Dear Editor:
I recently had the opportunity to read the glossy publication from Destination Osoyoos extolling the many virtues of this town.
I should preface my remarks by saying that, living in the region, I am a great supporter of Osoyoos and often refer friends and relatives to visit and stay to take advantage of the many attractions the town and immediate region have to offer.
However, as a part-time snowbirder myself, I was somewhat shocked at the misinformation contained in the section entitled “Snowbirds.”
Once again, as a supporter, I would rank Osoyoos right up there as the premier Canadian snowbird destination with some interesting competition perhaps provided by Victoria for those preferring a larger, more cosmopolitan destination.
Having said that, there are a number of errors in the snowbird piece, which to be fair to those the town is trying to attract, deserve to be corrected.
In chronological order:
No. 1. “Northernmost tip of the Sonoran Desert.” For those who have travelled to Arizona and environs where the Sonoran Desert exists, our local desert has very little connection to the Sonoran.
For example, no large Saguaro Cacti here. As a matter of fact, we are separated from the Sonoran Desert by two other American deserts – the Mojave, and the Great Basin.
We do have plant and animal species that are the same as found in the Great Basin, but technically our desert habitat is called the Antelope Brush or Shrub Steppe Desert Habitat.
No. 2. “Low average annual snowfall of 5.4 centimetres or 2.1 inches.” Really? Environment Canada statistics verified by the World Meterological Organization shows Osoyoos over the period of 1981-2010 records an annual average total of 43.8 cms or 17.52 inches. Even accounting for potential global warming, these numbers I am sure would ring more true to local residents than the extremely low numbers mentioned in the article.
Having said this, with an annual average January temp of around zero degrees Celsius, I am sure the region is still very appealing as a snowbird destination to many Canadians who hail from more wintry destinations.
No. 3. Driving times to Seattle and Vancouver of four hours. Personally, I drive to both cities a number of times during the year and I am sure I have never made it to either in four hours.
As a matter of fact, with traffic, dicey weather, and normal stops I have never made it to Seattle in much less than 6.5 hours, ( from Gallagher Lake ), and to Vancouver in less that 5.5 hours Google Directions lists the driving time from Osoyoos to Seattle as four hours and 52 minutes and to Vancouver as 4.5 hours. Google estimates are always based on no stops and travelling at the maximum speed the whole way. As the article in the magazine is targeting snowbirds it is safe to add significant amounts of time to this drive in the winter, if attempted at all, with the usual wintry weather in the mountain passes.
All in all I think Osoyoos is a great year round destination, and has a variety of positive attributes to attract Canadian Snowbirders. But, we might as well try to paint as accurate picture as possible to our potential winter visitors.
Thank you.
Thor Manson
Gallagher Lake, B.C.
