Peachland View Friday, November 18, 2022

New council votes unanimously in favour of borrowing bylaw

JOANNE LAYH

At their first regular meeting, the newly elected Peachland council voted unanimously in favour of adopting a bylaw that will allow borrowing for a new fire hall to go ahead.

In last month’s referen dum 74 per cent of residents voted in favour of the bylaw that will allow the town to borrow up to $17.5 million for a protective services building.

Back in June the previous council unanimously gave third reading to the bylaw so the referendum could take place in conjunction with the municipal election; it later received approval from the Inspector of Mu nicipalities in August.

Next, the town’s cor porate officer will issue a certificate, then it will go back to the Inspector of Municipalities for review and approval.

Coun. Terry Condon was quick to point out that there is still a long way to go be fore the town has a new fire

hall.

“This is the first in what’s going to be a fairly long process,” said Coun. Condon. “This just sets in motion the kinds of things that we need to do as we move towards the creation and erection of a protective services building. All of the planning details have yet to occur. This only confirms that the town has the ability to borrow the money.”

Detailed information about the project is expect ed to come before council during budget deliberations.

Currently the fire depart ment is located on 3rd St but the plan is to construct a new building on a lot the district owns at San Clem ente Ave and 13th St.

The municipality says improved community safe ty is the number one reason for relocating the fire de partment to a larger, more centralized location.

Relocating next to the highway would improve emergency response times as currently paid-on-call firefighters must trav

el through traffic-calmed Beach Ave to get to the fire

be a fire hall. Originally it housed the public works

small and there is no way to fit an aerial ladder inside, which will be a requirement sometime down the road.

It also lacks a decon tamination area so after a structure fire paid on call firefighters and their fam ilies are exposed to carcinogens due to cross contamination in their vehi cles and homes, said Craig.

He estimates the advan tages of the new location would improve response times by two to three min utes. Getting out of the fire hall two minutes faster can mean the difference of holding a fire and losing a fire, he’s said.

be phased in. He also has said that the town could look at selling assets they don’t need to help with the cost.

At the first open house event held earlier this summer, the information presented to the public at that time was that the max imum estimated cost per household would be $401 annually, which would be a net increase of about $200 after some existing parcel taxes expire next year.

hall and once they’ve found a parking spot, fire trucks must also leave through Beach Ave, where the speed limit is just 30 km/h.

The fire department’s current building, Station 21, is about 60 years old and was never designed to

department and later mor phed into a fire station. There are building code and work safe violations in the hall and bringing it up to code just isn’t possible, says Peachland fire chief Dennis Craig.

The hall is extremely

A new building for the fire department is esti mated to cost about $20 million, although a signifi cant percentage of that cost is contingency.

The town is looking to borrow up to $17.5 million, which will have a maximum parcel tax impact of $125 per household per year.

Director of finance Garry Filafilo has said the parcel tax for the building would

However, since then some rejigging has taken place and in September the previous council passed a resolution to ensure the new parcel tax will be not more than $125 per household per year above the current par cel taxes.

The parcel tax is expect ed to remain in place for 30 years, at an assumed rate of 4.3 per cent. That esti mate is based on the current number of properties with in the district so costs will decrease with an increase of households and develop ment.

“

This just sets in motion the kinds of things that we need to do as we move towards the creation and erection of a protective services building. All of the planning details have yet to occur. This only confirms that the town has the ability to borrow the money.”

- councillor terry condon

An earlier start to council meetings?

JOANNE LAYH

Peachland’s new mayor and council would like to begin their regular meet ings an hour earlier than has traditionally been the case.

At their first regular meeting, a recommendation to revise the start time of all regular meetings to 6 p.m. from 7 p.m. on Tuesday eve nings received unanimous council support.

As a result, administra tion were directed to bring forward an amendment to the council procedure by law reflecting the revision.

“I agree with it personal ly,” said Coun. Keith Thom. “I’m just wondering if, not that we have great atten dance at council meetings, but whether that would pre clude some of our younger people that get home from work and have supper with their family?”

That sentiment was echoed by Coun. Terry Condon.

