Greg Norton speaking for the five people behind the Loose Bay Society wants to know why outsiders are coming into the area with misconceptions and talking without facts.

Loose Bay is a wonderful place near Coverts where campers, mainly Quebecois students and travellers congregate in early summer waiting for work in the cherry orchards.

The rate is cheap, washrooms, kitchen, showers and a lot of people to interact with.

Norton says there are media outlets and people who should know better taking undeserved pot shots at this local rurally-based initiative rather than using Loose Bay as a model for facilities that do not exist in Keremeos, Cawston or Osoyoos.

This week Norton and regional director Allan Patton are taking the time to talk to local media to set the record straight. Norton says he takes exception to a line in a recent newspaper editorial stating “Loose Bay  has worn out its welcome and is to far away”

Norton says Loose Bay is operated in a low cost way for campers and the society for more than a decade and is well used every summer peaking at over 300 at some periods.  He says that statement was ignorant. He says if transportation is the issue then some of the outside influence might want to step up and provide an answer.

Regional Director Patton is a strong supporter of Loose Bay and has budgeted money for new wash rooms. The editorial goes on to say there are no showers – when they have existed for a long time.

Norton goes on to say that the Town and the Regional District worked together with the Rotary Club many years ago to get this project off the ground and the authorities were really behind it. A lot of time has passed and some of that local knowledge and involvement has waned.

Norton is quick to point that he is disappointed that there are not more farms with accommodation and facilities to look after workers when the picking season begins. The mission of Loose Bay was to be the area where farm workers could congregate together until the work began.

Publisher’s Note – there are a number of points of view on this subject and we invite  contributions of ideas. There is no one answer to any of the perceived/real problems. The Town has become proactive by using funded bylaw enforcement hours and have one employee of Marshall Security to work as a liaison with farm workers who visit the Town reinforcing a message about behavior, where to camp and bylaw compliance.