South Okanagan animal rescue urgently wants assist with securing meals for feral cat colony – Oliver/Osoyoos Information

Photo: File photograph

The emergency division at South Okanagan General Hospital shall be closing in a single day Friday to Saturday morning, attributable to restricted doctor availability.

Interior Health mentioned emergency providers shall be unavailable from 6 p.m. on Friday to 7 a.m. on Saturday.

Emergency sufferers are being directed to the Penticton Regional Hospital.

All different inpatient providers will proceed as regular at South Okanagan General Hospital.

Anyone with life-threatening emergency care ought to name 911.

The emergency division in Oliver is generally open 24/7 however has been affected by closures for a lot of months.

Photo: Pixabay

While the extreme chilly has individuals and their pets limiting their time outdoor, an Okanagan raptor rescue is reminding residents that birds of prey can take care of themselves on this climate.

SORCO Raptor Rehabilitation Centre is positioned in Oliver, however serves the complete Okanagan area.

Manager Dale Belvedere mentioned these days they’ve been inundated with calls with individuals assuming the birds are in bother and taking them indoors.

“They’re choosing them up. They’re placing them in towels. They’re placing them in packing containers, after which they’re calling us, however there’s nothing flawed with these birds. Thankfully, we have been in a position to inform everyone simply to launch them. The level I’m attempting to make is, sure, it is very chilly. I imply, we’re all freezing. But these raptors know defend themselves,” she mentioned.

Raptors will take their time to fluff their feathers and discover a nook in a tree for shelter to guard themselves on this excessive chilly.

“And vice-versa, they try this in the summertime with the warmth,” Belvedere mentioned. “I do know everybody’s involved and we admire it. Please name us [before touching the birds] first and we’ll instruct you. If we expect there may be an harm to the hen, we’ll undoubtedly exit.”

By bringing in an owl or raptor inside, Belvedere mentioned individuals are really doing extra hurt than good.

“You’re warming them up and so they’re not used to it. This is just not a pure atmosphere for them,” she mentioned, including that at their rescue services, the flight pens are uncovered on one aspect to the atmosphere so it isn’t unnatural for the birds to expertise the weather when they’re therapeutic from an harm.

“I simply need to thank everyone for being so involved, so supportive. It’s a troublesome time and we admire it.”

Belvedere mentioned if anybody spots a raptor they’re involved about, they’re welcome to name SORCO and the crew will assist to direct them to know if the birds wants assist or not. It is all the time higher to first name the rescue, slightly than contact, work together with or decide up the wildlife.

For extra info on SORCO, a registered non-profit, together with become involved, click here.

Anyone who believes they’ve discovered an injured raptor can name SORCO at 250-498-4251.

Photo: Destination Osoyoos

Wine Capital Weekend will return in September 2024, stuffed with occasions for all wine lovers.

From Sept. 20 to 22, 2024, Oliver shall be host to a weekend-long celebration of wine, craft drinks, reside performances, and native artistry.

Attendees can anticipate the next occasions:

• Friday, Sept. 20: The third annual kick-off get together at District Wine Village with reside music, native wines, beers, and cocktails, and gourmand delights from Wards Wine Country Kitchen
• Saturday, Sept. 21: The eighth annual Cask & Keg Festival showcasing native craft beer, cider, and spirits. Explore tastings from over 20 craft beverage distributors, savour native meals truck choices, dance the day away to reside music and take within the entertaining problem of the Beer Olympics
• Sunday, Sept. 22: The twenty fifth annual Festival of the Grape will showcase unique wine tastings from 40+ native wineries, reside music, meals vehicles, an unique VIP space, and the enduring grape stomp competitors.

“As we look forward to the 2024 Wine Capital Weekend, we’re thrilled to have fun the twenty fifth anniversary of the Festival of the Grape,” mentioned Danielle Hutton, chair of the Wine Capital Weekend committee, in a press launch.

