Do you want your town to grow or are you happy the way it is now?
Realizing that we have some things in this town that other communities can only dream of.
We have a river that runs through it, we have an airport 10 minute’s walk from the Town Centre, we have a golf course for the well healed, and we have a prison for the province’s bad guys and girls. What more could you wish for?
Well, let’s keep going. We have the envious name of Canada’s Wine Capital and rightly so looking at all of our great local vineyards. We have our local First Nations setting new landmarks for innovative thinking; Area 27 is a great example. We are a hop, skip and a jump from the US border and what is that worth in possible tourism value?
I could go on, but you get the message. Changing subjects here, in the municipal election our mayor went unchallenged. Were you so happy with him or was it collective complacency?
Our town, despite all the above attributes has its share of crime which leads me to our local RCMP.
When was the last time you saw a cop in town, not counting the 30-second daily drive through our two strip malls?
Another grave concern is the temporary on and off closing of our hospital’s emergency department. What is going on there behind the scenes? Are we not pushing enough for provincial/federal help? And let’s not forget that this hospital is the first stop on Highway 97 for other communities from Osoyoos to Grand Forks and beyond.
In this little town we have it good, but don’t think we can’t fall behind because we can.
It is important that as a community we hold our leaders to task. We need transparency, and nobody regardless of their position is beyond accountability. If you have questions, look for answers and do not be put off; you are a member of this town and deserve these answers from the powers that be.
Don Smithyman, Oliver
