Tag Archive for: hiking

Bruce Turnbull

 

Fisherman and photographer

What do you love about the Okanagan? 

I love the fact that the South Okanagan is not heavily populated. It’s peaceful, quiet and has that rural feel. A healthy environment is tied to the quality of life here. For someone like me, who loves the outdoors, it is easy to walk out the door and in 15 minutes be in wilderness.

What do you worry about when you think about the Okanagan and the environment in the future? Why is a healthy environment important to you?

Since I and my family arrived here in 1981 I have seen huge changes in the valley. I gave up a career in a large City with a pretty decent pay cheque to come to the Okanagan because of the beauty and peacefulness here, but I do worry about over development and the problems that it will cause to the valley and the environment if left uncontrolled. I think that a good number of people who live here tend to forget what a paradise this valley is.

What will your own personal legacy for the Okanagan will be? What are you most proud of?

It’s important to me that the the environment doesn’t deteriorate further and that we should try to improve it where needed. If I can help with that I would be thrilled. I grew up spending a great deal of my time in the outdoors. It is because of this that I want to see my children and now my grandchildren, have the enjoyment I had as a child be it camping, hiking, bike riding, and fishing to list a few, as being available to enjoy today and well into the future including my grandchildrens children. How nice would that be.

What do you think about a household levy of $10/average/year? What could the benefits of a South Okanagan Conservation Fund be?

I can see the value of this fund. I think it should be higher than what is proposed. It’s a good start, and doesn’t seem to be an issue to most of the people I talk to. It’s incredible to witness improvements for wildlife, for example the return of bighorn sheep to the southern valley. Non-profit organizations and volunteer conservation clubs are having a really good impact. There is good value for money with groups like that working on conservation projects. I have seen and experienced it myself.

Josee Bergeron

Okanagan Blogger, mom of three

What do you love about the Okanagan? 

I love that the Okanagan Valley has such unique ecosystems and so much diversity. There is always so much to do, learn about and explore, from swimming and canoeing on its beautiful lakes, to rock climbing and hiking to reach spectacular views and even skiing and pond skating in the winter. Pair these great activities with the ever changing seasons and it’s easy to see why people come from around the world to visit, work and study in our beautiful valley. 

What do you worry about when you think about the Okanagan and the environment in the future? Why is a healthy environment important to you?

I worry that people don’t know enough about the uniqueness of our area and because of this lack of knowledge they do not understand the importance of stewardship. We live in a “throwaway” culture and I think people forget that we cannot treat our environment that way. If we throw away what we have, we may lose it forever. A healthy environment means a healthy individuals and a healthy community. The two go hand in hand.

What will your own personal legacy for the Okanagan will be? What are you most proud of?

This is a good question. I feel like I am on a journey to help families know more about the Okanagan Valley through my blog so that they will have the opportunities to connect with the land and make beautiful memories together. This feels like a small thing right now but perhaps it will grow over time.

What do you think about a household levy of $10/average/year? What could the benefits of a South Okanagan Conservation Fund be?


I think that this is a very reasonable amount. I personally would be willing to pay more. It’s the cost of a couple specialty coffees at Starbucks at least. There are many benefits to this fund, probably more than I can even think about. To be sure there will be naysayers (there always are with any change). However, this is a very small investment for our future. I would encourage people to step outside and go for a walk, look around and ask themselves “do we want our children, our grandchildren and even our great-grandchildren to enjoy good health and access to plenty of beautiful land during their lifetime?” I hope the answer is a resounding “yes!”.