The family of Bill Andrews have made available many of his letters to the local newspaper. In the weeks ahead we would like to feature some of them and see how it is received.

First one – February 1, 1989*

When is a salmon not a salmon? Give up?

The answer is when it is swimming in the Okanagan River.
For 12 years I was federal  fisheries patrolman on this river and observed, protected and counted something that wasn’t there.

I reported  water flows,  temperatures, obstructions and channel changes in the interests of a figment of my imagination.

I handed out literature and watched for chemical or environmentally damaging substances in or near the water -all to safeguard a creature that didn’t exist. I don’t know what the Indians thought they were catching and eating and I can’t  guess  why  I  issued   permits  to  them because it was all an illusion.
Why do I say  this  was all fantasy? Because a Queen’s  Council stated  the following in his submission to the B.C. Utilities Commission, when the question of fisheries protection came up in the gas turbine controversy.

Quote: “Our  office was advised  that the federal  government  asserts  no control of any kind regarding  the waters in the vicinity of the proposed plant site in Oliver.  That  is  because   those  waters have been dammed  and otherwise con­ trolled by man to such  an  extent  that there is no salmon life there.” unquote.

The federal government employee who supplied that information  must   have been smoking something other than fish.

Yours truly, W.A. (Bill) Andrews, R.R. 1, Oliver