Dear Editor:

This is an open letter to the editor of the Osoyoos Times and the politicians in Victoria who can make a difference, if they so choose, in the potential closure of Osoyoos Secondary School.

I arrived in Osoyoos 59 years ago, where I found the nicest and most attractive place a person could dream of.

This southern end of the Okanagan Valley was offering great opportunities for new commerce for those who loved to work on the farm land, as well as construction, real estate and tourism.

The town with the warmest lake in Canada, the only desert in Canada, the Anarchist Mountain viewpoint, surrounded by high mountains, is very attractive.

Many people from B.C. and all over the world come to Osoyoos for vacations. Some decide to stay forever.

In my 59 years in Osoyoos, after immigrating from Slovenia, I have met people all the way from Asia, South Asia, Europe, across the United States and many other places.

Most of them admire this valley as they can see the potential of what Osoyoos can offer.

Strangers can see the beauty, yet our politicians seem to be blind to all of this. They can’t see what is so very obvious to so many others – both visitors and locals – the amazing little town that Osoyoos has worked and fought so hard to become.

To get to the point and give some history, I would like the readers to know that sometime near the beginning of 1970, the provincial government decided to build a new hospital in the South Okanagan and debated as to where the best location would be.

They had to choose a site in Osoyoos or Oliver. Osoyoos residents fought for the hospital, but our political leaders in Victoria decided to put the hospital in Oliver.

Also, for years, children were bused to Oliver for Grades 11 and 12 because Osoyoos did not have a high school.

After a long, hard fight, we got our high school in Osoyoos, with the first Grade 12 graduating class, in 1981.

Does our government not recognize the immense benefits the school provides to students, people seeking employment and the general health of the economy of Osoyoos?

To add insult to injury, we had the Osoyoos Packinghouse, which was amalgamated with the Oliver Packinghouse and subsequently moved to Oliver. This was another big loss for the Osoyoos community.

Now we could soon be losing our high school, which provides many jobs to people from Osoyoos and the surrounding area. It is a place of gathering as there are regular theatre and music performances for both the school and town residents.

Tennis courts, which serve both the school and community and a field for sporting events are also part of the high school.

Jobs are disappearing from Osoyoos and there will soon be very little to attract new people to this town or encourage local residents to stay because as much beauty and fun this town has to offer, it will not be enough if people can’t earn a living here.

As a longtime resident here who loves this little town, I would urge Premier Christy Clark and Education Minister Mike Bernier to find a way to save Osoyoos Secondary School for the sake of our children and the thousands of people who benefit in a positive way by having this school in our town.

Please don’t turn your backs on this town, which, on balance, has given back much more to the province than it has ever taken.

This letter comes from the heart of a humble oldtimer who is proud to call Osoyoos home and who cares about the town’s future.

Tony (Anton) Zelko

Osoyoos, B.C.