“Have we canvassed the residents to find whether or not the nine people that watch this broadcast can still manage to get to it in time?” asked Coun. Con don.

According to the commu nity charter council must advertise any changes to their procedure bylaw, said director of corporate ser vices Jennifer Sawatzky.

She said once those changes come forward, council will give the bylaw first reading and then the public will have an oppor tunity to respond to council before the bylaw has been adopted.

Council to discuss Beach Avenue neighbourhood building height and setbacks

JOANNE LAYH

In the coming weeks, Peachland council will discuss building height and setbacks in the Beach Ave neighbour hood, a subject that has been a contentious issue in recent municipal elections.

Mayor Patrick Van Minsel drafted the following notice of motion that will be brought forward at the Nov. 22 reg ular council meeting:

“That council direct staff to prepare for discussion at the Dec. 6 council meeting potential options for new zoning regulations for the frontage of the Beach Avenue neighbourhood to address building height and setbacks, and specifically to limit building height to three storeys; and that discussion include consideration to amend the CR1 and CR2 zones to clarify the use and location of these zones in the Beach Avenue neighbourhood.”

“I support the idea,” said Coun. Terry Condon.

“I’m looking for a little clarification on how far is this going to go? Is this intended to be a temporary revi sion pending a full review of the OCP with community consultation and all that goes with it? Or is this to be standalone?”

Coun. Rick Ingram noted he’d like to have to have some clarification about the boundaries of the Beach Ave neighbourhood this would apply to.

“Thank you for putting this on the table,” said Coun. Randey Brophy.

“It resolves a longstanding issue in Peachland that we’re all aware of. Thank you for that. The question I have that I’m sure will be clarified at the next meeting I’m sure, is how tall is three storeys?”

Mayor Van Minsel answered by saying they would dis cuss these questions at the next meeting.

Joanne Layh Publisher / Editor editor@peachlandview.com sales@peachlandview.com

Don Urquhart Contributing Reporter Melissa Morris Production designer@peachlandview.com

5878A Beach Avenue Peachland, BC V0H 1X7 250 767 7771 published by Aberdeen Publishing Inc.

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Where will Canada house 500,000 immigrants?

Our current Trudeau government wants to increase immigration to 500,000 an nually by 2025. Whether you are for or against this initiative there is a stark reality. Canada cannot provide affordable housing for many current citizens. How will we be able to provide affordable housing for an additional 500,000 every year?

Canada has a points system to screen potential immigrants. Some may be well off or well educated. They may be able to afford housing in Canada. Let’s assume 10 per cent can do that. That’s leaves 450,000 that need affordable housing, every

year. Some suggest that immigrants can be encouraged to more affordable rural communities. Reality suggests most immigrants will gravitate to our cities regard less of encouragement.

Residing in Canadian cities is expensive. Affordable housing is in scant supply. Initiatives to increase the supply of affordable housing are long on goals and short on delivery. I can’t see how this will go well.

Steve Burke, West Kelowna

Shortage of children’s pain relief medicine

I have been increasingly hearing about from parents with young children concerned about a serious shortage of children’s pain relief medicine at local pharmacies and gro cery stores.

Recently a citizen from Kelowna, returning from a trip to Washington State, sent me pictures from some USA based grocery stores and asked why the same problem was not occurring in the United States.

He asked what Prime Min ister Trudeau was doing to resolve this problem.

While it is true that the Unit ed States does not have this problem to the same extent than Canada, it is less clear as to the reasons why.

Fortunately, early this week,

Health Canada issued a state ment that may help resolve this critical shortage.

Health Canada indicated that the agency has “secured foreign supply of children’s acetaminophen that will be available in retail stores and pharmacies in the coming weeks.”

Now the reason why I sug gest this may help resolve this critical shortage is because Health Canada is refusing to reveal precisely how much supply they have “secured” nor will they reveal exactly where in Canada it will be distribut ed.

After two years of very detailed drug procurement and distribution information from Health Canada during the pandemic, this sudden re fusal to disclose these same

basic details and the lack of transparency raises serious questions and concerns.

