Dear Editor:

My wife asked me what I was doing when I got up one morning last week. I said nothing. She said you did that yesterday. I told her I wasn’t finished. Then she reminded me I had an important letter to write. So here it is.

I suspect many of you do not understand what you will lose if the Province of British Columbia agrees to give away your provincial park to Parks Canada so they may proceed with the South Okanagan National Park Reserve.

Provincial parks in this province are well managed, they protect wildlife and wilderness, while restricting development. So I don’t understand the reasons for this major change.

A national park reserve would operate like a national park, except that traditional renewable resource activities of Aboriginal people such as hunting, fishing and trapping can continue.

First Nations will also manage this park and advise Parks Canada as to how it should operate.

To be sure you understand clearly, you should read the preceding paragraph again. It says First Nations will be allowed to hunt, fish, trap and manage your park, but non-First Nations people will lose these privileges forever.

You and the Province of British Columbia will be rendered irrelevant. Local wants and needs will be ignored, while special interest groups run the show

If you think this is an outrageous giveaway, so do I. I urge you to please write a letter and say so.

At a recent First Nations conference in Osoyoos, advice was given by one of their leaders on how to convince the politicians to approve the national park reserve.

His advice to his people was “Take ownership. Control the pen”. We should take his advice and control the pen otherwise we will lose the battle for our provincial parks.

I understand why First Nations are asking the province to reopen negotiations with Parks Canada.

They have everything to gain and nothing to lose.

All residents of B.C., including First Nations, currently have the right to hunt and fish in the proposed park as they should, but if the national reserve is approved, they will have the exclusive rights to hunt, fish and trap in our park while local residents are excluded

Most of the tourist-oriented businesses in this area are in favour because they believe the few extra tourists attracted to the park will be a benefit.

I believe they have miscalculated and may lose business because the many hunters and anglers who currently use this area will be excluded and must go elsewhere.

If the foregoing sounds like what you expected from the South Okanagan National Park Reserve then do nothing but if you believe, as I do, that this is a give-away to special interests at the expense of local values, then please write a letter. Ask the province not to reopen negotiations with Parks Canada.

Our provincial politicians need to hear from you so they may make good decisions on your behalf.

They need to hear from you now, as a resolution on this extremely important matter will happen within a few weeks.

Please write your letter to one or both of the following today.

MLA Linda Larson – P.O. Box 998, Oliver, BC. V0H 1TO or Email; [email protected]

Minister Mary Polak – Minister of Environment, Parliament Bldgs, Victoria, BC., V8V 1X4

Email; [email protected]

Aubrey G. White

Vice President

Osoyoos Wildlife Federation