FROM THE HILL: It's good to be back
By Dick Cannings MP
Parliament rose late in June and I must say it is so good to be back at home in the riding enjoying summer and all the benefits that go with this season. I celebrated Canada Day in Penticton with a record crowd of proud and happy folks taking in the sunny weather, good music and tasty treats. Farmers Markets are going full tilt again and special events are popping up all over.
I spent last Saturday at the Penticton Scottish Festival where hundreds of people with Scottish heritage (or wish they were Scots!) gathered to watch the athletics, dancing and of course the pipe bands. I know bagpipes are not everyone’s cup of tea, but personally I love the sound, and having seven pipe bands march by does a world of good for my soul. A special treat there was hearing the New Zealand Youth Pipe Band that had come all the way to British Columbia to play at events and take part in workshops.
Another treat of being home is that my strawberry, raspberry and black currant crops are off the charts, so I’ve been busy making jam and pies, and our sour cherries are just getting ripe now. Unfortunately, the grape, apricot and peach crops were essentially wiped out this year during the January flash freeze. Orchardists, vineyard owners and wine makers are struggling to get through a year of no produce. But remember, there is still plenty of wine in most local winery cellars from previous years, so please shop locally to help that sector through these difficult times.
June is our wettest month in the southern Interior, and this year was no exception although precipitation was a little below average. But now the regime has sharply shifted to hot, dry weather as we feel the effects of a serious heat dome affecting the southwestern United States. With temperatures in the high 30s and no rain in sight, anxieties about wildfires are beginning to rise. High temperatures, low humidity and afternoon winds are a sure-fire formula to turn any fire into raging inferno. So please be careful with cigarettes, hot engines and other ignition sources when out in the woods. And don’t even think about lighting a campfire in this weather.
We don’t want a repeat of last year’s smoke-filled summer that had a seriously negative impact on local businesses and residents alike. Thousands of people in the southern Interior were evacuated from their homes and many lost everything.
Indeed, the impacts of our extreme climate events are felt across every sector. I have been meeting regularly with the insurance sector and they admit that costs are sharply rising for them and their customers. Many people who lost their homes last summer have yet to settle with insurers, and home insurance premiums are going up across the country. It’s difficult to even get home insurance at all—and therefore a mortgage–when buying a home during a fire-filled summer. This is just one of the real costs of climate change.
One of the priorities I’ve focussed on in Ottawa has been on these costs—how we can plan for the future to reduce the frequency and severity of destructive fires and floods, and how we can best help Canadians deal with these disasters when they do happen. I’ve proposed a national wildfire fighting force that could really help battle fires before they get out of control. I’ve proposed increased funding for disaster adaptation and insurance guarantees. I’ve worked on proposals to help orchardists and wineries survive after losing their entire crops. And I’ve tried to extend the loan deadlines for businesses impacted by these extreme weather events. These are critical conversations and I sincerely hope that the federal government will listen before it’s too late for many families and businesses across the country.
