Fruit grower MaryAnna Campbell pickets outside of MLA Linda Larson’s office in her attempt to stop grape growers using propane cannons. (Photo by Lyonel Doherty)
Perhaps the last person you would expect to complain about noisy propane cannons is a fruit grower. But MaryAnna Campbell is taking her “sour grapes” to the street.
Campbell, a cherry grower from Osoyoos, was picketing outside MLA Linda Larson’s office in Oliver today, hoping that grape growers will stop using propane cannons to scare off birds that eat the fruit.
Campbell said she and her husband have to endure these cannons going off every three to five minutes from dawn to dusk every day from August to October. Not only does it hurt her ears while working in the orchard, it is “totally destroying” her enjoyment of late summer and autumn. She recalled one day when the cannons stopped, but discovered it was because a film company was shooting a movie in the area.
Campbell said she uses netting over her cherries to prevent bird damage.
“I don’t think they (cannons) are necessary. If you can afford a vineyard, you can afford to net.”
Campbell’s orchard is surrounded by several vineyards. She said four of the six vineyards do not use cannons, but a couple of them do.
Campbell said she filed a complaint with the provincial government (BC Farm Industry Review Board) and sent letters outlining her concern. She noted the Ministry of Agriculture basically said that propane cannons are an approved farm practice.
“I feel that I’ve been stonewalled,” Campbell said, noting that not one government official has contacted her personally about the problem.
Local MLA Linda Larson said this is a dispute between Campbell and her neighbours and is “not a big news story.”
“The ministry replied to her quite a while ago and we gave her the info again today. She knows who to call and how to get someone to come and investigate her complaint but has not done so,” said Larson.
The Chronicle is awaiting comment from the BC Grape Growers’ Association.
By Lyonel Doherty
