Prior to the dissolution of the Southern Okanagan Lands Irrigation System (SOLID) in 1989, irrigation water rates for farm use were subsidized by residential customers in the Rockcliffe and Tucelnuit neighbourhoods, which were outside the Village of Oliver at the time. By subsidy, I mean that farmers received significantly more water per dollar of water fees than domestic customers, even though both groups used the same water source at the time. 

To protect this subsidy and keep agricultural prices low, the Province of BC issued Letters Patent requiring the Provincial Inspector of Municipalities to approve any water rate or regulation bylaw that lacks unanimous local council approval, before the council can adopt it. In the letters patent, it mandates the Inspector to give due consideration to the historic relationship between domestic and agricultural water rates when considering any approval.

So yes, the cost to supply water for farming is subsidized by domestic rates, as enshrined in the Provincial Order in Council referred to above. However, as I understand it, current  domestic and agricultural water rates may have drifted from the "historic relationship" over the past 38 years. I believe domestic rates have risen more than agricultural rates. This needs to be investigated and adjusted as necessary. In addition, we must ask that if either the domestic or agricultural water systems incur significant new costs, should these costs be separated into two billing streams rather than increasing subsidies for one side or the other. In the past year, the Town of Osoyoos has already made this separation. This approach would require approval from the Province.

Regarding tax rate differences between different communities, I need to reference the chart that the Town of Oliver recently published (shown on the Challenges page of this web site). It shows tax rates for average homes in Oliver, Osoyoos, Penticton, Summerland and Peachland for 2004, 2005 and 2006. It shows Oliver and Osoyoos with the lowest tax rates in all three years. 

I am not privy to the details on whether these rates were set independently or competitively based on neighboring communities, so commenting further would be speculation. However, I would make the following comments, which I would like staff to address if I am elected: Oliver is the community with the lowest population listed and has the lowest taxes: What were the tax rates in smaller communities such as Keremeos and Princeton? How do these compare? Were they left off the chart on purpose?

Peachland's and Summerland's average taxes shown in the chart are a surprising 30% and 60% higher than Oliver's! Are we comparing apples to apples or is there something missing? For example, I believe Summerland and Peachland pay directly for all their parks and recreation services through their regular municipal taxes. In Oliver, the regional district pays for the bulk of recreation facility costs and collects the Town's share through billing, which is then added to Oliver tax bills as a separate line item. Were these costs included in the cost comparison table? If not, the table needs to be adjusted for a fair comparison.

I must first preface my answer by saying that I know several people and have several friends and relatives whose young adult children are trans, gay or otherwise fit into the LGBTQ spectrum. Based on the push-back these people still receive from much of society, I am convinced they are seeking and expressing their true identities and not doing things on a lark. Why would anyone put themselves through all of that harassment if they did not believe in themselves?

This year was my 50th high school grad reunion and I look back with considerable regret at how some of my fellow schoolmates were shamed and denigrated for being "gay" or otherwise different from the majority. In my recollection, the school administration then, and society in general, did little or nothing to address this bullying. Fortunately, I can see that much of society has moved on a bit and is starting to let people be who they want to be on the human spectrum, and allowing them to love whom they want to love. In my mind, gay rights and trans rights are no more than human rights!

So to your question: Why the rainbow crosswalks and pride parades? I see these as a recognition of the diversity of humanity. In my mind, a rainbow crosswalk near a school is not a "promotion of ideology" or particular "personal behavior," as you suggest. Nobody is telling anyone to be gay or trans. To me, such a crosswalk is simply a recognition of our collective diversity, and a reminder for the students, parents and teachers who cross it, that we all walk this world together. Let's do it in peace and love instead of conflict and hatred.

While my tendancy would be to concentrate on the big-dollar issues (infrastructure, recreation, new growth) that affect property taxes, painting a couple of colourful crosswalks in town is a pretty small public price to pay for promoting peace and acceptance. So the bottom line is that I would not seek to discontinue it.

The Town operates four water systems:

1. The irrigation canal provides water for over 5,000 acres of farm irrigation, primarily in the rural area, using water diverted from the Okanagan River, just south of Vaseux Lake. Some farmers pump directly out of the canal. The majority receive pressurized water from the rural pumping stations adjacent to the canal. This water is not treated or disinfected, and is not potable. Farm irrigation use is not metered, and by its sheer volume, has the greatest impact on the Okanagan River and local lake levels.

