The Osoyoos Lake Water Quality Society held its annual general meeting last Friday and is pleased to announce that five new members have signed up to join the organization, which has been testing water quality on our local lake for many years. Members of the society for 2016-17 include (from left) Neil Bousquet, Phillip Harfman, Earle Adderton, former Osoyoos Mayor Stu Wells, Jane Long, current president Birgit Arnstein, Denis Potter and Sean Van Horne. (Keith Lacey Photo).
The plea for help from the Osoyoos Lake Water Quality Society (OLWQS) has been heard loud and clear.
The society, whose members have provided monitoring of the water quality on Osoyoos Lake for several years, was in danger of folding unless several new members stepped forward, but that’s exactly what happened last Friday as five new members signed up.
“I am delighted to report that several members from our community have stepped forward to join our new Board of Directors for the next year,” says OLWQS president, Birgit Arnstein.
“Several Board members stepped down at our May 27 annual general meeting. We want to thank Liza Jensen, Brian Faltinson and Verla Anderson for their hard work on behalf of OLWQS. We fully appreciate their time and effort to make our organization stronger and more visible.
“In addition to myself, current Board members, Stu Wells, Earle Atterton and Denis Potter have agreed to remain for another term. I am also pleased to announce that five new people will be joining the board. They include Jane Long, Colin MacCrimmon, Phillip Harfman, Sean Van Horne and Neil Bousquet.”
“My first impressions are that these new additions have the background, experience and energy needed to help take OLWQS to the next level.”
“Moving forward, we have a number of educational and community initiatives, such as protecting Osoyoos Lake from invasive species like zebra and quagga mussels, that are going to require a lot of energy and commitment on the part of the board.
“We will be holding our first board meeting in the next week to meet each other, discuss responsibilities and develop a plan of action for OLWQS for the next term.”
Bosquet said he came forward because he and his wife recently purchased a home at the Osoyoos Cottages on the Lake and want to make this community home for the rest of their lives.
“This is our home and this is our lake and we have to protect it,” he said. “If we don’t take the steps to protect our lake, no one will and we’ll all be in serious trouble in this community.”
The new board members will bring fresh ideas on how to improve water quality and keep invasive mussels out of Osoyoos Lake, he said.
“We simply can’t afford to have these zebra and quagga mussels infect this lake or any lake in our province,” he said. “They are very destructive and must be stopped.”
The society will continue to monitor water quality on Osoyoos Lake by gathering and testing water samples, but they will also extend the focus to educating members of the public about all of the key issues that affect Osoyoos Lake, he said.
“We hope to get out into the community more often and share information,” he said. “The more information people have, the more successful we will be in working to protect our lake.”
It was imperative to get younger people involved on the board and he’s thrilled that new board members like Long and Van Horne will bring youthful enthusiasm to the society, he said.
The Osoyoos Lake Water Quality Society was founded in 1991 by community members to promote public awareness of the lake, covering issues such as invasive species, conservation, pollution and lake management. It is a non-profit organization run entirely by volunteers.
Bousquet said having a mix of longtime volunteer veterans and many new faces provides a nice mix and he’s looking forward to being part of this new group for the upcoming summer season.
The OLWQS has its own Facebook page and its website can be accessed by visiting www.osoyooslake.ca.
