As 2015 draws to a close, it’s time to look back at an eventful year and look ahead to what 2016 may bring.
Looking back at 2015, the biggest local news event was undoubtedly the major wildfires that broke out in mid-August.
Wildfires in the summer are a regular occurrence, but the past year was hotter and drier than most, exacerbating the fire risk.
Record droughts and exceptionally warm temperatures affected not only farmers and firefighters, but also residents of Osoyoos, who were required – with mixed compliance – to limit lawn watering to two days a week.
At an Osoyoos Lake Water Science Forum in October, experts mulled the causes and impacts of the drought, discussing whether this was a sign of a new normal with global warming or whether it was a fluke year resulting from other causes such as El Niño.
The perennial issue of a national park reserve in the South Okanagan-Lower Similkameen continued to divide the community. Conservationists, tourism and other businesses and First Nations continued to face off against a small, but determined number of hunters, ATVers and a few ranchers.
Probably spurred by Premier Christy Clark, Environment Minister Mary Polak made a noble effort to find common ground between the two sides, releasing an Intentions Paper in August with a credible compromise proposal.
Alas, neither side was satisfied, and MLA Linda Larson, a park opponent, was cool to the proposal and seemed determined to sabotage it with her ill-fated attempt to have a handpicked secret committee screen public comments.
The year opened with optimism about the future of the Mount Baldy ski resort when the ribbon was cut in January to re-open the closed resort.
Unfortunately, Baldy Capital Corporation, the company stepping in to run it and hopefully buy it, was unable to satisfy the receiver and secured creditor that it had the necessary funds.
By the year’s end, several attempts at a deal had fallen through and the resort was mothballed for the 2015-16 season – just as it had been for 2013-14.
For the past three years, an election has dominated the news.
In 2013 it was provincial, in 2014 it was municipal and in 2015 it was federal.
The federal electoral map was redrawn and much of the old riding of B.C. Southern Interior, including Osoyoos, was lumped in with Penticton.
Long-time NDP MP Alex Atamanenko retired, leaving the local race entirely to rookies.
The addition of Conservative Penticton should have tipped the balance to the Conservatives, but nationally Canadians were fed up with the divisive, autocratic, fear mongering style of Prime Minister Stephen Harper as a Liberal wave swept the country.
Here in the new riding of South Okanagan West Kootenay, the anti-Conservative wave was enough to let NDP newcomer Richard Cannings win the seat, while Liberal Connie Denesiuk greatly increased her party’s share of the vote.
It would be reckless to make serious predictions for 2016, but it’s safe to assume that all these stories will continue to make news.
Wacky weather is already underway this winter across North America.
The province will need to make a decision on the national park, even though whatever is decided is bound to leave many people dissatisfied.
A deal on Mount Baldy remains elusive, but the longer the delay, the less money the secured creditor stands to make as the receiver’s fees eat into the value of the asset.
For now, new Prime Minister Justin Trudeau is enjoying a honeymoon not seen since the days of his father’s Trudeaumania.
But there are already signs that the Liberal government overpromised during the election campaign and there will be plenty of opportunities for the opposition to hold it to account. We’ll see how Cannings does.
The safest prediction for 2016 is to expect the unexpected. There will always be surprises coming out of left field and that’s what news is all about.
To all our readers, we wish you a happy, safe and prosperous New Year.
