By Lyonel Doherty

Local MP Richard Cannings knew what he was getting into when he bravely attended Tuesday’s information meeting in Osoyoos on the proposed national park reserve.

“I was not intimidated but I was expecting it (the shouts and catcalls when I spoke).”

The politician, who favours the park, was there to listen to what people had to say at the gathering organized by the South Okanagan Similkameen Preservation Society (SOSPS).

Cannings said he was expecting more of a “balanced” meeting, noting that 95 per cent of the crowed consisted of people who don’t want the park.

“Throughout the meeting all we heard was anti-park sentiments.”

But Cannings said it appeared that park supporters boycotted the meeting. Even Parks Canada was a no-show despite being invited.

The MP said the meeting was quiet until he got up to speak when asked about a referendum.

He questioned what a referendum would accomplish other than “make half the people in this valley very upset.”

Cannings said this prompted some yelling, which he assumes is why Parks Canada didn’t attend the meeting.

“It comes with the territory,” he said.

According to Cannings, there is still a lot of “misinformation” about the park from all sides.

For example, he said three people at the meeting believed that their property in the Kilpoola area would be expropriated for the park.

“That is completely false. Parks Canada has been saying that for 17 years,” Cannings said.

Others expressed a concern about more fires occurring when Parks Canada prohibits cattle grazing. This is another misconception, Cannings said.

“I was sitting there biting my tongue.”

Speaking to the Oliver Chronicle, the MP reiterated that a referendum would not help the situation, but create more divisiveness, with both groups trying to win over the other and amplifying the misinformation.

“It’s an imperfect form of democracy. We should be working together to create a park that we can all enjoy and be happy with.”

Cannings added that it would be very difficult to construct a referendum that would satisfy everyone. And the question is: Who gets to vote?

The MP expressed a deep concern about what the issue has done to local communities. For example, he said many people won’t tell their neighbours how they feel about the park for fear of getting a rock through their window.

“One lady said she is afraid to voice her opinion.”

But Lionel Trudel, a director with SOSPS, said they don’t have any information about intimidation tactics used by people who are anti-park.

“We never spoke to anyone who said, ‘I’m going to tear a (yes) sign down.’ I only know of one yes park sign in our community. It used to be white and now it’s yellow (with age).”

Trudel said the SOSPS has been accused of being intimidating by presenting the facts and using language calling for more clarity from Parks Canada.

But park supporter Jim Wyse, owner of Burrowing Owl winery, said they have produced about double the number of signs than the “no park” people have put up, and all of those (approximately 600) are now missing. Now people are putting their “yes” signs closer to their houses to prevent vandalism, he pointed out.

Doreen Olson, coordinator of the South Okanagan Similkameen National Park Network, said she received some “pretty serious” threats in the past.

“There was a letter that said there would be blood in the streets before there would be a national park.”

She noted her yes sign was shot up with paintballs, and one person’s website indicated, “I’ve been watching Doreen Olson.” “That’s kind of creepy,” Olson said with a nervous chuckle.

She just wishes everyone can get along and respect each other’s opinions.

She noted that her neighbour is a rancher who is opposed to the park, yet they get along fine.

“We just don’t talk about it. We have a common fence line and her cattle gets out sometimes and make an awful mess on my property. So I help her get the cattle back in. She respects me and I respect her.”

Wyse said he does business with an Oliver couple who are strongly opposed to the park. But this business relationship will not change because of that, he stated.

Trudel made it clear that the SOSPS is not an anti-park organization.

He said everyone at the meeting wanted preservation and protection of species and their habitat, but they don’t want the federal government involved, especially an agency (Parks Canada) that is wallowing in major debt.

Trudel said the SOSPS would like to see the proposed national park reserve developed into something similar to the White Lake Grasslands Protected Area, with limited access and an element of First Nations culture (with several jobs going to First Nations people).

Trudel was asked about the unruly reception that Cannings received from the audience on Tuesday.

“We called for order,” he noted.

Trudel mentioned that when Cannings said a referendum would upset half of the community, some audience members took exception to that.

Local MLA Linda Larson said people were respectful for the most part, but she noted that Cannings was nervous and indecisive in his answers, which upset a few people.

In her support for a referendum, Larson said people in a democracy understand being able to vote by marking a ballot and living with the results.

The MLA said Parks Canada has not defined the proposed boundaries yet, but some people are receiving letters telling them they are inside the boundaries of the park, which is very upsetting.

Larson said the conclusion she got from the meeting was very solid support for revitalizing the Land and Resource Management Plan and partnering with First Nations to manage a new park reserve without federal government involvement.