LETTER: South Okanagan wine industry not so rosé for everyone
OPINION
EDITOR'S NOTE: Reader Betty Campbell is writing in response to our story Why the Okanagan Valley has so many wineries; the Okanogan so few.
To the Editor:
Thanks for the article. Very informative.
I live in Oliver and I would just like to say, I feel it’s completely overkill in the South Okanagan. We have literally lost our diversification.
I also do not feel that the wine industry has been a ‘positive’ for animal habitat here.
The greatest example that I can give is the natural habitat for the Big Horn Sheep. There are many other species as well, but I am more familiar with the sheep as I live in the Gallagher Lake area and have been watching their habitat get used up for growing grapes.
They used to have the benches to graze and go further afield through the mountain range to Boundary as well. But now, as well, they have been faced with heat dome weather, fires everywhere and very little rain to replenish the food they need to survive.
Wildlife corridors in the South here are almost non existent as all this land is fenced in ‘Super Size’ fencing. Just getting from point A to B is impossible. Our herds here at Gallagher are dwindling. Even larger tracts of land that are just residences in the upper hills have absolutely everything fenced and although the lowly deer can manage a jump over not many other animals can accomplish that.
The tree fruit industry used to last from June to end of October as well as the pruning season and employed a great number of workers for that time. I realize that the grapes need pruning, but after that small numbers of workers are used until harvest, where as; the first fruit harvest started in June and ended at the end of apple season (don’t forget Jan. Feb. for pruning.) which was usually end of October.
Because the apple industry was so huge in the fall here in Oliver, at SOHS, we were given two to three weeks off school to seek employment picking them. I miss the smell of the spring blossoms as well the beauty that surrounded us at that time.
Thanks for your time. I rarely make a comment letter like this one but your article touched a nerve with me.
Betty Campbell, Oliver
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