As temperatures climbed into the 30s in May, the Osoyoos Splash Park was a popular spot for kids of all ages. Finn Collins, 8, at right braces for spray before firing a water cannon. Collins, from Seattle, was visiting Osoyoos for the U.S. Memorial Day long weekend. The splash park opened for the season just prior to Canada’s May Long weekend a week earlier. (Richard McGuire photo)
The sudden death of former Osoyoos Mayor and longtime regional MLA John Slater and a deal to keep the Osoyoos Coyotes hockey club in our community for several more years made headlines in May.
Former political allies, friends and community members were shocked and saddened by John Slater’s sudden death in May. Slater was 63.
“He was a mild mannered and easy going guy … he was just a good guy,” said fellow former Osoyoos mayor Tom Shields, who was elected mayor of Osoyoos in the fall of 1990 during the same municipal election where Slater joined municipal politics and earned a seat on Town of Osoyoos council.
Slater first earned a seat on town council during the 1990 municipal election. He served four terms before being elected mayor in 2002. He served two terms (six years) as mayor of Osoyoos before running for the Liberals to become the MLA for the provincial riding of Boundary-Similkameen. He was elected as an MLA in 2009.
Slater was preparing to maintain his seat in the 2013 provincial election when the provincial Liberals decided not to endorse his candidacy.
Slater quit the Liberal party weeks before the May election in 2013 and announced he would be running as an independent. However, he resigned his seat prior to the election.
Linda Larson, the former mayor of Oliver, was endorsed as the Liberal candidate and waltzed to victory in the 2013 election.
Slater announced last summer he was taking another run at municipal politics announcing his candidacy to seek a seat on town council in last November’s municipal election. He finished fifth in the voting.
Shields said Slater cared deeply about Osoyoos and its local residents.
“Most will remember him for his political career, and I was along for the ride with him in politics, but what I will always remember most about John was his passion for this community. He loved Osoyoos.”
Former mayor Stu Wells also fondly remembered Slater as a man who was passionate about this community and someone who entered politics to try and make a positive difference to improve the quality of life for residents who live in Osoyoos.
“He spent close to 20 years on council and as mayor and that takes a real commitment,” said Wells. “He was committed to public life and he was very good at it.
“He was a natural politician. He could speak in front of large crowds very comfortably without preparation or notes. He was a great communicator who really liked serving his community.”
Slater’s personality made him very popular with local citizens as well as fellow politicians, including many who didn’t necessarily agree with all of his decisions, said Wells.
“He was just a very nice and likeable individual,” said Wells. “He was an easy guy to like and admire and fun guy to be around because he had a good sense of humour.”
Current Mayor Sue McKortoff also praised Slater as a friendly and articulate man with a passion for Osoyoos.
“He was a very cheerful and positive person,” she said. “When I was in charge of the festival society for many years, I would go to John and he would call a meeting for everyone involved and help us organize things.
“That’s a tradition that carries on to this day. He would look at me and say, ‘Go Sue, you lead’ and he would make sure all the partners involved in this huge undertaking were on board and committed. He had a knack of dealing well with people.”
Premier Christy Clark issued a statement regarding his death.
“I am deeply saddened to hear John Slater has passed away. John was a caucus colleague and a friend. John Slater was passionate about his home, and the people who make Osoyoos special. That passion led to 30 years of dedicated service to the community he loved.
But no matter what his official title was, John always thought of himself first and foremost as a farmer.”
“Like everyone who knew him, I will always remember John’s quick smile, good humour, and infectious laugh,” Clark said.
Meanwhile, junior hockey fans in Osoyoos were thrilled that Osoyoos Coyotes’ owner Randy Bedard and the Town of Osoyoos were ready to sign a new agreement that would keep the hockey franchise in town for at least five more years.
Bedard and Gerald Davis, the town’s director of community development, have confirmed the new five-year deal would keep the franchise in the community for many years.
Bedard became a part owner of the Coyotes six years ago and has been the sole owner the past four years.
“I don’t only plan on being here for another five years, but much longer than that,” said Bedard, who had a long career in sports broadcasting and was a former radio announcer who provided play-by-play coverage for the Osoyoos franchise more than a decade ago. “This agreement with the town is for the next five years, but my intentions are to be here much longer than that.”
The contract will finalize details relating to ice time the Coyotes rent at the Sun Bowl Arena, concession sales, practice time and advertising inside the arena, said Bedard.
“I want owning this hockey team to be my career for the rest of my life until I retire. We all have an exit plan, but I know I still have many more good years ahead of me and I still enjoy what I do every single day. I basically love everything that’s involved in owning a junior hockey team and wouldn’t want to be anywhere else.”
The Coyotes won the league championship in 2010-11 in Bedard’s inaugural year as an owner and have reached the conference finals four of the past five years.
“There’s not a team in our league that can match that record over the past five years,” he said. “I’m very proud to have been part of one championship and reached the conference finals four times in five years.
“The goal is obviously to get over the hump of the past couple years and get back to the finals and win another championship.”
KEITH LACEY
Osoyoos Times
The flags outside the Osoyoos town hall were lowered to half mast in May in tribute for former mayor and MLA John Slater, who died suddenly. (Richard McGuire photo)
Craig Piper (left) and Gordie Reedman were busy in May removing rotten wood from the old bleachers at Desert Park. The grandstand was renovated in time for one horse racing day in August, but the second day was cancelled when horses in the U.S. were unable to get past Washington State wildfires to Osoyoos. (Richard McGuire photo)
Wearing pig noses, Helen Tidder (left) and Cheryl Trsek (third from left) joined others on stage at the end of Pig Out in May at Covert Farm where Wined It Up, a cowboy rock band was performing. Guitarist Ken Repkow and singer Mikie Spillett performed some lively music for the two pigs and other guests, who were up dancing. Tidder and Trsek were visiting from the Lower Mainland. (Richard McGuire photo)
