The 10 best public figures in the Okanagan for reporters to interview
As print journalists, we all have good interviews and bad. Some sources are highly quotable, others it can be like pulling teeth. Some people are evasive, others are extremely forthright. Some high-profile individuals adore the press while others avoid the media.
On the international stage, journalists loved interviewing the late Robin Williams, because he was hilarious and also wanted to entertain... even a journalist doing a routine interview about an upcoming film.
Others, most notably athletes, have had a frosty relationship with the media. Former Major League Baseball all-star Albert Belle was among those who hated the press. (An old expression about sports writers: you don’t have to like them, you don’t have to respect them, but you do have to feed them.)
When we, as local print journalists are interviewed by journalism students or other outlets, we’re sometimes asked who our favourite interview subjects are.
Here are the 10 best high-profile individuals in the Okanagan to interview, and why, presented alphabetically.
JAMES BAKER Lake Country
Plain-speaking, direct, smart — these are some of the qualities that make a person a pleasure to interview.
James Baker has been to a few rodeos in his time.
The mayor of Lake Country is always easy to contact, and he’s well-versed on all the many issues that concern life in the town of 13,000.
As befits a former university professor, Baker has an encyclopedic knowledge on topics ranging from the seemingly mundane to the bafflingly arcane.
Although decisive when necessary, Baker can see the many sides of a topic, as when he mused earlier this year on the pros and cons of Lake Country’s homes being the most expensive in the Valley, at an average of $727,000.
“In terms of people being able to afford that kind of housing, I suppose it’s a good thing,” he said. “But, on the other hand, it means we probably don’t have as diverse a population as some other communities.”
MOYRA BAXTER Peachland
You can always count on the chair of the Central Okanagan school board to tell it like it is.
Moyra Baxter has been a school trustee for 22 years — never missing a meeting — and she is a strong advocate for public school education.
Baxter makes an ideal interview subject, because she is easily accessible, whether she is at her Peachland home or at the board office, and she has a deep understanding of the local education issues.
She answers questions straight and is not afraid to give her opinion on controversial topics.
“Although we don’t always agree, I think all the trustees make decisions based on what they think is best at the time,” she said last January.
DR. TREVOR CORNEIL Kelowna
Dr. Trevor Corneil speaks with great passion about the local drug overdose crisis.
The chief medical health officer with Interior Health is an excellent person to interview, for both his extensive knowledge on the topic of drug overdoses and his ability to clearly get his message across.
Corneil answers questions honestly and bluntly, calling the epidemic a “black hole” in December 2016.
“We don’t know where the bottom of the barrel is,” he said.
Although he has expressed his distress at the number of people dying,
Corneil also has a mission and a plan to engage more people into health services and decrease deaths.
“Every life saved is something that we have accomplished; every person we’ve engaged into treatment is an accomplishment,” he said.
CINDY FORTIN Peachland
James Baker’s counterpart in Peachland, Mayor Cindy Fortin, also has a refreshing way of telling it as it is. Or at least, as she sees things.
She’s somewhat of a divisive figure in the town of 5,000, criticized most prominently for her strong support of a five-storey building on Beach Avenue. She and town officials called the cops earlier this year when a meeting on the development got a little too boisterous for her liking.
Fortin also called the cops when a commenter on a website maintained by critics of the development suggested someone should burn down her house.
“I have a really high tolerance for insults and abuse, but something like that crosses the line,” Fortin said of the post. “It made me very nervous, and I did regard it as a threat to my family’s safety.”
Peachland has always been passionate about its politics. The town has a mayor who shares that passion.
BRUCE HAMILTON Kelowna
As the owner and general manager of the Kelowna Rockets — and one of the most influential men in the Western Hockey League — Bruce Hamilton is the go-to source for all things WHL.
He’s been around the game and the league longer than The Daily Courier’s sports writer Larry Fisher has been alive (33 years old), so it’s never a bad idea to pick Bruce’s brain.
