PEACHLAND VIEW
OCTOBER 14, 2016
3
NEWS
BC Fruit Growers applaud province’s crop insurance expansion DAN WALTON EDITOR
dwalton@aberdeenpublishing.com
Because of the vicious winds that caused expensive damage to some Oliver orchards last year, the government made some tweaks to its AgirInsurance policy. “I toured the Oliver area after the storm and I’d never seen anything like it,” said BC Fruit Growers’ Association Fred Steele. “If it happens once it can happen again.” The update means that fruit crops damaged by wind now meet the definition of having a quality peril to the B.C. Production Insurance program. AgriInsurance helps farmers manage the risk of crops that are lost to natural calamities, including hail, spring frost, excessive rain, flooding and drought. The policy update applies to all tree-fruit crops except for cherries, which Steele says are “a different kettle of fish.” Steele said the Fruit Growers Association had been lobbying the government for years to recognize wind damage as a quality peril. “It’s one of those things you keep asking for and sometimes never get, this time we got it,” Steele said. “People got together, and they made progress happen.” The severity of wind in Oliver last year gave the Fruiter Grower’s a strong case study for their argument. One local vineyard reported losing over 100 trees to the wind. “These guys were three to four days away from harvesting their crops, and then the wind came through and put them on the ground, and they weren’t really recognized for the value of the crop.” The enhanced insurance program comes at no extra cost to farmers, and while it offers piece of mind to farmers, Steele said it’s a tool that farmers will hopefully not have to use.
AN OVERVIEW ANGLE capturing many of Summerland’s farms
and vineyards.
DAN WALTON
and easy to understand. It is a great improvement.” It’s impossible to pinpoint what causes environmental changes, but a combination of variables have been observed. “We go in cycles of weather. Maybe changing climates are causing changes to some degree; environmental anomalies. No one knows why a storm or fire has such devastation in one area and not another. They’re perils for insuranables.” In a press release, Minister of Agriculture Lawrence MacAulay said the program is fulfilling its mandate to make B.C.’s fruit industry more innovative and competitive. “These important changes to production insurance products will help tree-fruit growers manage the risk of crop losses and recover from the financial impact.” Tree-fruit producers will receive their production insurance renewal packages will be mailed to tree-fruit producers sometime this month. The deadline for new applications and renewals is Nov. 30.
“A windstorm can happen anywhere and we’re hoping no grower has to take advantage of it,” he said. “It’s like hail – you get it sporadically throughout the Okanagan every given year, but not everyone gets hail. It’s always a localized peril.” Steele said there was a growing need for the government to adapt to “drastic” changes in the industry “When you can work together and understand what those differences are DAN ASHTON needs of the community. then you can get those changes done.” The BC Rural Dividend program MEMBER OF LEGISLATIVE ASSEMBLY He said the Ministry of Agriculture’s provides grants of up to $100,000 quick reaction was greatly appreciated. The buzz out of Ottawa this each for single applicants, and up “I am impressed with how fast the gap week relates to $500,000 for partnerships, to in coverage around wind damage has Under the BC Rural Divi- promote economic diversity while been closed. The change to depreciation dend, the Province is providing contributing to a community’s better reflects the actual loss that occurs, $140,000 to the communities of overall liveability and sustainabilmaking the program more predictable Summerland and Peachland, Pent- ity. Funding is available in four icton MLA Dan Ashton announced categories: community capacity today. The funding is part of the $8.1 building, workforce development, million being provided to 73 lo- community and economic decal governments, First Nations velopment, and business sector and not-for-profit organizations development. As part of a continuous imaround the province. little debate that housing prices in Toronto The District of Summerland provement process, the program’s and Vancouver have reached concerning levwill receive $100,000 to develop a eligibility requirements were reels, recent policy changes enacted by the BC long-term economic development viewed over the summer months. Government appear to be already having an strategy action plan, a marketing The updated BC Rural Dividend impact and the changes announced by the strategy and research into devel- Program Guide is now available online. The second intake of the Federal Liberal Government will penalize oping an “agri-tech” sector. middle class home buyers in all regions of The District of Peachland BC Rural Dividend runs until Canada. More troubling is rather than try to receives $40,000 to review trans- Oct. 31. More details are available encourage housing supply through measures portation options and alternatives online at: www.gov.bc.ca/ruraldivsuch as possibly increasing the threshold for to meet the current and long-term idend the GST rebate on new home construction that would also help affordability and generate economic growth, these measures in effect make housing less affordable as fewer families will be able to qualify for a mortgage. In defense of these policy changes the Liberal Government argues they are concerned about rising Canadian debt levels. However as the opposition would point out, adding The Regional District of Central Okanagan is holding an billions of dollars of debt through increased Information Open House for Peachland and Central Okanagan federal deficit government spending as is West Electoral Area residents. currently the case creates the same problem only without generating any equity as can be created through home ownership. Staff from a number of departments will be on hand with In my view allowing Provinces to take acinformation and to answer questions about the variety of tion in specific hot spot regions such as the programs and services offered by the Regional District. British Columbia government has done re-
Rural Dividend grants to assist Summerland and Peachland
Contemplating the carbon tax DAN ALBAS
MEMBER OF PARLIAMENT The buzz out of Ottawa this week relates to an announcement from Prime Minister Trudeau that the Liberal Government will enforce a national carbon tax onto Canadian Provinces and Territories that do not implement a Provincial Carbon tax or a cap and trade system by 2018. The carbon tax was announced by Prime Minister Trudeau at the same time Provincial Environment Ministers were meeting to discuss the same topic. This resulted in Saskatchewan, Nova Scotia and Newfoundland storming out of the conference and with some engaging in a war of words with the Prime Minister. In particular Premier Brad Wall of Saskatchewan pointed out that during the 2015 federal election, Prime Minister Trudeau stated the federal government imposing a climate change plan on provinces would be ‘nonsensical’ and demanded that the Prime Minister keep his word. While this back and forth continues it is also worth noting that British Columbia already has a carbon tax in place with rates set already well above the entry carbon tax rate proposed by Ottawa. While the national carbon tax announcement captured most of the media attention, there was another policy change quietly made by the Government that may well have far more troubling implications on middle class Canadians attempting to buy a home. The Liberal Government intends to make changes with respect to mortgage qualifications that even the Department of Finance projects could lower home sales across Canada by close to 10% in the first year. The changes to mortgage qualifications from my perspective are concerning for a number of different reasons. While there is
Information Open House
cently may be a more effective policy than a national change that will adversely imMad Hatter pact many regions of Bookstore Canada solely for the Family Friendly Come In & Browse benefit of a few. As always I Great BUY 5 Selection welcome your comBOOKS of New ments, questions Release GET 6TH Pre-owned and concerns on any ONE Paperbacks! matter before the FREE!!! House of Commons and can be reached 1/2 the 250.768.2231 Price of #5 Plaza 97 South at Dan.Albas@parl. 2483 Main Street, New Westbank gc.ca or toll-free at MadHatterBookswk.com 1-800-665-8711.
We also welcome your thoughts and comments as we develop and update the Solid Waste Management Plan for the Central Okanagan. We’ll be in Peachland between 4:00 pm and 8:00 pm on: th
Wednesday, October 19 Peachland Community Centre – 4450 6th Street For more information please visit our website: www.regionaldistrict.com