2. The Town also operates four groundwater well sites (Rockcliffe Domestic, Tucelnuit, Buchanan Road and Miller Road). The water from these wells is disinfected with chlorine, and supplies domestic and commercial uses in the Town and most of the rural area. It is not connected to the irrigation water system mentioned above. In the rural area, most properties are served by two pipelines: one for domestic water and one for irrigation water. All water from the domestic system is metered. In town, most properties only have access to the domestic system, which is used for in-home or business needs, as well as for irrigating lawns and landscaping

3. In the southern Black Sage Road area, a large groundwater pumping station supplies both farming and domestic water through a single pipeline. I believe properties in that area all have two connections from the same supply pipeline: a metered connection to the house and an unmetered connection to the farm.

4. All of the Town's sewer flows are treated near what is called Lake Topping, up the hill, west of Oliver. Reclaimed water (treated sewage effluent) is used to irrigate the Fairview Mountain Golf Course, one or two small vineyards adjacent to Fairview Road, landscaping around the high school and in some park and trail areas (sorry.... not sure which ones). Surplus water from this system is used to grow a hay crop on the Oliver Airport. 

Current watering restrictions are in place for the groundwater-supplied system (number 2, above). I read on the Town's website that the restrictions are based on the system's ability to meet changing demands. I found a copy of the engineering report outlining the steps, on the Oliver website, at the following link: https://pub-oliver.escribemeetings.com/filestream.ashx?DocumentId=8019  If a pump is shut down for repairs, or because the groundwater level in the well starts to fall and does not provide sufficient cover over the pump intake, the system loses its total potential capacity, and restrictions must be imposed. 

That is the case right now, as I believe the Miller Road Well has a reduced water table. Please see the staff report to council on the current situation at the following link: https://pub-oliver.escribemeetings.com/filestream.ashx?DocumentId=8113

In the long term, this may be partly addressed by:

• Building more wells (costs money and would increase water rates)

• Making the wells deeper (costs money and would increase water rates)

• Limiting irrigation uses on the domestic system:

  • Is unpopular with the public

    • That said, lawn irrigation has been prohibited for many years in the greater Vancouver area and has become generally accepted now

  • Takes enforcement effort

  • May include tiered water rates in the future to provide a financial penalty for over-use.

• Maybe converting more irrigation uses away from the domestic system and onto the canal-supplied irrigation or reclaimed wastewater systems, or perhaps even collected rainwater as you suggested.

In my opinion, the other concern that hasn't been mentioned is the sheer volume of water used to irrigate all the local farmland in our desert climate. This has the greatest effect on natural water stream flows and lake levels, yet it has not been addressed in any way. Farm irrigation water uses are currently not metered, so there is no convenient way to financially incentivize water conservation on local farms. 

I agree totally, that more shade is a good thing! From a land-use planning approach, I believe most new developments must plant boulevard trees as a condition of their subdivision approval. Multi-family developments must further submit landscaping plans for approval as part of their development permits and are required to submit a deposit to the Town to guarantee that the plans are implemented. 

Regarding recent tree removals, I have read that there is a program in place to remove several species of invasive trees in the South Okanagan. More information is available in the following Castanet news article: 

• https://www.castanet.net/news/Oliver-Osoyoos/579013/Over-200-invasive-Siberian-Elm-trees-removed-at-Oliver-Community-Park

While removing invasive plants may be a plan, I believe any such removals in public spaces should be done only in conjunction with planting replacement trees of a suitable variety.

As we know, many factors contribute to homelessness, and there is no single solution. Origins may include substance addictions, mental illness, housing unaffordability, or any combination of the above, and other factors. That said, we cannot just throw up our hands in defeat. I know the Town has been working with other agencies to address some aspects of the local problem. However, the Province must also become and remain involved, as they are responsible for health care and cannot be allowed to simply download the problem onto local communities. The following news articles may shed some light on recent efforts. These and other efforts must be continued.

• https://www.castanetkamloops.net/news/Oliver-Osoyoos/616144/Oliver-officials-tour-unhoused-encampment-amid-high-calls-for-service

• https://www.castanet.net/news/Oliver-Osoyoos/618452/MLA-joins-effort-to-address-Oliver-encampment-concerns