Every summer, thousands of visitors flood into Osoyoos to enjoy our beautiful lake and beaches, spectacular scenery and holiday atmosphere.
Sure there is some grumbling from certain permanent residents who refer to tourists as “terrorists” and get upset by the driving skills of those visitors who are more focused on the scenery than their driving skills.
But tourism and the hospitality industry are an enormous economic boost to Osoyoos.
The money from tourism is recycled through our local economy and it benefits virtually everyone – not just those directly employed in the tourism industry.
Despite efforts to spread tourism into the shoulder seasons, it remains very much a seasonal economy, lasting roughly from May to September.
And that means hundreds of seasonal workers are needed by the hospitality industry for only certain months of the year – the same period that demand for vacation rentals is at its peak.
Major resorts, smaller hotels, restaurants and wineries all need to attract workers, but they can only do that if short-term rental accommodation is available.
The lack of available rentals, and therefore workers, has actually forced some businesses to operate at reduced hours or levels of service from what they would like to provide.
The initiative by the Osoyoos Employee Housing Society (OEHS), a non-profit society run by some major players in the hospitality industry, is therefore a very welcome first step in addressing a serious problem.
The society has purchased a “camp” or 49-room mobile, modular housing unit that was previously used for oil workers in northern Alberta.
The rooms provide very basic accommodation for one person, but they will allow seasonal workers to find an affordable place to stay while they work here over the summer months.
It is also to the credit of the Osoyoos Indian Band and the Town of Osoyoos that they are actively supporting this initiative.
This is only a temporary solution and it may not be enough. OIB is leasing land for the project for between three and five years, but this is land the band intends to develop for other purposes over the longer term.
Hopefully, the initiative will not only solve an immediate problem, but it will also provide useful lessons on what works and what doesn’t when the community looks at a more lasting solution.
We wish OEHS every success and commend Daniel Bibby, Ingrid Jarrett, Glen Harris, Joanne Muirhead, Debra Gillis and everyone else who took this project on.
Hopefully this initiative will inspire others to look for creative solutions to addressing our community’s housing shortage.
