. He takes over from previous year’s President, Chief Constable Manak, Victoria Police Dept.

The BCACP is an organization based on partnerships with Municipal Police Forces and the RCMP in British Columbia. It exists as a lobbying force with all levels of Government with regard to policing issues. It is similar in mandate to the Canadian Association of Chiefs of Police in its focus on promoting positive policing changes, advocating for legislative changes, and other policy reforms.

The position of President within the BCACP rotates each year, and carries with it leadership responsibilities of guidance and coordination of resources in its pursuit of the organizations goals and mandate.

As De Jager continues to lead one of the busiest Regional Detachments in B.C., this new assignment will surely add to his workload; however, with his demonstrated leadership and management skills, he is up for the challenge, and is committed as newly appointed President of the BCACP.

Submitted by his PR person

Emergency crews respond to early morning house fire

On February 10 th, 2019, at 3 a.m., Police and Fire crews were dispatched to a house fire, located at 221 Huth Avenue, in Penticton

Officers and fire crews arrived to discover a fully engulfed house fire at this location.

Once the flames were extinguished, fire crews located one individual deceased inside.

Investigators with the Penticton South Okanagan Similkameen Regional Detachment’s General Investigation Section, Forensic Identification Section, and the Penticton Fire Department, are all on scene.

Additionally, the BC Coroners Service attended, and are assisting with the investigation. The identity of the deceased person has yet to be confirmed.

“This incident is considered suspicious, and our investigation is in its early stages.

Public Disclosure Required for the Office of Mayor – Town of Oliver

Candidate Ron Hovanes spent about 936 dollars and had the advantage of signs paid for in a previous campaign bringing his disclosed expenditure to $2136

Candidate Martin Johansen spent $855.09

Hovanes declared no financial sponsors

Johansen received cash to pay for the bulk of his expenses from Hart Buckendahl, developer

Buckendahl is a former Mayor of Oliver but now living in Osoyoos.

SUMMERLAND – Drivers are advised that beginning Monday, February 11, at 5 a.m., a Highway 97 detour will be available using nearby Callan Road.

This will provide travellers with a safe, two-lane direct route around the highway closure north of Summerland.

This 900-metre detour will accommodate both light vehicles and commercial vehicles. The speed limit along the detour route is 30 km/h. Divers are reminded they should have good winter tires, obey the speed limit and drive with caution.

Extensive work and geotechnical assessments will continue on the slope above Highway 97 and ministry staff will continue to work as hard as possible to have the highway reopened to traffic as soon as it is safe to do so.

While this detour is active, there will be occasional periodic stoppages to allow for blasting work. These stoppages will not occur between the hours of 7 a.m. to 9 a.m. and 4 p.m. to 6 p.m. Commercial vehicles that exceed 3.8 metres in width are only permitted on the detour between midnight and 5 a.m. Pedestrians and cyclists will not be permitted on the detour.

The work on the Callan Road detour route involved building a two-lane connection from Callan Road to Highway 97 on the south side of the slide and widening of the existing intersection on the north side, to allow for commercial vehicle use of this detour.

Argo Road Maintenance Inc. will monitor Callan Road, and will carry out snow plowing and sanding along the route as necessary to maintain the safest conditions possible.

The alternative routes previously provided by forest service roads are no longer necessary and maintenance of these routes will not continue.

Drivers should continue to check DriveBC.ca and @DriveBC on Twitter for the most up-to-date information.

This is the 70th Annual Sheep Count at Vaseaux Lake– the longest consecutive wildlife and sheep inventory count in  Western Canada.

Sunday Results

east of Vaseux Lake