8 a.m. Friday OK Falls Hotel
SO Chamber of Commerce breakfast

Two guests speakers Dick Cannings MP and Local RDOS director Tom Siddon (left)

Both men want better access to crown land by the owners the people/taxpayers.  The Regional District Okanagan Similkameen (RDOS) wants to extend the Ok Falls trail right through to the north boundary of Oliver area but the land much of it is in the hands of the Canadian Wildlife Service (federal) on the west side of Vaseaux Lake.

Dick Cannings told the audience of 30 that he wants to be able to ride his bike around the region and not have to rely on Hwy 97 to do it. Cannings says he had a preliminary meeting this week with CWS which is concerned about a sensitive wildlife area including many rattle snakes dens high above the lake. He does believe these concerns can be overcome with properly funded management especially during the summer/tourism season.

Tom Siddon says the RDOS is totally vested in the idea of more trails using the KVR right-away and stated the CP used that area for 50 years and the rattle snakes didn’t mind it that much.

The plan is to get the stakeholders in one room and hammer something out but it is not expected to be soon.

Cannings also expressed his concern about local wine and how the Okanagan needs to go the distance to be excepted across Canada with freer trade – even to the point of getting BC wine in the parliamentary dining room which serves Niagara Region wine or imports over other Canada product.

Siddon talked to a mostly local audience stating that he wants to be able to slow down the traffic, trap some tourists for local businesses but the Ministry of Highway is determined to keep the flow moving when it states no one has died in the locality.

Siddon says seniors and school aged children must cross the highway and take their lives into their hands in doing so. He said a couple of lights are so cheap to do.