What the South Okanagan needs are major musical events to draw the crowd and the dollars – so saysformer Osoyoos Mayor Tom Shields.

He has been scouting the area for locations including the Osoyoos waterfront and the Oliver Community park. Shields says we have the “place to be”, the summer hot weather and a great location for outdoor events.

Shields says he has a lot to contribute but at 70 cannot do the heavy lifting. He says the area “has the most reliable outdoor event weather in Canada”and city folk like to get out of town for entertainment.

He says that once an outdoor location is agreed upon it might take three years to establish a schedule that would attract not only the entertainment acts and the audience. He says up to 10 events per year could happen. The target number for a concert is 5 to 7 thousand – that allows for the revenue to attract big acts and pay all the other costs.

If the secondary purpose is to fill the hotels and motels then the business community should get on board for such an idea.

“From a promoter’s viewpoint (the person that funds an event and hopes for profit) the South Okanagan Event Centre is far too expensive and risky. Bigger shows (name stars) are now going to bigger cities with the larger venues. The normal bar band scene is over except in the downtown areas of cities which means it is up to outdoor summer shows and festivals to get our ‘live’ events. Today’s bands rarely get the opportunity to perform with a big P.A. and when they do, they get video and put it up on youtube hoping for a break.

Events are more likely to attract 500 to 1500 people these days, but those bodies are enough to add a good boost to local merchants in the communities of either Oliver or Osoyoos.

As I have pointed out to some Osoyoos folks, the South Okanagan attracts people in summer, and although we have a Lake, there is not a ‘developed and promoted Event Area’ in Osoyoos. In Oliver you already have the facility that requires not much more than looking at how to make it a bit more “turn-key” for the folks who put on these shows. Marketing is much easier today with the internet and all entertainers have web-sites and all that stuff. I think a ‘developed and marketed Event Area’ would also help attract a name hotel chain to Oliver.

With weather and location; as well as the Wine Capital of Canada, you also become B.C.’s best out-door ‘small event’ location. By that I mean you look at capping your crowds at any figure you wish.  In Oliver there is room for rigs to park for a bluegrass festival for example and you certainly have the room and space to allow overnight trailer parking for a 2-day event. That is a huge key attraction that is very workable and also controllable in that location. That is very appealing to the promoters.”

Can you help contact Tom  tshields at persona.ca