Sent October 16th and on the agenda for Monday’s council meeting.

From: Paul Bouchard, owner Lakeside Resort
To: Town of Oliver

Dear Mayor and Council

I have just read that the wood campfire item has been back before council October 10th.

After presenting in June, where the matter was tabled, we were never advised when it would come back for discussion. I wish we had been advised, because Tourism facilities in Oliver, ourselves included, have a lot at stake. So I am belatedly submitting this by email.

I don’t know how many disparate “officials” have hovered over our resort this year, chasing ghosts and never thinking to including me in any of their queries, only my poor front-line staff. The Oliver Chronicle article makes quotes which I must urge you one last time to carefully check into, because your vote will otherwise be based on your not verifying facts when you have been warned those facts are on thin ice.

The complaints you have on file are in some cases unverified/unverifiable and at least some are entirely false, (despite how they may still be someone’s “truth”). To be clear: Despite wild declarations by a small number of un-vetted or otherwise unconfirmed complainants to the contrary, not a single wood campfire fire has burned anywhere at Lakeside since (former) Chief Skaros imposed the ban in the Summer of 2015. Period.

I have always elected to work and communicate with council and staff directly and in private, and not brought any publicity to the heavy-handed treatment my poor staff have endured through the multi-agency actions, directed by the Town’s terrible triage system over this matter. Nor have I pursued the (Freedom of Information Act) FOIA route as has been suggested by staff because I believe that is only making it far worse for everyone who is trying to make sensible solutions.

Please remember we represent a significant input into the Oliver economy, to the retailers our clients spend at, ours and their employee payrolls, and the considerably higher tax mill-rate we happily submit. If this bylaw is enacted, as appears to be planned, due to the complaints of a very few unhappy residents (including some who will have bamboozled you), it will bring unnecessary discredit to our nice town of Oliver.

Please come up with a better solution! The place to start is to thoroughly get the facts vetted. Then a more rational answer will be found. What’s the hurry, honestly!? All the best.

(Edited for clarity only)