Eagle Valley News Wednesday, May 9, 2012
www.eaglevalleynews.com A3
Mayors support end to pot prohibition
Celebrate
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Marijuana: Legalization, regulation and taxation preferred option. By Richard Rolke Black Press
North Okanagan mayors are among those demanding marijuana be decriminalized. A coalition of eight B.C. mayors is urging Premier Christy Clark, NDP leader Adrian Dix and B.C. Conservative leader John Cummins to support the strict regulation of marijuana and taxation. “We want to raise the profile of public safety and the issue of failed public policy,” said Rob Sawatzky, Vernon mayor and a member of the coalition. “It directly impacts us with crime and policing.” Among the others in the coalition are Enderby’s Howie Cyr, Armstrong’s Chris Pieper and James Baker from Lake Country. “The number of
mayors and councils will increase because the money being spent on taking down growops, going to court and putting people in jail is extremely high,” said Cyr, a retired police officer who is concerned about gang activities. “We want to get violence out of the picture.” Cyr says authorities should have the same ability to regulate marijuana as they do with cigarettes and alcohol. “You can tax it and divert the money to treatment and education.” The letter signed by Cyr and his fellow mayors calls on the on the three B.C. provincial party leaders, Christy Clark, Adrian Dix and John Cummins, to help bring an end to the consequences of the prohibition against marijuana:
the large-scale growops, related organized crime and gang violence, increasing law enforcement and legal costs, and support government regulation of marijuana under a public health framework. “Regulating marijuana would allow the government to rationally address the health concerns of marijuana, raise government tax revenue and eliminate the huge profits from the marijuana industry that flow directly to organized crime.” Eric Foster, VernonMonashee MLA, says drug laws are a federal responsibility, but he believes the mayors’ should be listened to. “These aren’t a bunch of pot heads. These are people looking at it from a pragmatic approach,” he said. But Foster isn’t sure
if marijuana should be decriminalized. “There needs to be a lot more discussion. With 15 years working in a high school, I saw what marijuana does to kids,” he said. Sawatzky understands drug regulations are federal but he insists the province should be involved. “We all have a responsibility for expressing opinions about things that impact our community,” he said. Cyr also wants provincial leaders to be active. “Yes it’s federal, but if B.C. provides a strong stance, we could see other provinces join the call. We need to have the discussion,” he said. Sicamous and Salmon Arm mayors, Darrell Trouton and Nancy Cooper are not part of the coalition. Trouton says he
hasn’t studied all the pros and cons of either side to weigh in on the matter. “I’m sure there’s pros and cons to everything but right now I have to focus on the district,” said Trouton. “We have enough within our own municipality to worry about right now.” Cooper says she’s been weighing the pros and cons herself through conversation with other mayors. On May 14, she and Salmon Arm council will be meeting with Dr. David Kennedy, a spokesperson for Stop the ViolenceBC, the organization behind the coalition. With files by Lachlan Labere.
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Water advisories due to changing standards By Lachlan Labere Eagle Valley News
The standards may have changed, but the water remains pretty much the same. Or so said Sicamous’ staff in council, in response to a question why the district has been seeing so many water quality advisories as of late. “They’re not boil water advisories, they’re water-quality advisories, and they’re due to the turbidity with run-off and that type of thing,” said district works services manag-
er Grady MacDonald. It’s something we have to do; it’s an Interior Health requirement. Until we get a filtration system in Sicamous, we will continue to do that.” MacDonald says the advisory is intended to give people who are at increased risk – the elderly and people with weakened immune systems – a heads up, and advise them to take precaution of boiling water before consuming, or using bottled water. MacDonald noted that
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he drinks the water daily and has been for the past 30 years. “I think the water advisories are on and a lot of it has to do with the standards of the Ministry of Health. It’s not necessarily that our water has changed over the years, it’s just that the standards have changed,” said Mayor Darrell Trouton, noting that 15 years ago Sicamous was known for having the cleanest water in British Columbia. Coun. Greg Kyllo explained the advisory
goes in to effect when turbidity levels reach a point where it can’t be guaranteed the municipality’s chlorine contact chamber will be able to treat all the particular matter passing through. “That doesn’t mean there’s a problem,” he said. Coun. Don Richardson’s solution to the matter was simple: “drink whiskey.” Trouton said the district is budgeting for a filtration system that will help address turbidity levels.
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