By Don Urquhart, Times Chronicle
BC Premier David Eby and a handful of cabinet ministers joined Osoyoos elected officials, town staff and local residents for a ribbon cutting ceremony for the 85th St. Plaza on Tuesday afternoon.
The fully grant-funded plaza project will only be fully completed in about a month’s time but the town took advantage of the fact the NDP caucus was meeting in Osoyoos this week to hold the ceremony.
Lana Popham, Minister of Tourism, Arts, Culture and Sport noted the pride she has seen of people living in the South Okanagan highlighting the crucial role tourism plays in the province and particularly to the economy of Osoyoos.
Each year the town welcomes over 300,000 visitors, contributing around $118 million to the local economy.
Lana Popham, Minister of Tourism, Arts, Culture and Sport.
“We know that our entire province is a world class destination and tourism is one of our provinces’ most dynamic industries,” drawing people from all over the world. “Osoyoos is a vibrant community and a prime destination and it’s such an important part of our tourism ecosystem here in BC,” she said.
“It’s got small town charm, we know that it’s known by people all over our province, but also outside of our province, too. So whatever you’re doing, keep doing it. It’s working. We know that it has absolutely stunning natural beauty, fantastic beaches, vineyards, hiking trails, it’s among the best in our province.”
Popham observed that over the course of her party’s caucus meetings this week the caucus members have had the opportunity to meet small business owners and residents who have made them feel very welcome.
“We do know, though, that the last few years have been quite challenging for communities, especially communities that have been dependent on agriculture and also that have been hit by climate change issues.”
She added that the province is very aware that investments in tourism infrastructure are “so important to the vibrancy of community that it helps with continued recovery and we know that it’s going to benefit for years to come. So that is why we are so happy to have been able to invest $1 million to support this incredible project here.”
She also noted that direct investment in tourism dependent communities such as Osoyoos also benefits the “greater tourism ecosystem,” as she thanked Osoyoos for being “incredible partners”.
(left to right) Mayor Sue McKortoff, Roly Russell, MLA for Boundary-Similkameen and Parliamentary Secretary for Rural Development, and Lana Popham, Minister of Tourism, Arts, Culture and Sport.
Roly Russell, MLA for Boundary-Similkameen and Parliamentary Secretary for Rural Development said the plaza project is an example of how the provincial government is working to provide more support for people and support for investing in community.
Russell noted that a key aspect of conversations with Osoyoos Council revolved around how the province can better support them in terms of what they need to deliver to residents and visitors.
He acknowledged the challenges Osoyoos has faced in terms of key infrastructure and said it was important to deliver support to help offset some of the costs, citing the $9 million that had earlier been announced to help offset the investment in water treatment.
“We realize there’s been some challenging times here but so much of the economy here, whether it’s talking to the hardware store, across the street, the florist down the road, so much of what happens here, is is built on the shoulders of tourism, which is in turn, in large part built on the shoulders of agriculture,” Russell noted.
He said he was thrilled to see the plaza project come to fruition adding that “this is the kind of opportunity that helps make Osoyoos the amazing place it is to come and visit.”
Osoyoos Mayor Sue McKortoff noted the importance of the economic contribution of tourism saying it “boosts local businesses and creates jobs for our residents. This allows families to stay in our community and attracts new ones, keeping our schools full and our teachers employed. Without tourism, Osoyoos would look very different.”
She said the province understands the importance of tourism to towns like Osoyoos which is why it provides grant funding to enhance the tourism experience which in turn benefits both visitors and residents year round.
The plaza project has not been without its detractors however and McKortoff addressed this directly by citing the fact that during public feedback on downtown revitalization a few years ago, a central plaza was one of the most requested improvements.
And dispelling the erroneous belief by some that Osoyoos taxpayers were footing the bill for the plaza, either in whole or part, McKortoff noted the $1.1 million project received $550,000 from the Resort Municipality Initiative and $550,000 from the Destination Development Fund, both of which fall under Popham’s tourism ministry.
“So thank you very much and I want to extend a big thank you to our MLA, Roly Russell, he’s a good friend and a huge promoter of our region and the town of Osoyoos. He works tirelessly for his constituents. Minister, Popham, thank you so much,” McKortoff said.
