There have been very few issues in the Town of Osoyoos over the past several years that have been as divisive as the proposed new fire hall.

That was made abundantly clear in the months since Town of Osoyoos council announced it would not be holding a referendum relating to the fire hall, but was opting instead to adopt what is called the Alternate Approval Process (AAP).

Under the controversial and rarely-used AAP, it is up to local residents to rally and sign a petition against a proposed piece of legislation being considered by town council.

Spearheaded by local couple Ray Vandenberg and his life partner Jean Clarke and longtime self-described “council watchdog” Sy Murseli, more than 1,000 Osoyoos residents signed a petition denouncing the town’s intentions to borrow almost $6 million to pay for the proposed new fire hall.

Osoyoos residents would be on the hook for $4 million, which would be paid back over a 30-year period.

The other $2 million would come from residents who live in the Osoyoos Rural Fire Protection area as well as from members of the Osoyoos Indian Band.

What has been made abundantly clear over the past several months is a large majority of taxpayers who live in this community are not pleased with the process adopted by council to pay for the new fire hall.

And just as many don’t believe that the suggested price tag of the new fire hall is warranted or acceptable.

Not a single person who attended an open house relating to the fire hall several weeks ago was opposed to the building of a new fire hall in Osoyoos.

Neither Vandenberg, who has announced he will be opposing incumbent Mayor Stu Wells in the upcoming election, Clarke or Murseli – who have both announced their candidacy to run for a seat on town council – are opposed to a new fire hall.

What they and the majority of local residents are opposed to is spending close to $8 million – when you factor in the money spent to purchase the land at the proposed site on 74th Avenue – for this project.

With almost 25 per cent of the total population in this town signing the petition, it should be abundantly clear to members of the current town council and senior administration that local citizens are not willing to finance the new fire hall as proposed.

Council has been left with no choice but to hold a referendum on the fire hall issue – as it should have done in the first place – as part of the upcoming November 15 municipal election.

Considering the controversy and bitter feelings caused over this issue during the past several months, there’s little doubt local residents are going to turn down the proposed borrowing bylaw to pay for a new fire hall.

This will leave the newly-elected council with no choice but to greatly reduce the size and scope of of this project in our community and re-tender the entire project from scratch.

This likely means a delay in construction for perhaps a full year.

But the people have spoken loud and clear and appear unwilling to pay for an expensive new fire hall.

Getting so many people to stand up together to say no to something they don’t believe in is a glowing example of democracy at its finest.

It likely means we’re not going to get a new fire hall built in Osoyoos any time soon, but the people have spoken and made it very clear they’re unwilling to support or pay for a $6 or $8 million facility in our small town.

The good news is this issue has caused such acrimony, there is likely to be record high voter turnout on November 15.