I have been asked to touch on several issues this week -the rights of land owners and possible health threats of radio waves. I am not an expert and both  issues are not really picture stories.

My comments are brief and may stimulate some discussion.

Property rights – No one would appreciate a busload of tourists stopping at your front door and stomping through your garden or orchard on any land you own. An owner has the right and obligation to fence off any land he/she owns and tell people to buzz off. On the other hand an owner has the duty to follow all such laws that governs that land – ALC, zoning, land use etc.

The most recent story was of naturalists on private property on the west bench south of town. In this case, I would defend the owners to have peace in their neighbourhood and the naturalists should work with the owners to come to some mutually pleasing arrangement.

I have been involved in commenting on other private land held for speculation or future development and the rights of owners. My thinking has not changed. Landowners should leave land undisturbed until ready to do development and not try to skirt some law or the other – creating a public outcry. This is a rights vs obligations issue. I don’t believe it was handled well by local government or the land owners.

On radio waves in power meters, water gauges, cell phones etc. The skies are full of waves – AM, FM, long wave, short wave and others. At the same time people are living longer  for various reasons.

In the early part of the last century there were no radio waves and the first transmissions carried a great distance. Now the skies are crammed with signals. Are they unsafe? The World Health Organization says cell phones held close to the head could be harmful. Other people are afraid of power lines and cell phone towers.

I just don’t know enough about it. If you live past 80 you can say for a certainty you didn’t seem to be affected.

Fortis is planning a meeting in Osoyoos soon on easy to read radio based meters that will  cut down on the labour of collecting usage information.  Some people have started to express fears about this new idea. It seems controversial in other jurisdictions.

We will keep track of that and give you the latest when we hear more.