Why would this information be withheld from Canadians?

On an unrelated note, this week a continued investigation into how the Canadian Bor der Services Agency (CBSA) managed to spend $54 million on the “ArriveCan app” after it was originally budgeted to cost $80,000.

The ArriveCan app is no longer mandatory for those travelling into Canada.

CBSA was to turn over documentation related to this boondoggle to the House of Commons standing commit tee on government operations and estimates this week, to meet a pre-established produc tion order and deadline.

So far CBSA has declined

to reveal exactly where the money went and who ended up with it.

When a committee or the House itself passes a produc tion order- as was the case here - that order is equivalent to a court order, and government, elected to serve the House, must respond.

While these two situations are not directly related, they do point to a disturbing pattern.

Citizens elect Members of Parliament to represent them at the federal government level in Ottawa.

Parents wondering about what actions are being taken to rectify the critical shortage of children’s pain medication deserve to know what is being done, with significant details.

Likewise, when a fed eral department somehow

manages to spend $54 million on an app, Canadians deserve to know where that money went and who profited from it.

These should not be con sidered partisan questions and Canadians deserve to have an swers to these questions.

Instead, we see stonewall ing, excuses, and a complete and total disregard for Ca nadians right to know basic information on how and where their money is being spent.

My question this week: Are you concerned by this growing lack of transparency, or do you view this as the offi cial opposition sweating what you consider small and insig nificant details?

I can be reached at Dan.Al bas@parl.gc.ca or call toll free 800 665 8711.

Do you think building heights on Beach Ave should be limited to three storeys?

DAN ALBAS MP

New Regional District of Central Okanagan board sworn in

PEACHLAND VIEW

The Regional District of Central Okanagan (RDCO) board directors took their oath of office to begin their fouryear term serving the residents of Central Okanagan.

On Nov. 10 directors acclaimed City of Kelowna Coun cillor Loyal Wooldridge to serve a second year as chair and West Kelowna Mayor Gord Milsom as vice-chair for a fifth year.

Representing the two electoral areas are Kevin Kraft (Central Okanagan East Electoral Area) and Wayne Car son (Central Okanagan West Electoral Area).

T he remaining appointed members of the regional board for 2022-2026 are:

• Tom Dyas - Mayor, City of Kelowna;

• Blair Ireland - Mayor, District of Lake Country;

• Patrick Van Minsel - Mayor, District of Peachland;

• Ron Cannan - Councillor, City of Kelowna;

• Charlie Hodge - Councillor, City of Kelowna;

• Gord Lovegrove - Councillor, City of Kelowna;

• Mohini Singh - Councillor, City of Kelowna;

• Stephen Johnston - Councillor, City of West Kelowna; and

• Jordan Coble – Councillor, Westbank First Nation (non-voting).

The number of directors and voting strength of each is based on population.

The provincial government approved an increase in the voting unit from 4,000 to 5,500 people; as a result, the City of Kelowna now appoints six of the 12 voting directors.

PUBLIC NOTICE

Traffic Flow Changes

To facilitate the Peachland CHRISTMAS MARKETS DAY no vehicle traffic will be permitted on Waldo Way from 4th-6th street. November 26, 8:30 am-3:30 pm

LOCAL EVENTS AND ACTIVITIES

TRIVIA NIGHT at the Peachland Legion on Nov. 18 from 7 pm - 9 pm.

GREY CUP PARTY at the Peachland Legion on Nov. 20 from 2 pm - 8 pm.

PEACHLAND UNITED CHURCH ANNUAL CHRISTMAS EXTRAVANGANZA featuring gently used quality Christmas items plus vintage jewelry and collectibles takes place Nov. 26 from 9 am - 3 pm.

