Gratitude event April 27 for wildfire responders
The Okanagan community is gearing up for a heartfelt celebration as we prepare to honour the bravery and dedication of our wildfire responders.
The Okanagan Wildfire Responders Gratitude Event is set to take place on Saturday, April 27th, from 10 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. at Memorial Park in West Kelowna.
Last August, the McDougall Creek Wildfire threatened the community, and it was the courage and tireless efforts of our firefighters, first responders, and support workers that helped keep us safe. Now, it’s our turn to show our gratitude.
The OWRGE will be a joyous, family-friendly occasion, featuring live music, delicious food, special activities, and a formal gratitude ceremony.
Organizers are thrilled to announce that Jamie Tawil from Global News Okanagan will be serving as the event’s cmcee.
The schedule of events is packed with entertainment for all ages, including a Walk of Heroes, an official ceremony, and performances by talented local artists and musicians.
Schedule of Events:
10 a.m.-4:30 p.m. Entertainment and family activities
10:30 a.m.-Noon: Walk of Heroes and official ceremony.
11:30 a.m.-2:30 p.m.: Free Barbeque (Sponsored by Evangel/Emmanuel Church)
Noon-4:30 p.m.: Stage entertainment (Sponsored by Big Steel Box)
The official Gratitude Ceremony will commence at 10:30 a.m. with the Walk of Heroes, led by Fire Chief Jason Brolund and the West Kelowna Firefighter Honour Guard.
Dignitary speeches, including representatives from local, provincial, and federal levels, will follow, along with a special Rotarian presentation.
The stage schedule is as follows: 11:45 a.m.: Mount Boucherie Secondary School Band
12:20 p.m.: Mount Boucherie Secondary School Jazz Band
1 p.m.: Local Recording and friends
2 p.m.: Local Johns
2:45 p.m.: Local Rock Group - Crisprr 3:40 p.m.: Local Recording Artist – Nico and friends
This community event is free for all to attend, and donations are welcomed, with proceeds benefiting the West Kelowna Professional Firefighters Charitable Society.
For more information on how the community can get involved as a volunteer or to donate, visit the OWRGE website.
Recording
Artist – Nico
Artist
– Andrew
Penticton city councillors will be getting short-changed if they don’t obey an incoming code of conduct.
A bylaw was amended to make it happen at Tuesday’s council meeting.
The first penalty means a 10% deduction for one infraction, 15% for a second and 25% if there are three or more. Pay will return to normal after one year.
Couns. Amelia Boultbee and James Miller remain opposed.
“My biggest problem is with the length of the fines -- 12 months is an awfully long time to penalize somebody,” Boultbee said.
“If someone on council does run afoul of the code of conduct, we want to give people the opportunity and to move on past any mistakes they’ve made and having them penalized for a full year is excessive so I’m going to be voting against it,” the first term-councillor said.
Miller isn’t opposed to a code of conduct, but he doesn’t agree with financial penalties.
“It disproportionately impacts (members of council) who rely on the income,” he said.
And Miller doesn’t want Penticton to be the first municipality in B.C. with a system to garnish the wages of its elected officials.
“I know that (fines are) the last resort but I think that everybody’s an adult. And the way I read it its, oh can we not go out for recess, do we have to do lines on the chalkboard?”
The longest serving member of the current roster, Coun. Campbell Watt, thinks the code of conduct is a good tool for council to hold itself accountable, even if it’s not immediately perfect.
“This is sort of a work in progress. Staff can make note that we’d like to fine-tune this as we go,” Watt said. Coun. Helena Konanz, who voted in favour of the code of conduct, suggested revisiting it after a year.
“We want to make sure that the intent of this is actually what is happening,” she said.
The mayor of Penticton’s remuneration is $78,332 plus expenses and councillors get $25,936 plus expenses.
The framework for Penticton’s code of conduct will be based upon something similar from the District of Saanich, albeit they have no financial penalties.
An independent third party will determine if complaints are legitimate and whether to proceed with an investigation.
“A member, staff member or volunteer may submit a complaint to the Corporate Officer,” City of Penticton spokesman Shane Mills wrote in an email.
“So yes, councilors can report infractions. The public doesn’t have the ability to file a complaint under this process.”