And, once you’ve gained Hamilton’s trust, he can be a pretty open book both on the record and especially off the record. Often a good quote, Hamilton calls it like he sees it and pulls no punches.
Hamilton’s right-hand man Lorne Frey, the Rockets’ director of player personnel and bantam-draft guru, is also an encyclopedia of hockey knowledge and any conversations with him should be cherished since they always contain invaluable insight.
Together, they have proven to be a dynamic duo — as evidenced by all the banners hanging in the rafters of Prospera Place.
CORIE GRIFFITHS Kelowna
As the director of the Central Okanagan Economic Development Commission, Corie Griffiths has her finger on the pulse of the local economy.
The Okanagan Weekend’s business reporter Steve MacNaull constantly reaches out to Griffiths for comment, insight and perspective on issues ranging from quarterly economic indicators and unemployment figures to the continued strength of traditional sectors and the incredible contribution of the new high technology sector. Others also value her expertise. She’s a member of the regional advisory committees for Okanagan College and UBC Okanagan and she sits on the boards of Accelerate Okanagan, the Economic Developer Association of Canada and the Local Government Management Association.
BRUCE JOHNSON Penticton
When Okanagan Skaha School District 67 trustees awarded the superintendent a double-digit pay raise — in camera and at the start of a new term — nobody would talk. “The board chair (Linda Van Alphen, at the time) speaks for the board,” was the reply from the likes of Barb Sheppard, Shelley Clarke, Ginny Manning and Julie Planiden. And that’s democracy? But, two trustees actually spoke with the press and let their feelings be known, Johnson and Bill Bidlake.
Johnson is the board’s best cheerleader when it comes to kids and staff.
Unrelated, knowing that Penticton is a small town and rumours often get out of hand, Johnson was very public in his battle with pancreatic cancer.
DAVID PRYSTAY Penticton
In 2010, when the B.C. government lowered its roadside warning to .05 for impaired drivers, five bars or service clubs declined comment to The Penticton Herald. Even though most tavern owners didn’t want to go on the record, we knew one man would talk to us... David Prystay.
As general manager of the Penticton Lakeside Resort, he loves to comment on just about anything. His thoughts are often profound, intelligent and genuine but more often than not... funny.
During last year’s floods, he did a photoop where he was offering life preservers to customers of the Hooded Merganser restaurant. He’s banned Donald Trump from The Barking Parrott, donated coins in the fountain to help pay off the city’s debt.
When asked about the casino relocating beside Memorial Arena, he bluntly said, “I’m not sure where they’re going to park. When we did our casino here (at the Lakeside), the City changed the bylaw and made us build a 200-stall parkade. Now the new bylaw for the casino over at the convention centre is 24 stalls.”
That remark was made in 2016. This month, the City announced its was taking public input on solving parking issues at the SOEC complex.
TOM SIDDON Kaleden
The former Progressive Conservative cabinet minister spent 15 years as a member of Parliament (BurnabyRichmond-Delta) before “retiring” to Kaleden where he would later serve two terms on the Regional District of Okanagan Similkameen and one term on the school board. As Minister of Indian Affairs and Northern Development, Siddon’s legacy remains the establishment of Nunavut as a new territory.
Siddon’s incredible knowledge of history, science, politics, and just about everything else makes him a favourite with local media.
He’s extremely generous with his time and often explains things in layman’s terms.
When interviewing Siddon, you do have to schedule at least 20 minutes because there’s not such thing as a “quick answer” from him.
DON WRIGGLESWORTH Penticton
For many in the South Okanagan media, Tuesday morning was a highlight of the week for them as the Penticton corporal gave an update from the RCMP.
Wrigglesworth was always accessible to the media, even answering his phone after hours.
He’s limited in what he can and can not say, but if he’s not able to answer a question, he plays it with you straight.
He was also visible in the community in various volunteer capacities including scout leader and hockey referee.
His ability to communicate extended beyond talking with the press. He’s great with the downtown street people as well as all of the merchants.
He has since been reassigned to different duties.
Had “Downtown Don” not pursued a career in policing, he would have made a great stand-up comedian.