“This milestone not solely marks a quarter-century of vibrant festivities but in addition underscores the deep-rooted significance of this pageant to our beloved group of Oliver and the complete Okanagan area. Join us within the pleasure as we embark on one other yr of pleasure, unity, and cherished traditions!”

Ticket gross sales and extra occasion particulars shall be introduced within the coming months.

Photo: Pixabay inventory picture

Ahead of more and more chilly temperatures within the South Okanagan, an Oliver church shall be opening an emergency in a single day shelter.

The Seventh Day Adventist Church at 748 Similkameen Avenue will open its doorways at 4:00 p.m. in the present day till 8:30 a.m. Friday morning.

The shelter is run by the Town of Oliver, and operates on an as-needed foundation.

In Osoyoos, the Sonora Centre is working as a warming centre throughout common working hours, that are Monday to Friday 8:30 a.m. to 9 p.m., and Saturday 9 a.m. to 4 p.m.

Further north, Penticton has an in a single day shelter working as effectively.

Zak Vescera – Local Journalism Initiative/The Tyee – Jan 11, 2024 / 10:05 am | Story: 466691

Photo: Shutterstock

This article was initially printed in The Tyee and is printed on Castanet by the Local Journalism Initiative.

A outstanding Okanagan winemaker has been accused of sexually assaulting a international farmworker in his make use of, bringing consideration to advocates’ considerations about sexual abuse of migrant farmhands.

Randhir (Randy) Toor, co-owner and former president of Desert Hills Estate Winery in Oliver, is being accused by a Mexican farmworker of sexually assaulting her after a celebration at Toor’s cabin final month.

Toor has not been charged with any crime however is called in a December RCMP search warrant utility filed in Penticton provincial courtroom, as first reported by Joe Fries within the Penticton Herald.

The RCMP file quantity on that warrant is identical because the one on an Oliver RCMP press launch issued final week saying a “prominent member” of the native winemaking trade had been accused of sexual assault and urging another victims to return ahead.

The allegations haven’t been examined in courtroom and Toor, a former Oliver city councillor and RCMP auxiliary officer, didn’t reply to messages despatched to his private electronic mail tackle and social media accounts.

In an announcement, lawyer Vincent Michaels mentioned he’s representing Toor.

“To be clear, Mr. Toor has not been charged with any offences arising from the investigation you refer to,” Michaels wrote. “If charges are ever approved, Mr. Toor welcomes that opportunity to better understand the substance and basis of these allegations.”

“We are presently conducting our own inquiries to try to determine the facts behind all of this,” he wrote.

The Tyee has not been in a position to contact the girl accusing Toor and doesn’t publish the names of complainants in sexual assault circumstances with out their permission.

Support employees within the Okanagan and lecturers, whereas not talking concerning the particulars of this case, say sexual assaults in opposition to migrant farmworkers in British Columbia are a typical and unchecked drawback.

Abusers are typically additionally their employers, their landlords and their solely manner of legally remaining within the nation. Those on closed work permits are usually required to return home in the event that they’re fired or laid off.

Anelyse Weiler is a sociology professor on the University of Victoria who has labored straight with migrant farmworkers who have been survivors of sexual assault. She mentioned the few circumstances which can be reported seemingly “represent just the tip of the iceberg of sexual violence towards agricultural workers in B.C.”

The alleged crime

According to the RCMP sworn utility for a search warrant, the girl alleges the Okanagan businessman picked her and two feminine co-workers up from an Osoyoos Tim Hortons on the afternoon of Dec. 2.

The three, all Mexican nationals, labored for Toor at a farm he owned in close by Cawston.

Toor drove the group to a cabin he owns on the Mount Baldy ski resort for an “evening of food, drink and jacuzzi,” the RCMP utility mentioned.

The girl reported that “she had gotten intoxicated and fallen asleep in the nearest bedroom on the second level of the cabin late in the evening but had woken up at some point and Toor was on top of her,” the applying mentioned. She advised RCMP officers she was “unable to care for herself due to her level of intoxication.”