ANNUAL CHRISTMAS CRAFT FAIR hostrd by the Peachland Wellness Centre takes place on Nov 26

MONDAYS

FITNESS ROOM

5 am - 10 pm

Peachland Community Centre

INDOOR WALKING

8 am - 9 am

Peachland Community Centre

50+ FITNESS 8 am - 9 am ($5 Drop In)

50 Plus Activity Centre

ADULT DAY SERVICE

9 am - 3 pm

Residences on 6th

PICKLEBALL LEVEL 3.0-3.5 9:05 am - 11 am

Peachland Community Centre

FITNESS FUSION 9:30 am - 10:45 am

Peachland Community Centre

PICKLEBALL LEVEL 1.0-2.5 11 am - 1 pm

Peachland Community Centre

PICKLEBALL LEVEL 1.0-2.5 1 pm - 3 pm

Peachland Community Centre

BRIDGE 1 pm – 4 pm

50 Plus Activity Centre

BEGINNER/INTERMEDIATE

ACRYLIC WORKSHOP

1 pm – 4 pm

Peachland Little Schoolhouse CHAIR YOGA 2 pm - 3 pm

50 Plus Activity Centre

SPIN, CORE & STRETCH

6:30 pm - 7:30 pm

Peachland Community Centre

ZUMBA

6:30 pm - 7:30 pm

from 9 am - 3 pm. at the Peachland Community Centre with over 50 crafters and artisans taking part. Coffee and lunch for purchase from the Peachland Ambassadors. Entrance to this event is by donation.

ANNUAL CHRISTMAS MARKET DAY coincides with the annual Christmas Craft Fair on Nov 26. Take a walk down Candy Cane Lane and Gingerbread Street to several other venues from the 50+ Activity Centre, to the visitor centre and community centre and on to the Little School House and the Peachland United Church. A great start to the Christmas season.

YOGA FOR YOUR BACK

3:15pm - 4:30 pm

JUST THIRSTY BAND at the Peachland Legion on Nov. 26 from 5:30 pm - 9 pm.

ARTISTS OF THE OKANAGAN runs from Nov. 26 –Dec. 23 and reopens Jan. 7 – Jan. 22 at the Peachland Art Gallery. Returning for its eighth year this everpopular exhibition features local artists feat. a variety of mediums.

THE PEACHLAND VARIETY SINGERS CHRISTMAS CONCERT takes place at the 50 Plus Activity Centre. on Dec 11 at 2 pm.

PICKLEBALL - DROP-IN LEVEL

COMMUNITY CHRISTMAS DINNER the Peachland Wellness Centre wants to ensure no one is alone or goes without a Christmas dinner. Doors open at 11:30 am, dinner served at 12:30 pm at the 50 Plus Activity Centre. Save your space by calling 250 767 0141..

NEW YEAR’S EVE CONCERT FEAT. MARTY EDWARDS includes a salute to the music of Tom Jones, Engelbert, Michael Buble and Elvis plus soft rock, country and rock ‘n’ roll hits from the 60s, 70s, 80s and more. Dec 31 at the 50 Plus Activity Centre. Tickets at Peachland Pharmacy or eventbrite.ca

YOGA FOR YOUR BACK

Peachland Community Centre WOODCARVERS 7 pm

50 Plus Activity Centre

TUESDAYS

FITNESS ROOM

5 am - 10 pm

Peachland Community Centre YOGA 8:30 am - 9:30 am

50 Plus Activity Centre

FLOW YOGA 9 am - 10 am

Peachland Community Centre CARPET BOWLING 10 am - 12 pm 50 Plus Activity Centre

THERAPEUTIC YOGA 10:30 am – 11:45 am Peachland Community Centre AA 12 pm 50 Plus Activity Centre

PICKLEBALL LEVEL 3.75+ 1 pm - 3 pm Peachland Community Centre PASSION 4 ART 1 pm - 4 pm

50 Plus Activity Centre MAH JONG 1 pm – 4 pm

50 Plus Activity Centre

MEN’S COFFEE & CARDS 1 pm PWC (downstairs)

Peachland Community Centre PEACHLAND HUB NIGHT MARKET

4 pm – 9 pm Cousins Park

LINE DANCING 4:30 pm – 5:30 pm

50 Plus Activity Centre POUND 6:30 pm - 7:30 pm 50 Plus Activity Centre

PEACHLAND LEGION DART LEAGUE 7 pm - 11 pm

Royal Canadian Legion #69

COMPUTER LITERACY By Appointment Call 250 767 0141

Peachland Wellness Centre

WEDNESDAYS

FITNESS ROOM

5 am - 10 pm

Peachland Community Centre INDOOR WALKING 8 am - 9 am

Peachland Community Centre 50+ FITNESS 9 am - 10 am ($5 Drop In) 50 Plus Activity Centre

