Archives for July 23, 2020

Osoyoos Lake will open for recreational and commercial salmon fishing on July 31, according to a bulletin published this week by Fisheries and Oceans Canada.

Recreational anglers will be limited to two sockeye per day from the norther basin of the lake, which is delineated by the Highway 3 bridge, and must catch them during daylight hours using a single barbless hook. The commercial fishery is open only to the Okanagan Nation Alliance, which represents seven First Nations in the region.

The decision was made in conjunction with the Okanagan Nation Alliance, which has led efforts to restore the salmon population, and a sports fishing advisory group.

Fisheries and Oceans Canada only considers recreational openings on Osoyoos Lake – the last was in 2018 – when a minimum of 80,000 salmon are counted passing the Wells Dam on the Columbia River about 100 kilometres south in Washington State.

As of Tuesday, 190,000 sockeye had been counted passing the dam. (The count is done by members of the U.S. Army Corp of Engineers by watching video recordings from cameras trained on the fish ladders at the dam.)

Wells Dam is the last of nine such hurdles Okanagan salmon must pass on the Columbia River on their 1,000-kilometre journey home from the Pacific Ocean.

Okanagan Nation Alliance fisheries manager Howie Wright said as many as 220,000 sockeye are forecast to pass Wells Dam this year, and between 60,000 and 100,000 are expected to make it to Osoyoos Lake. It’s anyone’s guess how much further north they’ll go.

“It’s dependent on temperature. So as long as it’s 22 C in the river, they’ll keep migrating,” explained Wright.

This year’s return is so far about one-third higher than expected, although in line with the 10-year average, and a vast improvement on the 2019 season, which saw just 50,000 sockeye pass Wells Dam.

Sockeye started showing up last week in the Okanagan River below the dam at Okanagan Falls, where Indigenous people are permitted to fish for sustenance.

Sources:
DFO
Okanagan Nation Alliance
Penticton Herald

Just to be really clear on this – please don’t go out and spend money right now.

Tiff Macklem, the new Bank of Canada Governor addressed the House of Commons Finance Committee last month and said that “we’re in a deep hole, and it’s going to be a long way out of this hole”. He then went on to say that he has no intention of raising interest rates anytime soon.

That last part is likely all that some people heard. Interest rates are going to stay low for a while, so there’s no need to worry about over-extending on a new home purchase, right? Yes, it sounds like borrowing money will continue to be “cheap” for the foreseeable future, but this does not mean you should continue to rack up more debt.

The Canadian consumer has been the primary supporter of the economy for quite some time now but the money they’re spending to prop the economy up is not money that they actually have. Instead, Canadians keep taking on more and more debt in order to live a lifestyle that is well above their means.

Digging our economy out of the mess that’s it is in (and has been in long before COVID came around) will take some time but it can’t be the consumer who continues to propel it along as the majority are quite simply broke. Canadian consumer debt is now a staggering 177 per cent of disposable income and that globally record setting figure is set to climb further still.

As things start to reopen and various industries put out promotional offers to lure you in to spend money, its imperative that you stop and think about what you can really afford. Due to the low interest rates, the monthly payments on that new car, financed purchase item or even a mortgage on a new home might sound “doable” in your monthly budget. But can you really afford it? And will that add to the debt load you are already carrying?

How exactly are you going to save enough for a comfortable retirement if you’re still paying off debt in the later stages of your working years?

The highest risk category is definitely Canadians in their 30s, who are taking on a first mortgage, kids, new cars, etc all at the same time. But this addiction to debt spreads across Canadians of all age brackets. Everyone needs to start spending a little less.

The downside to this is that the economy is heavily relying on consumer spending to have any hope of a quick rebound but to be quite blunt, that’s not your problem. Your responsibility needs to rest solely on your own family and providing for your future.

So, if you’re still reading at this point, and not too mad at me for ruining all your planned fun, please take a few moments before you make your next big (or small) purchase to consider what you can really afford. The interest rates are being kept at historical lows so that the economy can do its best to recover, not so that you can go on another shopping spree.

This column is brought to you by Michelle Weisheit CFP, IG Wealth Management and presents general information only and is not a solicitation to buy or sell any investments. Please contact your own advisor for specific advice about your situation

Community Members Needed to Monitor for Invasive Mussels and Clams

Summerland, BC – The Okanagan and Similkameen Invasive Species Society (OASISS) is launching a
citizen science initiative to help monitor for zebra and quagga mussels, and Asian clams in Okanagan
lakes.

The project offers two types of volunteer positions during the months of August and September that
involve community members in aquatic invasive species detection.
The first position seeks homeowners who have private docks on Kalamalka, Wood, Okanagan, Skaha,
Vaseux and Osoyoos lakes to monitor for zebra and quagga mussels. Volunteers will receive a pair of
mussel monitors to be attached to their docks and will be required to check them every two weeks.
“Our society has been checking for invasive mussels for eight years, however, this initiative will greatly expand our efforts to regions of the lakes that were previously inaccessible,” says Lisa Scott, Executive Director of OASISS.

The citizen science initiative also offers an opportunity for shoreline surveys looking for Asian clams
along Osoyoos Lake. “Asian clams are already established on the Washington side of Osoyoos Lake,” states Scott. “The shoreline surveys will allow us to monitor and protect this high risk lake from further infestations on the Canadian side.”

Invasive mussels and Asian clams are not known to occur in the Okanagan valley. If they were to arrive
they could cause irreversible damage. In regions where they are already established, invasive mussels
and Asian clams damage sensitive ecosystems, clog intake pipes and water infrastructure, affect water
quality, impact tourism and the local economy.

“We are extremely concerned about the possibility of invasive mussels or Asian clams arriving here,”
says Scott. “It’s imperative as a community to do everything in our power to protect our lakes from an
invasion.”