MLA Linda Larson.
MLA Linda Larson’s open letter to the Osoyoos community last Friday has unleashed a storm of comment, mostly negative, on social media.
The Osoyoos Times posted her letter verbatim to its Facebook page without comment and the post was shared about a dozen times, generating more than 100 comments from angry readers.
Other media also shared the letter, receiving similar reaction.
“The Town of Osoyoos is known throughout North America as a retirement mecca and one of the best vacation places in the Okanagan,” Larson’s letter began.
She went on to write about the migration of seniors from the Lower Mainland.
“Seniors are a valuable resource for any community,” Larson wrote. “They bring ideas, skills and volunteer hours, which are a benefit to any community.”
Pointing to the emotional issue of the closure of Osoyoos Secondary School (OSS), Larson said: “I have faced criticism, along with the government, over funding levels for OSS, that it should operate regardless of the number of students enrolled.
“I have also been criticized for not attending public meetings on the issue,” she continued. “We elected good people to represent the best interests of all students in the district. It would have been inappropriate to use my MLA position in any capacity than to support the school board in its efforts to do its job, and the Town of Osoyoos and parents’ group(s) to engage and look for all possible solutions.”
Larson said she made every effort to remain in contact and support the community.
“The closure of OSS will not signal the demise of the community,” she wrote. “Osoyoos is a thriving community and will continue to be… I believe the students from Osoyoos will not suffer either emotionally or from an education standpoint by finishing their schooling in Oliver.”
Commenters took issue with the portrayal of Osoyoos as a town of tourism and seniors and the perceived lack of recognition of the role of families.
They also took exception to the characterization of OSS as lacking students, when enrolment declines have been across the entire district and have been greater in Oliver than Osoyoos.
Some thought Larson was downplaying the economic impact on the town and the impact on students.
And they were angry she took a hand-off approach and didn’t attend the public meetings.
“That got my blood pressure into the red zone,” wrote one woman on Facebook about the letter. “How patronizing can one get?”
“Linda Larson you no longer get my vote for anything!” wrote one senior woman. “When we most needed you, you let us down! Shame on you!”
Osoyoos town councillor Mike Campol also took to Facebook to weigh in against Larson’s letter.
“It was MLA Larson’s choice to take a back seat while the people of Osoyoos did everything possible to achieve a positive outcome,” Campol wrote. “If you are not willing to engage, be held accountable or participate in any way with a situation that impacts a community to this degree, you should take a back seat next year during the election.”
“I wonder if Mrs. Larson will be participating in the July 1 parade in Osoyoos this year,” asked one woman.
“I hope not,” replied another. “Who would want to view her?”
Some suggested her predecessor as MLA, the late John Slater, would have stood up for Osoyoos.
Contacted Monday about the reaction her letter has provoked, Larson confirmed that she wrote the letter herself, as she does with other letters.
“Do I regret that I wrote it? No. My intention was only to reassure the people of Osoyoos that it is a great place to live and will continue to be,” she said in an emailed reply when asked if she regretted anything in the letter or if she stood by it.
“I do know that people will interpret anything according to their own personal feelings,” Larson continued. “If they choose to vent at me as a result of my letter, that seems to be the norm with any elected persons position in today’s world.”
She said she answered every email she received about it, of which she had received 12 by Monday morning, and will continue to do so “honestly and in my own words.”
Larson said she would continue to look at changing funding formulas for rural communities with declining school populations.
“I have never supported the closing of schools,” she said. “I will continue to respect the decisions of the people elected to make decisions on how the funding available is best used for the educational benefit of all the students in the district.”
One man who wrote her sarcastically thanked her “for publicly stating that Osoyoos is nothing but a tourist town and because of that our kids who do live here and support our tourism industry do not deserve to have a local school so they can manage jobs and school to keep our community strong. Thank you for making up my mind 100 per cent who not to vote for next year. Keep up the great work of representing our entire region to the best of your abilities.”
He posted a screen capture of Larson’s reply to him.
“I won’t lower myself to get into a war of words with you,” Larson replied to him. “You have every right to believe what you like and vote for who you wish. You have just pointed out that the only group to benefit from the school closure is the NDP. You might (want) to think about that.”
RICHARD McGUIRE
Osoyoos Times