PICKLEBALL LEVEL 1.0-2.5 9:05 am - 11 am

Peachland Community Centre SPIN, SCULPT AND STRETCH 9:30 am - 10:45 am 1 pm - 3 pm

Peachland Community Centre

3.0 11 am - 1 pm

Peachland Community Centre BARGAIN BIN  12 pm - 3 pm

Peachland United Church

PICKLEBALL LEVEL 3.0-3.5 1 pm - 3 pm

Peachland Community Centre BRIDGE

1 pm – 4 pm

50 Plus Activity Centre

WE ART HERE 12 pm - 4 pm

50 Plus Activity Centre

LEGION KARAOKE

3:30 pm - 6:30 pm

Royal Canadian Legion #69 MINI KICKERS SOCCER

5 pm - 6 pm

Peachland Community Centre HATHA YOGA 5:30 pm - 6:30 pm

Peachland Community Centre

SPIN, CORE AND STRETCH 6:30 pm - 7:30 pm

Peachland Community Centre CENTRAL OKANAGAN MODEL RAILWAY CO.

Train modellers + visitors meet 7 pm

Peachland Musum

THURSDAYS

FITNESS ROOM

5 am - 10 pm

Peachland Community Centre YOGA

8:30 am - 9:30 am

50 Plus Activity Centre

9:30 am - 10:45 am

Peachland Community Centre

BEREAVEMENT SUPPORT  10 am-11:45 am

Peachland Wellness Centre

PICKLEBALL LEVEL 3.5

10:30 am - 12:30 pm

Peachland Community Centre

IRON AND SILK FIT

11 am - 12 pm

50 Plus Activity Centre

BARGAIN BIN

12 pm - 3 pm

Peachland United Church

PICKLEBALL LEVEL 3.75+

1 pm - 3 pm

Peachland Community Centre

PASSION 4 ART 1 pm – 4 pm

50 Plus Activity Centre

BEGINNER UKULELE 230 pm - 330 pm

50 Plus Activity Centre MEAT DRAW  3 pm-5 pm Royal Canadian Legion #69 BINGO

5:30 pm (EOW) 50 Plus Activity Centre

FRIDAYS

FITNESS ROOM

5 am - 10 pm

Peachland Community Centre

INDOOR WALKING

8 am - 9 am

Peachland Community Centre

FLOW YOGA

9 am - 10 am

Peachland Community Centre

50+ FITNESS 9 am - 10 am ($5 Drop In)

50 Plus Activity Centre

BARGAIN BIN  12 pm - 3 pm

Peachland United Church THERAPEUTIC YOGA 12:30 pm - 1:45 pm Peachland Community Centre

CANASTA 1 pm 50+ Activity Centre

PICKLEBALL LEVEL 3.0 -3.5 1 pm - 3 pm Peachland Community Centre

SATURDAYS

FITNESS ROOM

5 am - 10 pm

Peachland Community Centre CARPET BOWLING 10 am - 12 pm 50 Plus Activity Centre

BARGAIN BIN  12 pm - 3 pm

Peachland United Church MEAT DRAW  3 pm-5 pm Royal Canadian Legion #69

SUNDAYS

FITNESS ROOM

5 am - 10 pm Peachland Community Centre PEACHLAND FARMERS & CRAFTERS MARKET 10 am - 2 pm Heritage Park

PICKLEBALL - LEVEL 2.5-3.5 12 pm - 2 pm Peachland Community Centre

Microplastics are an Okanagan problem too

DON URQUHART

You’ve probably heard of the Great Pacific Garbage Patch - a 1.6 million square kilometre patch of plastic and floating trash in the Pa cific Ocean - but here in the waterways of the Okanagan we have our own plastic problem - microplastics.

