Archives for October 27, 2019

In visiting the Museum in Oliver again Sunday – I was struck by seeing a ghost.

Let me explain and I do want you to visit there and take your friends…… Halloween 1924 proceeded today with great interest and fun.

What struck me, again was two stories I told to a Cst. of the RCMP (out of uniform) with his family today.

This was the building of the BC Police – built circa 1924. In the fifties as a young teen, I babysat for RCMP  Sgt. McGuire who had one daughter. That allowed the Sgt. and his wife to have some life away from the small detachment HQ and Jail,,,,,,, and yes residence.

The main display today is called ‘Deep Roots’ with a huge picture of a pretty girl in the 30’s, a boy with a rifle, and another woman ready to get on with her life. That was Helen Miller of Penticton.

The picture taken by Lumb Stocks, the subjects, Babe Stocks, Jack Stocks, and Miller. Jack Stocks, a wireless gunner in WW2 spent his early life in a POW camp in eastern Europe after being shot down. He died early at 56 YofA  in Penticton after assuming control of his father’s business after the war.

Beryl Francis Stocks known to her friends as Babe – was my mother. The photographer my grandfather – the picture on McIntrye Bluff with Hatfield Island at top – visible on Lake Vaseux.

Games to be played – food to be eaten – kids to be engaged –

Angel ( Julianna ) sits in for the cob-webbed clothed – Evil Witch ( thank god – only once a year!!! )

Since its inception in 2011, the Oliver Tourism Association has worked to provide Visitor Information services to  promote tourism in Oliver and Area C in order to bring more visitors to the area, support local businesses, and  encourage return visits and even relocation.  We have done this as a volunteer‐working board of directors and  minimal paid staff with the financial support of the Town of Oliver and the Regional District of the Okanagan‐ Similkameen (RDOS).  In accordance with the Fee for Service Agreement, our focus has been to:

Operate the Oliver Visitor Centre   

Manage the website (winecapitalofcanada.com)

Design/publish/distribute the Oliver Experience Guide  

In the past three years we have also assumed full responsibility of managing/executing the region’s signature  event, the Festival of the Grape and the Sister City program. (This event expected to generate $50, 000.00 per year in profit… inserted by editor)

OTA Mission  

Through leadership and support, the Oliver Tourism Association fosters and promotes responsible authentic tourism  experiences year round, motivating travellers from near and far to visit sooner, stay longer and return more often.

Vision 

To become a proud four‐season destination of choice for visitors from around the world seeking inclusive, engaging  and authentic experiences.  In order to achieve our mission and vision, and for the benefit of our funding partners and overall community  development, the Oliver Tourism Association (OTA) Board of Directors believes that there is a need to address  additional tourism initiatives.  Below is a list of the priority tourism initiatives and activities that the OTA would like  to address in the next 1‐3 years.   

Complete the work necessary to submit an application for the Municipal & Regional District Tax (MRDT)  program   

Increased brand presence and recognition for “Canada’s Wine Capital”  

Develop a new comprehensive and user friendly website for Oliver Tourism  

Maintain and promote a Special Events calendar for Oliver and Area “C”  Strengthen relationships/partnerships and the development of new experiences to market with the  Venables Theatre, Coast Hotel, Area 27, Mount Baldy and the Osoyoos Indian Band   

Highlight existing “farm‐to‐table” culinary experiences within Oliver and Area “C” and develop new Agri‐ tourism experiences   

Increase the number of year‐round experiences including outdoor adventure activities and fringe season  special events    

Explore opportunities to maximize the use of the space at the Visitor Centre for additional revenue  generating attractions i.e. Bike rentals, Patio Café, Interpretive Salmon Walking Loop

Our current financial picture does not allow for us to address the above initiatives in earnest. Currently we could  implement no more than one new item per year, primarily because we need to have an employee dedicating their  time to these initiatives in addition to the Visitor Centre Coordinator and the volunteers who manage the  association.  Some of the initiatives listed above could prove as ways to increase the bottom line of the organization  on an annual basis.  We would like the Town and the RDOS to consider increasing the financial support for  OTA, either through a multi‐year Fee for Service Agreement or with shorter term funding to execute some  of these initiatives.  We currently receive a total of $56,000 from the Town and RDOS Area C.  We would like our funding  partners to consider a 20% increase to the annual fee for service, plus a one‐time grant of $15,000 in  2020.  This increase in funding would assist with the OTA securing a Tourism Manager that would focus on  the MRDT application, website development and branding and management of all activities of the  OTA.

