Longtime Osoyoos realtor and business leader Carol Youngberg has announced she will be running for a seat on town council in next month’s municipal election. (Keith Lacey photo)
A woman who has proven successful in business and as a community leader has thrown her hat into the ring to try and earn one of four positions available as a Town of Osoyoos councillor in next month’s municipal election.
Carol Youngberg, who has spent the past 37 years in Osoyoos, filed her nomination papers late last week after deciding the time was right to make her first foray into politics.
“I love this community and I have a passion for this community,” said Youngberg, who is the owner/broker with Desert Aire Realty and has been selling real estate in Osoyoos since moving here back in 1977. “Osoyoos has been very good to me and my longtime partner (Terry Yusep, who passed away in January of 2012) and it has been very good to my son (Chad) and I decided a couple of months ago that I would consider taking a run at this after other community leaders kept asking me to think about it.”
Youngberg admits that she made a final commitment to run for a seat on town council early last week after councillor Mike Plante announced he would not be seeking re-election because he’s too busy trying to get his new travel and tourism business Landsea Okanagan off the ground.
Incumbent councillor Michael Ryan announced several weeks ago that he would also not be seeking re-election after six years on council.
“I have a great deal of respect for Mike Plante … and when he announced he wasn’t running, that’s when I made the final decision that I would because it obviously gives me a better chance of winning,” she said. “I feel there’s a place for another woman on council and as a woman who has been heavily involved in this community for many years, I feel I can offer a wide cross-section of strong opinions and make solid decisions on important topics and issues facing this community.”
Youngberg moved to Osoyoos after her family had started two real estate developments – Cedar Villa and Sunshine Cove on Heather Street – that exist to this day.
“Both developments could have gone a little sideways, so my family asked me to get involved,” she said. “I went and became a licensed realtor and I came to Osoyoos to take care of these two developments.
“I fell in love with the place and have lived and worked here ever since.”
To say Youngberg became heavily involved in the community would be an understatement.
She helped found and establish the Osoyoos Festival Society, which organizes the annual Cherry Fiesta, Easter Eggstravaganza and Christmas Lite Up events.
“The festival society was founded as an umbrella organization for the three big festivals we host in Osoyoos every year,” she said. “There were some serious insurance concerns and felt it was best to become a registered society to lower insurance costs and eliminate a lot of the liability for the town and local taxpayers.”
Her resume also includes a four-year stint as a member of the B.C. Review Assessment Panel. As part of the panel, she would assess appeals by local property owners who complained about tax assessment on their property.
Youngberg was also a zone representative for the B.C. Women’s Provincial Curling Association for a decade and co-ordinated fundraising activities for the Osoyoos Desert Society for four years.
She also helped organize the annual Osoyoos Royalty program for more than a decade.
She is a past president of the local chamber of commerce and was heavily involved in chamber activities from 1989-94.
She was recognized for her dedicated community volunteer work by being selected as Osoyoos Volunteer of the Year at the town’s annual volunteer appreciation awards back in 1994.
“It was so very nice for the residents of Osoyoos to acknowledge me like that,” she said.
For the past three years, Youngberg has been heavily involved in trying to resurrect Desert Park as a viable horse training and racing facility.
She helped found the Desert Park Exhibition Society and has lead the committee that has brought four race dates to the local facility over the past two summers.
Youngberg believes her success in real estate and business, combined with her extensive volunteer contributions, would bring something new and exciting to the council table.
“Everyone who visits me in my office comments that Osoyoos is a wonderful place to live and I believe my experience in real estate and business can be a real asset to the town,” she said.
“I’ve proven I’m not afraid of hard work and I’m willing to put aside some good business opportunities at this time to pursue this goal of winning a seat on council and trying to make a real difference for our community.”
KEITH LACEY
Osoyoos Times
