Calendar
V
O
T
Lake Country
E
Notaries Public Your reliable alternative to a lawyer
Proudly Serving
www.lakecountrycalendar.com
250.766.4444
Winfield, Oyama, Okanagan Centre and Carrs Landing since 1951
aubinandassociates.com next to Tim Hortons
November 12, 2014
Two men in the running for Lake Country mayor
Inside
KEVIN PARNELL
Minister of Forests Steve Thomson tells of his trip to China and Japan in the on-going effort to expand trade for B.C. forest products, and remembers local entrepreneur Ross Gorman. ...............................
7
▼ OYAMA TICKET
Wes Barker brings his Train Wreck Comedy show to Creekside Theatre this Saturday. ...........................
11
Flyers ■ Budget Blinds ■ Home Depot ■ Hometown ■ Jysk ■ Save On Foods ■ Shoppers Drug Mart ■ Staples
Lake Country residents will be asking themselves whether it’s time for change or not, when they head to the polls this weekend in the B.C. municipal election, with choices on the ballot for mayor and council and only one ward council seat being filled by acclamation. Incumbent mayor James Baker is being challenged for the second straight election by realtor Jayson McCarthy while newcomer Matt Vader is the only council candidate who isn’t in a race for his seat as the lone person to come forward in Carr’s Landing to replace Barbara Leamont. “More of the same old rhetoric is not what we need,” said Vader, who took part in an all-candidate’s forum in Winfield, despite already winning the seat. “We need a council that can set
policy and not only stick to the plan but provide tenacious oversight to make sure the plan and vision is followed.” The election campaign in Lake Country has featured two candidate’s forums where the biggest issue raised was the restructuring that took place at Lake Country municipal hall as former administrator and council candidate Randy Rose has been able to push the issue to the fore-front, both in Oyama and in Winfield. Other issues raised by residents included the future of Pelmewash Parkway, infrastructure, development and future growth of the district as well as balancing that growth with the area’s small town history. In the mayor’s race Baker is running after three straight terms as the head of the council. A former councillor and retired professor, Baker says despite issues
Old hand or newcomer KEVIN PARNELL Voters in Oyama will be faced with a unique choice when they have a look at their voting card come election night and the vote comes down to a choice between a 25-year resident of Oyama or a newcomer to the local scene with ties to Gatzke Orchard. Incumbent Oyama councillor and self-employed home inspector Owen Dickie is being challenged by Keli Westgate, also self-employed and a current resident of
Coldstream. Dickie is coming off his first term as the Oyama representative, while Westgate says she is looking to move to Oyama in the near future. At candidates forums and in questions from the Lake Country Calendar, both candidates pointed to the new highway and its effects on Oyama, as well as the future plans for Pelmewash Parkway as big issues facing the area. SEE OYAMA A3
Aly
KEVIN PARNELL/LAKE COUNTRY CALENDAR
JAMES BAKER (left) and Jayson McCarthy are running to be mayor of the District of Lake Country.
raised in the candidate’s forums, the changes at municipal hall were necessary to position the municipality well for the future. “It was something
that needed doing,” said Baker. “We’re in good shape. It cost money to reorganize but we save money in the long term. We were top heavy and now we’re not. We have
less administrative costs and we’re finding ways to get the work done with fewer people.” Baker denied it’s
time for change in Lake Country and said there is much work to be done to continue Lake Country’s growth. “If things aren’t broken why fix them,” he said. “I think we’ve done well as a small community. The council has worked on things that provide more services and make things safer as you can see from our roads projects like Bottom Wood Lake Road. We’re working on getting our infrastructure upgraded and those
SEE MAYOR’S RACE A2
▼ OKANAGAN CENTRE
Winfield candidate’s Clean-up issue lingers fractious campaign KEVIN PARNELL
KEVIN PARNELL When former Lake Country administrator Randy Rose filed his papers to run for council he Randy Rob said it was time he Rose Geier put his money where and Mayor James Baker his mouth is. sparring in the Winfield A vocal critic of moves all-candidate’s forum at Lake Country muniand one resident blastcipal hall for much of the ing Rose’s reign as Lake past year, Rose has conCountry’s administrator. tinued to preach that the “I accept that I can be restructuring within the attacked for the fact that district was a waste of as I have been very hard on much as $1 million in the mayor and council severances paid out. over their decisions and Rose is running what I see as the negative against long time teacher result in our communand incumbent councility,” said Rose. “If one lor Rob Geier, who comgives it, one must be prepleted his first term on pared to also take it. I did council. indeed have a reputation The restructuring for being hard-nosed has become the biggest with respect to some deissue of the Lake Country campaign, with Rose SEE WINFIELD A3
In the race for a council seat to represent residents living in Okanagan Centre, one issue Lisa Blair ties the two canCameron Ireland didates together alI’ve been going out door though both Lisa Camto door, people thank me eron and Blair Ireland for cleaning up the beach say the Okanagan Cenand then we go on to tre linear park hasn’t discuss other issues and been a huge issue in this things they would like election campaign. to see in the communCameron, who ran ity. We have moved on. successfully in the last We have other importmunicipal election on ant issues.” a platform to have priBut the issue of the vate property removed linear park remains on from the beach and trail, the mind of challenger says the successful clean- Blair Ireland. In his first up of the linear park was time running for council, a big victory in her first Ireland called Okanagan term on council. Centre a divided com“I think standmunity, a fracture that, ing up for the majorhe says, started when the ity of people in OkaDistrict of Lake Counnagan Centre and foltry passed the bylaw that lowing through was a led to the removal of prihuge success this past term,” she said. “When SEE OK CENTRE A3
Naturally
No Nonsense Action & Results
13222 Oyama Road
Inspirational Lake Views! 6.55 irrigated Acres, Rancher with basement over 4000 sq ft., Geothermal heating and cooling. MLS® 10088828 $1,175,000
14191 Moberly Road
Panoramic Okanagan Lake Views, 1.27 acres, Double car garage + triple detached garage, Approx. 3362 sq ft. MLS® 10086577
$829,900
250.808.2573 • www.AlyRealty.com