Mr. Derek Noske, the Vice Chair of Destination Osoyoos Corporation,

The letter of January 7, 2009, from Mr. Derek Noske, the Vice Chair of Destination Osoyoos Corporation, the Town of Osoyoos Economic development contractor, continues to bolster the positives and cloud the issues that really matter to society. What really matters to society is whether the Town’s economic development model meets the standard society should expect as it faces the challenges of the future. I do completely agree with the main premise in Mr. Noske’s letter. It is of course the Town Council that carries the accountability for the economic development model and contract with Destination Osoyoos. The reason I wrote that Mr. Eastbury’s and society’s focus should not be Destination Osoyoos but the Town Council and government, is because the Town’s economic development model clearly doesn’t meet the standard in a modern democratic representative governed mixed monetary economy as Canada’s. The model fails to address issues that hamper investment in sustainable economic production in businesses, or provide better education and better paid employment. The model also fuels economic development that usurps social, economic and economic realities, which subsequently contradicts the constitution as laid out in the Canadian Charter. In my guise as member of the community, I have therefore suggested that what is needed is an independent study of the Town of Osoyoos economic development model. Since the constitutional accountability for economic development - a tax transfer - is government’s responsibility and not the municipality’s. The research should be jointly funded by the provincial and federal government and the research could be done by UBCO. Needless to say, just because other communities are using the same model is not evidence that the model meets the standard that society needs. Municipalities across Canada are facing the same fundamental social, economic and ecological issues, and as a footnote; I am concerned that the municipality taxation system including the Tourist Tax scheme hampers all sustainable economic production, and that needs to be modernized. The healthcare system is another, Destination Osoyoos being involved in healthcare issues, such as physician recruitment, and then takes credit for what would have happened anyways, is absurd. Hence, the research of the Osoyoos model would benefit other communities in the development of more efficient government polices, and subsequently also benefit Canada. Again society’s focus should not be Destination Osoyoos. The focus should be our Councilors, MLA’s and MP’s and the level of understanding in Town Council, our provincial legislative assembly and parliament. Definitely it would be best for society, but rather than be defensive, would it not be better for Destination Osoyoos, if its’ board, positively participates in an independent analysis of the Town of Osoyoos economic development model? I suggest that is something a diligent board seriously should consider – why wouldn’t they?

OISD 

 January 10, 2009