The girl mentioned that the subsequent morning “she did not feel normal, her genitals hurt and she [was] visibly upset and crying.”

The girl mentioned she confronted Toor and he mentioned he had solely gone into her bed room to place a blanket on her.

The girl advised the RCMP that after Toor returned her to the farm, she contacted an area help employee who helps migrant farmworkers. They went to the Penticton Regional Hospital, the place conclusions of a sexual assault forensic examination have been “indicative of a sexual assault,” in line with the warrant utility ready by RCMP Const. Paula Good.

Jesús Valdés, a spokesman for the Mexican Consulate in Vancouver, mentioned in an electronic mail that they’d offered monetary assist to the girl and that the investigation was a “top priority for the Mexican government.”

Cpl. James Grandy mentioned police have been unable to launch additional particulars “to preserve the integrity of the investigation.”

At the time of the alleged crime, Toor was the president of Desert Hills Estate Winery, an organization he co-founded along with his twin brother within the late Nineties after they planted the primary Syrah vines within the South Okanagan. The vineyard now farms greater than 80 acres of grapes throughout 4 separate vineyards within the area.

On Dec. 22, the vineyard posted on Facebook that Toor “decided to retire” from his position as president. The vineyard’s supervisor didn’t reply to questions on whether or not Toor’s departure was associated to the allegations in opposition to him. That Facebook publish has since been deleted.

In 2022 Toor pleaded responsible to his involvement in a fraudulent immigration scheme, admitting an organization he co-directed created pretend jobs to recruit non permanent international employees. He agreed to pay $90,000 as a part of a settlement.

A system ripe for abuse

Weiler started finding out sexual violence in opposition to migrant farmworkers within the early 2010s, impressed by her first-hand expertise helping victims of sexual assault whereas volunteering within the Okanagan.

Last yr, greater than 12,000 non permanent international employees obtained a allow to work in British Columbia’s agricultural sector. That quantity has ballooned up to now decade as native farmers more and more depend on employees from Mexico, Guatemala, Jamaica and elsewhere to reap the province’s crops.

Such permits sometimes limit these employees to doing a single job for a single employer, who’s often additionally their landlord.

Weiler and different critics say that creates a ripe scenario for exploitation of all types, together with sexual abuse, a lot of which isn’t reported to authorities.

“Really, low-wage temporary foreign worker programs are designed in a way that invites an abuse of power, because they make workers deportable and unable to easily leave bad jobs,” Weiler mentioned. “Sexual violence is just one of the flavours of exploitation baked into Canada’s migrant farmworker program.”

A 2021 Statistics Canada examine discovered as little as six per cent of complete incidents of sexual assault within the nation ever come to the eye of legislation enforcement.

Weiler believes migrant employees are even much less more likely to report such circumstances due to language boundaries, social isolation and the “lopsided, disproportionate power that employers hold over workers” in Canada’s non permanent international employee applications.

There are not any onerous statistics on the prevalence of sexual assault in opposition to migrant farmworkers in Canada. But within the United States, one recent examine recognized as many as 80 per cent of Mexican agricultural employees had skilled sexual abuse or harassment on the job.

Juliana Cliplef, a workers lawyer with the Migrant Workers Centre authorized clinic, mentioned many employees concern complaining about sexual assault will lead to them shedding their job and even being compelled to go away the nation.

“We’ve had lots of circumstances where employees are really afraid that if they come forward and report an abusive employer, the abusive employer will just report them and try to get them deported,” Cliplef mentioned.

Cliplef runs the centre’s Respect at Work Legal Clinic, which is particularly funded to help migrant employees and newcomers who’re survivors of sexual assault and harassment. Since 2019, she mentioned, the clinic has taken on the circumstances of greater than 150 survivors of sexual assault, together with many farmworkers.

Often, Cliplef mentioned, these employees fear that making a grievance will cost them their job and any future employment in Canada.

Such employees are employed on seasonal contracts and are sometimes from nations with a lot larger charges of poverty and unemployment than Canada.

