I believe that Mr. Steele has over-simplified the ‘No National Park’ movement.

The main issue is a total distrust of Parks Canada and the federal Government. This distrust has been earned by Parks Canada in the methods employed to attain their goal. To quote Dick Canning; “the residents have a right to be engaged and decide what type of park they might want”.

What I have been hearing is that type of park should not be any model that will include the federal government or  its Parks Canada as they have worked to isolate and not listen. An example being the wording of the survey forms in trying to limit input that was counter to what Parks Canada wanted to hear.

Parks Canada has an obligation to include First Nations at the local level but they did not feel they had an obligation to include regional and municipal governments or the MLA who represent sthe residents of the areas that this park would be carved out of.

I myself and the director from Area A put this forward at the information meeting Tuesday and were told that Parks Canada felt telling the RDOS board what they were doing was enough. Really!

You don’t think you should involve the elected representatives. The equivalent would be telling the provincial cabinet we will be making all the beaches in Penticton and Osoyoos part of the national park but never talking to the town councils or the residents. Is that what you call engagement?

Fred is right people do not like change. It is quickly brushed aside that other models have been put forward such as the LRMP and or Provincial Park status which are met with howls of despair from the elitists that only the national park model will work yet Parks Canada puts forward proposed attendance numbers ranging from 300,000 to the current 2000 to 4000 per year; whatever number satisfies the political dictate of the day. That type of waffling adds to the distrust.

Parks Canada has told us that they want to form the park first and then they can start the agreement talks.

Once again REALLY?  That is like buying the car and then trying to negotiate what options should be included after you have paid for it.

Whether or not Parks Canada can do a good job or not  is a discussion for another format. The necessary information and articles are in abundance and easy to obtain, it is up to the individual to become informed

What is the question?      is to make sure that what is done is the right decision and best fits this area and its residents but most importantly in my opinion whatever is done must be flexible as the world is changing rapidly and what is proper today may be problematic tomorrow.

Rick Knodel

edited for clarity