By Don Urquhart, Times Chronicle
The Osoyoos Festival Society is looking to shift the staging of Canada Day/Cherry Fiesta fireworks from Gyro Beach to a location across the lake as it lines up a fireworks company and has started a GoFundMe campaign.
Presenting at the Committee of the Whole meeting on March 12, Osoyoos Festival Society President Ken Baker noted that with the safety requirements around the fireworks eating up substantial space at Gyro Park, including the beer gardens, it would be more practical to shift them to a new location.
The lack of proper separation from the fireworks ignition location to where the throngs of spectators have been located in previous years was one of a number of safety issues that led to last year’s fireworks problems that eventually saw the plug pulled by organizers.
What Baker has in mind is a location across the lake on Osoyoos Indian Band (OIB) land. He has already approached OIB Chief Clarence Louie and the OIB Council who have thrown their support behind the proposal, he says.
“I have met with Chief Louie and his council and they are more than willing to accommodate our request,” Baker said.
The approximate location on Osoyoos Indian Band land that the Festival Society is proposing. Google Map image.
The location he has in mind is a 0.8 hectare (two acre) patch of sandy land that is fenced off. Baker says that behind the site is a road, fire line and the OIB has offered to bring the fire truck from the OIB-owned Area 27 race track to have it on site.
The OIB has also offered to put a pump in the lake to set up sprinklers in the area surrounding the detonation site, plus personal portable water tanks in case there is a spot fire.
“We will also have marked boats on the water to ensure they maintain a safe distance from the fireworks,” Baker added.
Two years ago during the 2022 fireworks a shooting at the Osoyoos Dune, also known as White Sands beach, diverted the RCMP boat away from the fireworks area following which a number of boats moved closer to the fireworks platform. A firework glanced off one of these boats but no one was hurt in the episode.
“So that’s just an idea for the fireworks, it would be an excellent view for everybody,” he said of the proposed new location. Baker also asked council for $10,000 to kickstart the preparations and the society’s own fundraising.
The Festival Society has since created a GoFundMe campaign – Osoyoos Fireworks for Cherry Fiesta July 1st, 2024 – with a goal of $20,000.
On the recommendation of the Grant Evaluation Committee, council approved the $10,000 grant later in the afternoon at the regular open council meeting with the condition that the Festival Society submit a Special Event Application and site plan a month ahead, with proof of insurance etc.
The location is a 0.8 hectare (two acre) patch of sandy land that has the benefit of being fenced off.
Councillor Jim King commented that in the past the fireworks committee led by Annette Star typically raised $40-45,000 each year to put on the fireworks spectacular, and wondered whether it would be possible given the limited time to raise funds.
“I don’t know how you can arrange that type of money in such a short time,” King said.
“We’re all in favour of bringing the fireworks back. Is it just whether you have enough time to put on a substantial show?”
Baker said the society has been discussing with two fireworks companies, ultimately opting for Winnipeg-based Archangel Fireworks Inc., with Baker confident they will put on a “good show, but it won’t be nearly as long as the shows we’ve had in the past. So it can still be a substantial show,” he added.
Baker said on Monday, Mar. 25 that one of the companies had been chosen and things were now progressing but he could not as yet confirm the shift to OIB land.
Councillor Myers Bennett raised the issue of fire safety and who would be responsible for responding if a fire was to result.
Mayor Sue McKortoff noted the importance of engaging the Osoyoos Fire Rescue and RCMP in any planning “as either way they’re going to have to be involved.”
Osoyoos Fire Rescue Chief Corey Kortmeyer noted that the land in question is not identified as part of the OFR’s service area and is also technically “Federal Land” which is how reserve land is classified under the Indian Act.
As such the only body that would have fire safety jurisdiction would be BC Wildfire, Kortmeyer said. “We will provide structural protection for the property on OIB land but we don’t actually look after wildland firefighting there,” he said.
He also noted that should there be a fire ban in place – a not inconceivable situation given the low snowpack volume and predictions of a bad wildfire season – a permit for fireworks would most likely be denied.