Budget for 2020  – Progected Income $408 thousand and expenses at $411,000.

Carol Sheridan  Treasurer, Oliver Tourism Association

 

Source: Agenda material for Monday meeting, letter and budget of OTA

 

Youth education

The Royal Canadian Legion is committed to ensuring the tradition of Remembrance remains relevant to and supported by younger generations. We promote youth-specific education regarding Veterans and Remembrance through a range of local and national initiatives.

Education at the local level

The Legion encourages Canadian schools to promote Remembrance Day Ceremonies, and local Branches are often involved in supporting those ceremonies. Remembrance is also promoted through the Legion’s school-aged poster and literary contests. These contests see more than 100,000 students each year honour Canada’s Veterans through creative art and writing. As well, the Legion distributes Poppies and educational materials, and offers schools the opportunity to have a speaker share stories and experiences about Veterans and Remembrance with the children.

Commemorative ceremonies for youth
Legion Youth Auxiliaries coordinated at the Branch level
Support for Cadets, Scouts and Guides to strengthen their leadership and growth
Partnership with Cadets to deliver Poppy campaign
Encourage youth participation in Remembrance ceremonies
Youth scholarship and bursary programs, coordinated at the Branch level

Photo and copy source: Royal Canadian Legion

“Under the Canopy”
Taken prior to the storm

Constitution, Charter, Bill

Once you have participated in an election to send a representative to the seat of government – municipal, regional, provincial, or federal – whom do you expect that representative to represent? That is, must the representative be loyal to themselves, their constituents, their party, or their country? In my opinion, local elected representatives should be loyal to local constituents and federal MPs should be loyal to our country – their decisions should be in the best interest of the country. Local government for local issues. Federal government for national issues.

In my world, we would not have provincial governments. I see no purpose for them. Move property, education, and health to the federal level. Have one driver’s licence, one set of laws, one court system, one health card, one tax office, and one school curriculum to live under the federal roof with defence, security, trade, customs and immigration, natural resources, forestry, oceans, transportation, communication, and global affairs from coast to coast to coast and around the world.

In representative democracies, the primary vehicle for holding representatives in check is the constitution. The constitution is the primary law of the country and all other laws must conform. Hand in hand with a constitution is a bill of rights to protect individuals. As long as we have both – and we do – it is simply a matter of putting the most capable people into office. By the way, of the world’s democratic nations only the UK, Israel, and New Zealand do not have a written constitution.

The problem is that our bill of rights is just a federal law and therefore not directly applicable at the provincial level. The provincial governments selfishly fought our Bill of Rights to the detriment of good government and good sense. Hence, our Charter of Rights and Freedoms was created and embedded in our Constitution. But the Charter allows exceptions and the provinces continue to take advantage.

I quote, “The Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms guarantees the rights and freedoms set out in it subject only to such reasonable limits prescribed by law as can be demonstrably justified in a free and democratic society.” Therefore, we have a mechanism that allows limits to the guaranteed rights. And, it seems to me, but I could be wrong, that most of the Charter cases involve provincial laws that test this reasonable limit. Remove the provincial legislatures and remove the problem.

What are some of the limits? These are all real: A law is unconstitutionally vague – unless it is clear enough to create legal debate. Seriously? All have the right to vote – if 18 or older. Something magical happens at 18. Time between elections is five years – except in time of war, invasion, or insurrection. Some latitude there. Liberty, the freedom to act without physical restraint is guaranteed – unless lawfully imprisoned. Because of a right to the presumption of innocence, extradition is OK – unless there is the possibility of torture. One must abide by the law – except that It’s OK to break the law in perilous circumstances (an affirmation of moral involuntariness) and law enforcement (I kid you not). Both the federal parliament and provincial legislatures can pass laws that countermand some sections of the Charter – but only temporarily. Temporarily means not more than five years. Five? Why not six?

This last one is the notwithstanding clause. Alberta, Ontario, Quebec, Saskatchewan, and the Yukon have all used the notwithstanding clause. In fact, Quebec under the Bloc added ‘notwithstanding’ to every law on their books – every new law and every existing law. A following Quebec Liberal government reversed that. Whenever the notwithstanding clause is invoked, a court fight follows.

Enough of having differences from province to province. Enough of acting like goats who have to stand on the top of the rock. End the waste and absurdity. End the competitiveness. End the stupidity. Are we one country or not? Remove the provincial level of government and – a bonus – put lawyers out of work.

 

Stuart Syme

 

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Photo source: contributed