Dear Editor:

I’m in agreement that the current Osoyoos Airport facility is underused and should be redeveloped.

The question that must be asked is turned into what?

There is very little land up for grabs here.

Using the land for industry/manufacturing is a great idea, but truthfully I can’t see it ever happening

It’s all about infrastructure – raw materials, local suppliers, rail, major highways, seaports, etc.

Plus the last time I checked, everything is made in China now.

Is this not the same town that developed eight taxpayer-funded, fully serviced industrial lots that sat unsold forever?

Finally someone made the decision to group six of them together and flog them off to the future construction of the Home Building Centre.

I notice Home Hardware doesn’t appear to be in any hurry to go up to their new home near the airport, probably because they know they are shooting themselves in the foot.

If you didn’t know it was there, would you go look for it?

Osoyoos also has numerous auto repair facilities in this area and others in the town core.

Ask the owners of these shops if they would like to relocate to the industrial park.

I suspect not, yet two blocks of Main street looks like it belongs in downtown Detroit.

Like it or not, we live in a retail-fueled economy.

Can someone explain to me how a community the size of Omak can support a huge Walmart, Home Depot, North 40 Outfitters, casinos, etc.

There are two reasons.

The first is because they developed their community on projected population growth and they pull customers from a 50-mile perimeter and that includes us here in Osoyoos and the South Okanagan.

It’s pretty bad when one can still go south and save money on an 85-cent dollar.

Local merchants just don’t get it, yet are the first to complain.

Gasoline and groceries in this town continue to be a rip off just because the tourists will pay.

How about the rest of us that are supposed to support you the other nine months of the year?

We have a certain crowd in this town that continue to stand in the way of any progress.

Most didn’t come from here originally and are financially set for life. They are also the first to jump in the car and shop in Kelowna and Penticton and other communities just to save a few bucks.

I hate that runaway retail beast known as Walmart as much as the next person, but continue to shop there.

It’s a matter of survival nowadays.

Last time I checked they weren’t going away. I believe if you build it they will come.

This town needs at least one big box store to get things moving. I’m not sure where, but other financial spinoffs would follow. How about a 24 hour walk-in hospital or medical clinic?

Numerous doctors live here, ambulances fly past my house constantly on their way to the hospital in Oliver.

I also think Osoyoos could be home to a small specialized college, university or training centre relating to high-tech industry.

What about a twin movie complex, year-round indoor aquatic facility – perhaps having them adjoining one another.

How about a world class motorsport facility, with proper quarter-mile dragstrip and Nascar-quality oval track to draw the big guns?

I wonder if the leaders with the Osoyoos Indian band are listening?

Again none of this should necessarily be built on airport land.

My point is pursuing industry is flogging a dead horse. This isn’t 1970.

Channel the visions into something that will make young families want to stay in this great town.

At the end of the day, we are going to have a fire department with a brand new facility capable of protecting any new developments.

Thank you.

Andrew Diack

Osoyoos, B.C.