Signs to urge Covid-19 safety among pickers
Oliver will install large bilingual signs in appropriate locations urging transient agricultural workers to be aware and respectful of social distancing and gathering-size guidelines in the fight against Covid-19.
The decision came after a council discussion around concerns in the community about the itinerant fruit pickers, mainly from Quebec. A few have already started arriving in the South Okanagan, even though the first crop – cherries – won’t be ready for harvest until June.
Councillor Larry Schwartzenberger suggested that town staff work with the regional district to get Wi-Fi at Loose Bay. One of the reasons many pickers travel to town is to access Wi-Fi in spaces like Lions Park and the library.
Water Councillor Rick Machial, an orchardist, said the pickers are a vital part of the food chain. “They do difficult work that no one else is willing to do. They feed the world.”
Council voted unanimously for the French-and-English-language signs “in appropriate places with maximum visibility.”
Banners planned to mark SOSS graduation
Southern Okanagan Secondary School graduates could have their faces gracing the light standards in the town under a proposal from Councillor Petra Veintimilla.
She told council today that this year’s graduating class is “having a crazy year.” There won’t be a traditional graduation and commencement due to the Covid-19 pandemic.
Veintimilla has been talking to the Parent Advisory Committee and the grad committee about the idea to commemorate the graduation. She said the PAC has some money available and she believes other funding could be found.
She said there are too many grads to have a light standard for everyone, but two banners could be mounted back to back.
Operations director Shawn Goodsell said the cost in time and equipment for the public works folk to mount the banners would be about $1,500.
Veintimilla will keep exploring the idea and report back to council April 27. It was agreed that the town would pay only for installation
by Roy Wood