In many circumstances, Weiler mentioned, employees’ wages present for a whole household again home, which means they’re underneath “tremendous pressure” to maintain their jobs.

“For immigration purposes, they’re worried that if they have a complaint against their employer on the record, it will affect their future,” Cliplef mentioned.

She mentioned employees typically search justice by different channels. Some make complaints to the province’s Employment Standards Branch, for instance, or by the BC Human Rights Tribunal, neither of which has a coverage of alerting immigration officers to undocumented employees. But these boards, Cliplef famous, will not be set as much as take care of allegations of sexual assault.

The course of is much more troublesome for employees who’re undocumented.

Perla Villegas is an outreach employee with Radical Action with Migrants in Agriculture, certainly one of many businesses within the Okanagan set as much as assist the rising variety of migrant farmworkers within the area.

Villegas mentioned she has personally dealt with a minimum of 4 circumstances of migrant girls who have been sexually assaulted by their employers.

All needed to go to the police, Villegas mentioned, however have been unwilling to ultimately as a result of they have been undocumented and feared officers would drive them to go away the nation.

Villegas mentioned RCMP officers knowledgeable her that they might not guarantee border officers wouldn’t deport the ladies.

“They always want to report. But when I told them that there is a small risk for immigration officers to know about this, they say, ‘I am not willing to report,’” Villegas mentioned.

Valdés, in his assertion, mentioned the Mexican authorities believes such circumstances “represent a challenging situation for our migrant workers.”

“We would like to see more inspections performed by proper authorities to these farms, especially in the Okanagan,” Valdés mentioned.

Weiler argues the federal authorities ought to finish closed work permits, one thing Immigration Minister Marc Miller lately hinted is on the desk. Open work permits, Weiler argues, may enable employees to modify jobs away from abusive employers and higher defend themselves.

Cliplef believes employees who’re targets of sexual abuse also needs to be capable to apply for visas for victims of human trafficking — one thing she mentioned migrant farmworkers can’t do, since they enter the nation by authorized means.

Villegas argues there also needs to be particular exemptions for undocumented employees, defending them from deportation when they’re reporting severe crimes like sexual assault.

Photo: SOS Pride Society

Back by well-liked demand after a profitable first yr, the South Okanagan Similkameen Pride Society is as soon as once more internet hosting Winter Prom.

The Pride Winter Ball shall be at Oliver’s Venables Theatre on Saturday, Jan. 27, with a charcuterie buffet by Oliver Eats Ltd., a money bar for libations and an evening of unforgettable music from DJ Splendid Bastard.

The society mentioned tickets drop subsequent week in restricted numbers, so attendees ought to control their social media pages for the announcement.

People can select to decorate to impress, whether or not it is getting dolled up, draged up, glammed up, or punked up, outfits are welcome to make everybody really feel their greatest.

“Let’s make this evening a blinding celebration of affection and acceptance. See you on the dance flooring,” the society shared.

Friends and household are all the time welcome, and attendees are inspired to ask and convey alongside the allies of their life.

Tickets are simply $35, with the celebration kicking off at 7 p.m. and lasting till 11:30 p.m.

Stay tuned for ticket launch information and particulars on carpooling and lodging choices on their Facebook here.

Photo: SOS Pride Society

Photo: Jesse Zerr

Tensions have been excessive at Tuesday’s Osoyoos council assembly, because the ever-contentious concern of proposed tax hikes was as soon as once more entrance and centre.

In late October, council authorized a 2024 finances that may see common single-family dwelling house owners pay a complete general enhance of 39.3 per cent between property taxes and utilities.

At the time, council heard from workers that the municipality is in dire want of extra funding to take care of main infrastructure points, significantly long-beleaguered water and wastewater administration techniques — therefore the sudden soar in taxation and charges, after years of “artificially low” taxes.

Public backlash was swift after the sticker shock sunk in, and the finances was pulled again from adoption, and additional conferences on the matter have been promised.

