Anti-park petition won’t change council’s mind
By ROY WOOD
Three or four dozen people gathered outside Osoyoos town hall this afternoon to ask council to reconsider its decision not to support a call for a regional referendum on the national park question.
But Mayor Sue McKortoff made it pretty clear that such a reconsideration is not on the table.
Dustin Stephens, who drives a pickup adorned with signs demanding a referendum asking South Okanagan residents their opinion on whether there should be a national park reserve in the valley, acted as a spokesman for the group.
An ardent opponent of the park proposal, Stephens said: “We have to try to do something. … Our goal is to try to get council to change their minds.”
The demonstrators milled about, many with anti-park and pro-referendum placards, and lined up to sign a petition seeking the reconsideration.
At a meeting earlier this month, council rejected a request from Boundary-Similkameen MLA Linda Larson asking for a resolution stating: “That Council direct staff to prepare a letter requesting the Federal Government to undertake a referendum in the South Okanagan-Similkameen area on the creation of the National Park Reserve.”
Oliver council had earlier voted 3-2 in favour of such a resolution.
Osoyoos council, which has been on the record for years as being in favour of the park, unanimously rejected Larson’s request.
In an interview following today’s council meeting, McKortoff said: “I can’t say that I can see (council reconsidering).”
The mayor pointed out that discussion of a South Okanagan National Park has been going on since 2002 and it’s time to make a decision.
She said the recent online request for public input was “not a referendum, but it’s a way of making your views known.”
McKortoff said council “felt a little blindsided by (Larson’s) request to go against what we had always said. … The last three councils have said that we are in favour of a national park.”
The mayor shared a quote she heard from a Parks Canada official in a recent telephone call: “Referendums are not part of the federal park establishment process.”
Note: ODN did not take this picture which truly portrays the number of people not to happy with a recent council decision.