Spotlight shines on Osoyoos
EDITOR’S NOTE: In recognition of Canada’s 150th anniversary, The Herald is reprinting historic stories from the South Okanagan focusing on the biggest news story of each year.
OTTAWA — Residents of Osoyoos have something to shout about after being voted the most beautiful small town in Canada. Osoyoos Mayor Tom Shields was at the Parliament Hill ceremony in Ottawa Saturday night along with director of development services Brad Elenko and administrator Joe Ukryn.
When the winner of the category for towns under 5,000 population was announced, Shields couldn’t contain himself. He flew out of his chair, toppling it over in the process, and let out a whoop “heard all over Parliament Hill.”
About 250 people attended the First National Awards of Communities in Bloom, a competition to promote the beautification of towns and cities across the country.
The contest included a category for provincial capitals — with Winnipeg taking honours — as well as three others based on population no greater than 5,000 (Osoyoos); 30,000 (Rosemere, Que.); and 100,000 (Brantford, Ont.).
Four panels of judges toured the country throughout the summer searching for the prettiest locales in the land, their criteria being beautification, environmental awareness, and level of participation by the community.
Osoyoos itself was judged by Art Drysdale of the Weather Network, and two others from Nova Scotia and Newfoundland. The judges were impressed by how Osoyoos has met the unique challenge of straddling two environments — the irrigated orchards of the Okanagan Valley to the north, and the desert flora and fauna of the Sonora Desert to the south. In particular, they were struck by the community’s use of “xeriscape” or dryland landscaping, Shields said, and its system of wastewater spray irrigation. In 1978, Osoyoos became the first community in Canada to use wastewater for irrigation.