Land development, tourism, vineyard provide many jobs for the Osoyoos
BY SHAWN CONNER, VANCOUVER SUNJUNE 21, 2013 3:11 http://www.vancouversun.com/life/Land+development+tourism+vineyard+provide+many+jobs+Osoyoos/8558827/story.html Winemaker Randy Picton, left, and band Chief Clarence Louie examine a sample of Merlot from the band's vineyard in the red wine barrel room at the Nk'Mip Cellars in Osoyoos. Photograph by: Ian Lindsay, Vancouver Sun Files, Vancouver SunLeasing land has been very good for the Osoyoos band. It's easily the biggest source of revenue for the Okanagan First Nation, says Chief Clarence Louie. "We have more jobs than we have band members," Louie said. The band, over 500 strong, employs people from more than 30 First Nations, including some from Manitoba, Saskatchewan, and Alberta, as well as from B.C. and the Yukon. "We're probably the only band that can say we employ that many First Nations," Louie, who's been chief since 1985, said. "Plus, we employ hundreds of non-native people." The Osoyoos first leased part of their land in 1961, for what would become the Nk'Mip Canyon Desert Golf Course. In 1968, the Osoyoos nation started its first business, the Inkameep vineyard. "I dare say we may have the oldest band-owned business in the country," Louie said. The vineyard has grown to 121 hectares and partly supplies Nk'Mip Cellars, the band's winery. Nk'Mip was named the No. 1 winery in B.C. (and No. 2 in all of Canada) at the 2012 Wine Access Canadian Wine Awards. The band has retained rights to 12,140 hectares. However, the best lands were taken away by the government in the early part of the last century. "Half the town of Oliver" is now on what was once Osoyoos property, he says. "Our people love the hills and mountains. But the vast majority of our reserve is hills and mountains. And rocks." Nonetheless, the nation's Osoyoos Indian Band Development Corporation has a number of projects underway or recently completed. Phase 1 of the Senkulmen Business Park is finished, as is a new gas station and convenience store. A housing project, the Canyon Desert Resort, is in Phase 2. And the province has leased Osoyoos land for a $200-million prison, with a scheduled completion date of 2015. With more money and jobs coming, Louie would like to see his band become self-sufficient, and achieve 100 per cent employment. "But every town, every reserve has a lazy crowd, what the old-timers call 'the lazy ones,' " he said. "Some of these guys, you could give them $50 an hour and they'd still get their ass fired. "But the vast majority of my people, 80 to 90 per cent, are hard-working and self-sufficient." [Non-text portions of this message have been removed] ------------------------------------ Native News North List info{all lists}: http://nativenewsonline.org/natnews.htm Yahoo! Groups Links <*> To visit your group on the web, go to: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/NatNews-north/ <*> Your email settings: Individual Email | Traditional <*> To change settings online go to: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/NatNews-north/join (Yahoo! ID required) <*> To change settings via email: natnews-north-dig...@yahoogroups.com natnews-north-fullfeatu...@yahoogroups.com <*> To unsubscribe from this group, send an email to: natnews-north-unsubscr...@yahoogroups.com <*> Your use of Yahoo! Groups is subject to: http://docs.yahoo.com/info/terms/