In a first ever study in the Okanagan water basin, a small team embarked in 2021 on a “scoping study” to gain a better understand ing if microplastics are present in Okanagan Lake and Kelowna’s municipal wastewater. Spoiler alert: microplastics were found at every sampling location.

Microplastics are tiny pieces of plastic less than 5mm in diameter, some times invisible to the human eye, mistaken for organ ic debris or even food for aquatic organisms from invertebrates such as zoo plankton, to fish and birds.

They can either be pur pose-built microplastics like microbeads or they can be particles from larg er macroplastics that break down into either fragments, films or fibres.

“When we hear about plastic pollution we some times associate it with a problem that is far away,” like the garbage patch or some other headline grab bing ocean pollution, says Ryan Cope, project man ager for Microplastics Okanagan, the organization behind the study.

Cope was presenting the results of what she’s call ing the “first phase” at the recent 2022 Osoyoos Lake Water Science Forum in Osoyoos.

This land-based plastic, if not captured properly, runs off into storm drains, creeks, and rivers, which ultimately flows into the ocean.

“The problem is not far away from us in the oceans, it’s right here in our back yard,” she says.

With funding from the Okanagan Basin Water Board Water Conservation and Quality Improvement Grant Program the group partnered with the Okana gan Nation Alliance (ONA), the City of Kelowna and Okanagan College among others, with Cope adding

it’s a very collaborative ef fort.

“Last year, we embarked on a simple scoping study to quantify and possibly qual ify the presence or absence of microplastics in Okana gan Lake, and Kelowna’s municipal wastewater. More importantly, we want ed to catalyze partnerships and community engage ment,” she adds.

With the ONA support ing the project with a boat and two staff, the Water Engineering Technology Program at Okanagan Col lege took on the analysis portion of the project.

The project involved col lecting water samples at five locations near Kelow na including the Okanagan Lake bridge-crossing, near the Mission Creek outlet, central lake at its widest point north and south of the bridge, and downstream from the Kelowna Waste water Treatment plant near the outflow pipe.

All told the team filtered approximately 155,000 li tres of water from the lake.

At the wastewater treat ment facility city staff working with students col lected two different types of waste water: influent, which is pre-treatment, and afflu ent, which is post treatment captured just before it was discharged from the facili ty.

“Unsurprisingly,” Cope says, “microplastics were found in all freshwater and wastewater samples.”

But here perhaps, is the good news. Relative to other freshwater bodies that have been heavily researched

such as the Great Lakes, Cope says the amount of microplastics found was “quite low” and that find ing also extends to a Pacific Ocean comparison.

“They were quite low, which we were encouraged by,” she said, cautioning that this is only a prelim inary scoping study. “We had very few sample sites and more work is needed,”

You can also see some black particles, which could be tire particles and possi bly, but unlikely, forest fire ash,” Cope says.

Meanwhile, over at the Kelowna Wastewater Treat ment Facility, microplastics were discovered in both the influent and effluent sam ples but Cope notes there could have been some con tamination of the samples.

the data can be collected in a meaningful way in order to create long-term data sets to create a better un derstanding of the state of microplastics in the lake.

“Refine the protocols and make them more substan tial, so that year-after-year we can do the same sort of study and build a data set that we can actually do something with.”

er and ultimately Astoria, Oregon where this mighty river spills out into the Pa cific Ocean.

Expanding the study is also on the organization’s wishlist to cover from Ver non down to Penticton to see how the situation varies.

She’s also passionate about prevention, urging action before it’s too late.

“We have a real opportunity here in the Okanagan to get our hands on this before it is even an issue.”

Cope also cited the Indig enous tradition and belief system where water is not an entity above or below humans, it is a member of the family.

“When we view nature in this way, it becomes harder to justify polluting, particularly water that is life-giving and life-sustain ing,” she said.

Because of the relative “newness” of microplastic research in inland fresh wa ter systems it’s not known how far microplastics will travel from Okanagan Lake for example.

“We don’t know if mi croplastics are settling out in the water column,” Cope says in reference to the fact that the lakes in the Okana gan cool at some point in the late fall causing the water to stratify, or become layered in different temperatures.