On Tuesday, at council’s first assembly of 2024, two citizen delegates spoke to council, expressing displeasure with the best way council has communicated with the general public over the proposed tax hike.

“We need to hear from you. You should be front and centre as a good leader would be,” mentioned Sara van der Hoeven, an area business proprietor.

“Do we trust the city leadership? Residents want reassurance that their investment is secure, that the stewardship of our resources will be both transparent and effective.”

Van der Hoeven requested for extra city corridor conferences and measures comparable to monitoring techniques for the place tax {dollars} go, damaged down piece by piece.

“Explain it to [the people]. They don’t understand. They don’t get what you guys are talking about, you have to educate the people,” van der Hoeven mentioned.

“The community seeks your leadership now, more than ever. We look to you to implement these changes … A divided understanding leads to a divided community spirit. It is only through clear, consistent and transparent communication that we can rebuild trust and foster a community united, not in confusion, but in the common goal of prosperity and well-being.”

Another outstanding businessperson, JF Launier, additionally spoke, expressing displeasure that he and others in a rising motion in opposition to the tax hikes have needed to take issues, of their opinion, into their very own palms.

“We shouldn’t have had to get organized to be the voice of the people,” Launier mentioned.

“If businesses are going to relocate to more business-friendly communities like Oliver, we’re all in trouble … in short, it was really hard to be in business here in the last few years and instead of your leadership working hard to solve some of the already difficult problems, we’ve simply added a new one. Businesses need to stay competitive, and it’s your job to make sure that Osoyoos stays competitive to bring businesses to town and keep the ones already here.”

Launier puzzled aloud whether or not council had sought extra quotes for the work wanted on the water and sewer techniques, which workers stories present have been deteriorating for years. Many Osoyoos residents are aware of boil water notices and discoloured water from their residential faucets.

After Launier’s feedback, Coun. Johnny Cheong questioned a few of Launier’s private statements together with posts made on Facebook.

Launier circled again to the finances, and the matter of being heard.

“I don’t feel that I was heard. I didn’t hear in subsequent meetings that you actually deliberated over the budget. All I heard was that the budget was in place then got passed,” Launier mentioned, referring to having attended finances conferences in September and elevating considerations.

“I feel you’re being a bit of unfair to be crucial of us not doing the work, as a result of I feel we do loads of it … We completely are prepared to take a look at that vote and to take a look at how we are able to have a look at most of the points once more,” Mayor Sue McKortoff mentioned in response.

Cheong pressed Launier additional, referring to his position inside a gaggle of residents involved concerning the finances.

“You have to understand that your voice has a lot of power,” Cheong mentioned.

“When there may be misinformation and it isn’t 100 per cent right, it creates a story that’s merely not true, and it has additionally delayed capital tasks and different tasks … “ he added, earlier than overlapping dialogue and accusations started.

Launier quickly walked away from the microphone whereas accusing Cheong of bullying him, including “kiss my ass.”

Members of the gallery then started loudly talking up, accusing council of not listening to the townspeople, and never answering questions.

“It’s all a bunch of crap in this place,” one man mentioned.

Later within the assembly, council voted to rescind the five-year monetary plan with regard to water issues, opening it as much as future deliberation earlier than adoption.

All the taxation points, together with water issues, shall be mentioned at a particular upcoming assembly, open to public attendance.

It will take place on Jan. 16 at 6 p.m. on the Sonora Community Centre Gymnasium, and also will be available for on-line attendance.

It is not going to be an open discussion board. Attendees are requested to offer questions or feedback in writing or through electronic mail by 4 p.m. on Friday, Jan. 12. Written submissions might be dropped off at or mailed to the Town of Osoyoos workplace, or emailed to [email protected].

Those who want to make a presentation on the assembly are additionally requested to register by finish of day Friday, Jan. 12. Oral submissions are restricted to a few minutes per speaker.

“You have hired us and elected us to do this job. We’re trying to do the best that we can,” McKortoff mentioned.

More details about the 2024 finances might be discovered online here.