Editor:
Although there is a banner over the Main Street, “to go green and to sail,” town instead rolled out a “red carpet to power boats and Sea Doos” to allow further damage to Osoyoos Lake.
The “resort town” thinks to be obliged to satisfy visitors by using public money to organize their arrival in town with boat and Sea Doo trailers and its parking.
I just wonder why such boats are coming and operating on a small lake like Osoyoos Lake.
Maybe the easy access to pubs from shores and no policing to check the alcohol abuse, and the possibility to party on boats with blasting speakers through nights, are the attractions to come here.
I understand tension has occurred between tourists and residents.
No policing of “excessive boat noise offence under Section 37 of Vessel Operation Restriction Regulations” ever occurred here as I REMEMBER.
We should warn all possible tourists who are coming here with Kayaks and canoes not to come.
The new Bow Rider types of boats are causing high degree of erosion of public beaches and are unpleasant to swimmers.
Another of the problems for ecological damages are Sea Doos, which are using Osoyoos Lake as an amusement park.
The lack of policing of their use, when no licences for operating are checked by police even when used by operators of a young age, is prevalent.
The speed of these toys is high, sometimes some racing occurs on the central part of the lake and it will come soon to a situation like happened last weekend when a fatal accident occurred in New Brunswick involving a Sea Doo.
If any vehicle would be running through streets of Osoyoos with such speed, the police would chase it and fine the operator.
Why not limit speed at least on the central part of the lake to control it.
The lake water is used by many residents as potable water.
Around the world, when water is used as potable, the power watercrafts are not permitted to operate.
Oil spills and other pollution create the existence of heavy metals and benzene in the water.
No checking in this respect is done and regularly monitored here.
All of this could be the reason why our area has the highest cancer occurrences per capita in B.C.
It has been published several years ago, but no action was taken then.
No checking of the quality of the air is done locally, when the exhaust of engines combined with humidity and high temperature produces toxic ozone.
Ivo Tyl,
Osoyoos

OSOYOOS TIMES-July 22, 2009

WRITERS APPEAL TO HIT-AND-RUN CULPRIT

Editor:
We wish to thank the person responsible for backing into our vehicle in the parking lot of the Desert Doctors’ Clinic at about 8:15 a.m. on July 13.
It was very noble of you to drive off and not leave your name or telephone number so that we could contact you to settle this matter.
It is not possible that you could not have known that you hit our vehicle as there was substantial damage.
We can only hope that your conscience (if you have one) bothers you enough that you will contact us to bring this to a close.
Gil and Dodie Summerell,
Osoyoos

OSOYOOS TIMES-July 22, 2009