Following are emailed reader responses to stories or letters to the editor for the third week of April 2024. They have been edited slightly for readability. 

Got something you want to add? Send an email to editor Marshall Jones at mjones@infonews.ca.

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Police 'aware' of paramilitary Guardians of Humanity, not working with them

"In the US these gangs attract a lot of drug addicts and other unstable people. Hope the RCMP keeps a close watch on these gangs." — Robert Bishop

"Cops are too busy investigating who did a burn out on rainbow cross walk. If they actually did their job and investigated the very real corruption and criminal behaviour in our federal government groups like this would have no reason to exist." — Noah Eade

"This is great news we need a lot more people like this in our twisted corrupt country." — Ricklynrenos Reno

How Kamloops councillors and staff have leashed the mayor

"My take on our city council is they should all resign and we should have another election. What is one thing they have accomplished since they have been in office."  — Ladele Minifie

"Our mayor needs to resign. I will give him the benefit of the doubt that he is sincere, but nothing more. He hasn’t made any progress, except to trigger legal fees. From the outside looking in, it’s hard to know how well our council tried to build a working relationship with the mayor. I think they did try, but our mayor seems to have only have room for one opinion, his own. We deserve better. So we need the province to suspend our mayor, immediately. Appoint an interim so we can get on with business, Kamloops business. The growing number of our community who now see homelessness on the horizon. Our healthcare disaster. It’s a long list. We can’t wait any more." — Robin Dunn

Penticton business set to launch cannabis consumption patio on 4/20

"I’m very sorry to learn that there will be an outdoor cannabis patio in Penticton soon. That means the rest of us have to walk by and smell that awful skunk smell when we are in the downtown area." — Eva Gainer

"I wonder then, how many will then get in the car and drive home? Question, when you do become too impaired to drive and if in an accident, will the patio owner be responsible? Interesting." — Marti Giroux

Victoria backs off hefty council wage hike; Kelowna pushes ahead

Kelowna city councillors Ron Cannan, Gordon Lovegrove, Mohini Singh and Rick Webber voted against the whopping pay raises during the first and second council meetings on the subject, March 25 and April 8.

I'm wondering why the four changed their minds and voted for the raises during the third and final vote on April 15. 

At the April 8 meeting, council voted 5-4 in favour of an amendment to the council remuneration adjustments. Mayor Tom Dyas praised the council's "courage" for passing the raises.

After the April 15 vote, Kelowna city clerk Laura Bentley wrote in an email to the media: "No members of council raised their hands to vote in opposition to adoption of the council remuneration bylaw. The draft minutes reflect a unanimous vote."

Unanimous: being of one mind; agreeing completely.

So it appears the Dyas-led council will now join the ranks of other famous people, groups and forums:

* Number One (William Riker, Capt. Jean-Luc Picard’s First Officer)
* The Dynamic Duo (Batman and Robin)
* The Three Musketeers (Athos, Porthos, Aramis)
* The Fab Four (John, Paul, George, Ringo)
* The Dionne Quintuplets (birth order: Yvonne, Annette, Cécile, Émilie, Marie)
* The Six Friends (Chandler, Joey, Monica, Phoebe, Rachel, Ross)
* The Seven Dwarfs (Bashful, Doc, Dopey, Grumpy, Happy, Sleepy, Sneezy)
* The G8 (the political forum that ran from 1997 until 2014: Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, Russia, United Kingdom, United States)
* The Courageous Kelowna Nine

Who knows, perhaps the city council's unanimous vote will eventually begin trending on X (formerly known as Twitter), with users flocking to the hashtag #CourageousKelownaNine.

Any member of Kelowna city council who is thinking about or planning to run for council again in the October 2026 municipal election should reflect on the words of celebrated American poet Robert Frost: "Have courage and a little willingness to venture and be defeated."

David Buckna
Kelowna, B.C.

North Okanagan family 'aren't safe' after murder suspect released

"Our judicial system is an embarrassing joke." — Paul Lenz

iN VIDEO: Stray tire makes for wheeley weird morning in West Kelowna

"I had the left front tire come off my car just before the over pass north of Village Green mall. Rush hour traffic, it went across 2 lanes, jumped the concrete median, across 2 more lanes and into the ditch. No one got hit and we managed to pull the car over on 3 wheels." — Bonnie Derry

'INCENDIARY': Crown wants protestor David Lindsay in jail for a year

"Yes, yes, yes. I believe one can protest without being obnoxious, displaying “bully” persona and tactics. Where do people get off, throwing insults at people, blocking people’s going ons, walking, etc. They lack respect for themselves and especially the rest of society.  And someone that does it every week is in the extreme. They just become a nuisance, sometimes requiring police intervention, therefore costing taxpayers and taking police away from more important things that may be occurring. When protesters do not “get the message” – yes, a year in jail perhaps will give that person time to think about their behaviour and how it impacts the rest of society."  — Dolores "Dee" Newman

"I do not think that David Lindsay should go to jail. He holds peaceful protests. The Palestinian/Hamas protests are almost violent and nothing is said or done about them." — Willi Miks

"Lock him up!" — Stewart Wallach

"If this is within the expected for simple assault, it is fine." — Evan HW

"David Lindsay? No victims here except 40 million Canadians with the government's knee on everyones neck in the form of crushing inflationary policies and counter constitutional impositions that manifested as a result of throwing out risk stratification, cost-benefit analysis, informed consent, medical freedom and doctor-patient autonomy." — Justin Gauthier

"My name is Sherin Gauvin, I live in Kelowna, I am a grandmother of 12 and great grandmother of 10. I have been attending our freedom rallies since the beginning. I was present at Interior Health the day of the alleged assault. And no there was no assault as anyone can see on the videos. These charges against David are political. Sitting in court and listening to the Crown Attorney leading the judge with false accusations and insulting statements was very painful for all of David's friends and supporters. Thanks for unbiased reporting, there is very little of it in any mainstream media." — Sherin Gauvin

Interior Health investigating possible 'illicit substance' that sent Penticton hospital staff to ER

To me and others this story presents the evidence against the allowance of illicit drugs for personal use. There are more bits of evidence such as teens being exposed to these drugs. The government and those that agree with this trial have only to look south to the states where similar trials have failed and have been stopped.

The exposure of those new to these illicit drugs by whatever means is creating a new drug dependant generation. Drug acceptance is a failure to understand that it's a form of ignoring the problem and hoping it will get better. Wishful thinking. Those that sell drugs on the street are enjoying the source of government agency produced legal drugs now. Less likely to be caught as a drug dealer when your selling drugs made by the government agency.

Rehabilitation programs are the way to go as many communities in other provinces are finding. Get back to creating avenues that don’t involve handing out amounts of illicit drugs.

Don Raincock

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Liberals say their plan to 'solve the housing crisis' will build 3.9M homes by 2031

The federal Liberals have unveiled their plan to solve the housing crisis, building on recent announcements with new tax incentives, more than a billion dollars for homelessness and a country-wide effort to build more housing on public lands.

The big question regarding the urgent solving of the housing problem in Penticton rests on two properties both that have been cleared for development. 1: Lots in the 2000 block of Skaha Lake Road, across from Walmart Mall. 2: 500 block of Main Street, these have been cleared for building since 2021.

Now the federal government has announced billions for new housing by 2031. Since these two local properties are ready for development; what  is taking the provincial government so long to put shovels in the ground? Penticton is known as a city with many many vacant lots. Our city council clears the way to build but it just doesn’t seem to happen. In fact many lots that are cleared for development just end up as gravel pits within our city limits. Just look around at our downtown core.

Bruce Manery

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