She says it’s not known whether microplastic re mains because of this, or makes it way down the chain due to the fact water continues to move.

to expand the study she said.

The freshwater team dis covered microplastics were present at all five of the sample sites amounting to a total of about 2.75 grams of plastic with the biggest concentration of about 1.1 grams collected at the Wil liam R. Bennett Bridge site.

“All these pieces are millimetres in size and in a couple different forms: fragments, fibres and films.

Nonetheless research ers found clear evidence of microfibres which is “not surprising when you con sider how often we wash our clothes and how most of our clothes are plastic.”

Phase two of the project will again involve working with Okanagan College to establish the best sampling protocols for both fresh and wastewater.

This is important, Cope says, in order to ensure that

Cope is very clear on one aspect of microplas tics. “It is precisely because we don’t know much about the state of microplastics in Okanagan Lake that we must continue to monitor and measure.”

As she notes the water quality of Okanagan Lake directly impacts the quality in all lakes and rivers down stream, including Osoyoos Lake, the Columbia Riv

“It’s important to think about microplastics as we’re considering our day-to-day activities, even if we don’t know the impact of micro plastics on our bodies, and our ecosystems, it’s still important that we reduce plastic use where we can, and reconsider how we ap proach plastics like in our clothing.”

The impacts of micro plastics are still being researched and while many studies indicate microplas tics are in a lot of places, “what we don’t know is what the actual impact is,” she says. “That’s the big ques tion right now.”

More information on microplastics and the Okanagan Lake project vis it microplasticsokanagan. com.

PHOTOS MICROPLASTICS OKANAGAN

Peachland Remembers

Peachland’s CAO, mayor and council laid wreaths at the cenotaph, including Councillors Randey Brophy and Dave Collins, shown above.

Mayor Patrick Van Minsel recalled growing up in Belgium near the city of Leuven, Flanders. He also delivered a reading of In Flanders Fields.

Four RCMP members participated in Friday’s

Members of Peachland Fire and Rescue Service laid wreaths on behalf of numerous local businesses.

Remembers

DISTRICTOFPEACHLANDCOUNCILCOMMITTEES

VOLUNTEERSWANTED

WithanewCounciltermbeginning,theDistrictofPeachlandislookingforadvisory committeemembers.Ifyouareinterestedinparticipatinginanyofthefollowing committees,pleasesubmitaletterofinterestincludingyourbackgroundand contactinformation.

•TourismandEconomicDevelopmentCommittee

Purpose:ToactasatourismandeconomicdevelopmentTaskForce.

•Mayor’sTaskForceonClimateChange

Purpose:TosupporttheDistrictofPeachland’seffortstoachieveits commitmentsundertheBCClimateActionCharter,inspirecommunityaction toreduceGreenHouseGas(GHG)emissionsandconservenaturalresources, offerleadershipandexpertisetoidentifyandachievePeachland’sclimate actiongoals,andtoprovideinformationandsponsorprojectswhichsupport Peachland’sclimateactiongoals.

•HealthyWatershedsCommittee

Purpose:ToprovideadviceandsupporttoCouncilandstaffonmatters affectingthewaterqualityandquantityinthePeachlandCreekandTrepanier Creekwatersheds.

•PublicArtCommittee

Purpose:Toestablishastandardizedandtransparentprocessfortheacquisition, selection,installation,maintenanceanddeaccessioningofallpublicartlocated onDistrictownedpublicproperty.

PleasesubmitapplicationstoCorporateServices5806BeachAvenue,Peachland, B.C.V0H-1X7oremailto corporateservices@peachland.ca by4:00pmNovember 25,2022.FordetailsontheCommittee’stermsofreference,pleaseseethewebsite at http://www.peachland.ca/council-committees.

Friday’s Remembrance Day ceremony. A bagpiper played The Lament.

Citizens queued to lay a poppy at the cenotaph.

PHOTOS JOANNE LAYH

Peachland’s Remembrance Day service was followed by a gathering at the Legion.

BUILDINGS FOR SALE