Vote Agriculture over Illegal Winery heli tours

[GenesisGT]

Checked ALR rules and Transport Canada Regs don't find anything that states a helicopter cannot land and take off at a winery on ALR land.

[Urban Cowboy]

Checked ALR rules and Transport Canada Regs don't find anything that states a helicopter cannot land and take off at a winery on ALR land.

Stands to reason. I'd also imagine that Transport Canada regulations trump anything local, but it's that part I'm not sure of.

[EZGuy]

Excellent genesis, I appreciate someone who does some research. However google simply can't capture everythine.

Please contact the ALC office in Burnaby and ask for the decision letter from the ALC's CEO on file #81500-30-10 helicopter tours. Best do so before Wednesday because if Crusty Clark gets back in someone will be likely be fired and the letter will be triple deleted! Oh yes remember the Libs did that too.

Federal regulations sometimes trump Provincial which sometime trump municipal regs however it's for specific circumstances like placement of a prison. The higher the government level the more general and vague the regulation. So marijuana may become legal to purchase (vague) at the federal level but if local regulations do not permit sales of marijuana beside a high school (specific) the local regs overrule. So in BC on lands within the ALR helicopters may land on agricultural lands strictly for agricultural purposes - not as a commercial use. The Liberal government know this. The rules it seems, don't apply if you are a winery owner who has bought their way into a famous cash for access dinner, then you get to do whatever.

There are a lot of excellent winery's in the Okanagan who operate without heli tours, loud concerts and late hour special events. Those winery's have my full support - but the business thugs that operate outside of the regulations should be warned to stop, fined the second offence then shut down if they don't comply.

[Gone_Fishin]

Federal legislation always trumps provincial, as provincial trumps municipal. Always.

[Urban Cowboy]

The argument could well be made that having a helicopter tour land at a winery, is in essence agricultural, since they are purchasing what is grown and made on the property.

Frankly ALR has far too much power and should butt out in most cases.

If the land owner is growing agricultural product and selling it, who the heck is the ALR to dictate how he sells his products?

The winery isn't operating a helicopter tour business from their premises are they? If so that would qualify as commercial and I could see it as crossing the line.

Their business is making and selling wine however they can.

The only way the rule makes any sense, is to prohibit someone from turning agricultural land into a mini airport, or operating a heli tour business from the land.

To land all the thing needs is the size of about four cars worth of parking.

There's generally a small chopper sitting by The Jammery in the summertime.

[Urban Cowboy]

The rules it seems, don't apply if you are a winery owner who has bought their way into a famous cash for access dinner, then you get to do whatever.

You got proof to go with that statement, or is it just more anti Liberal hot air?

[Hurtlander]

The biggest positive in defence of all the helicopters in wine country is that it should legally shut down all the idiots with drones.


Rules for recreational drones
If you fly your drone for fun and it weighs more than 250 g and up to 35 kg, you do not need special permission from Transport Canada to fly.

Follow the basic safety rules below. Not doing so may put lives, aircraft and property at risk. If you fly where you are not allowed or choose not to follow any of the rules below, you could face fines of up to $3,000.

Do not fly your drone:

higher than 90 m above the ground
closer than 75 m from buildings, vehicles, vessels, animals, people/crowds
closer than nine km from the centre of an aerodrome (any airport, heliport, seaplane base or anywhere that aircraft take-off and land)
within controlled or restricted airspace
within nine km of a forest fire
where it could interfere with police or first responders
at night or in clouds
if you can’t keep it in sight at all times
if you are not within 500 m of your drone
if your name, address, and telephone number are not clearly marked on your drone.

[fall]

Removed by myself.
*edited to add,
Reason: I have wasted more time than I would have liked posting today and need to wrap it up without having to respond anymore.
Edited, edited to add,
I think I may actually go and vote after reading some of the local responses.

[Gone_Fishin]

The rules it seems, don't apply if you are a winery owner who has bought their way into a famous cash for access dinner, then you get to do whatever.

The winery owner could pay $10,000 to have dinner with Horgan. Because that's what Angry John is charging. Winery guy could go to a Liberal dinner for only $5,000 to speak with Christy Clark. And that $5,000 would be the better investment, since the Liberals are going to win tomorrow.

No contributions from Tinhorn to anyone, either. Might want to check before you accuse.

http://contributions.electionsbc.gov.bc.ca/pcs/SA1SearchResults.aspx?FilerSK=(ALL)&EDSK=0&FilerTypeSK=0&Contributor=tinhorn&PartySK=0&ED=(ALL)&FilerType=(ALL)&Filer=(ALL)&Party=(ALL)&DateTo=&DateFrom=&DFYear=&DFMonth=&DFDay=&DTYear=&DTMonth=&DTDay=

[EZGuy]

Wow this one has struck a nerve.

Believe me I've thought of leaving this area close to the offending winery - as have 2 people who have had their houses listed since last June. One of the realtors even said she contacts the offending winery before any open house just to make sure there are no flights at that time. Lost a sale because of the helicopters. Imagine buying one of those houses, moving in then first nice Saturday you have a doz flights in and out of the winery right next door.

Who really wants to live near a helipad with up to 14 flights a day buzzing a hunderd feet over your house, windows a rattling. I generously assume maybe 5% of you actually want that. So if there is an illegally used heli pad near me why not raise a fuss? It's my right to,expect some action against an illegal,land use. As should the people around the Jammery as I think that's located. In the ALR.

To the good people in West Kelowna who live and work near the 2 helicopter firms, I assume you have checked the local bylaws to ensure they allow helicopter flights (not just repair). At least if say 50 winery tour flight are cancelled you'd have some relief.

I've never said I was supporting NDP just saying I don't trust this Liberal government, for many reasons, so I'm voting for change! Betcha a few winery owners in the valley are actually voting green.

[EZGuy]

The rules it seems, don't apply if you are a winery owner who has bought their way into a famous cash for access dinner, then you get to do whatever.

The winery owner could pay $10,000 to have dinner with Horgan. Because that's what Angry John is charging. Winery guy could go to a Liberal dinner for only $5,000 to speak with Christy Clark. And that $5,000 would be the better investment, since the Liberals are going to win tomorrow.

No contributions from Tinhorn to anyone, either. Might want to check before you accuse.

http://contributions.electionsbc.gov.bc.ca/pcs/SA1SearchResults.aspx?FilerSK=(ALL)&EDSK=0&FilerTypeSK=0&Contributor=tinhorn&PartySK=0&ED=(ALL)&FilerType=(ALL)&Filer=(ALL)&Party=(ALL)&DateTo=&DateFrom=&DFYear=&DFMonth=&DFDay=&DTYear=&DTMonth=&DTDay=

Please check the article from ththe Globe and Mail indicating that some of the $12 million the Liberals raised last year was paid by lobbyists and can never be traced back to the originator. . With corrupt governments there is ALWAYS a work around.

PS a half day winery heli tour starts at $1575 per person, a little,elitist don't you think?

https://beta.theglobeandmail.com/news/i ... dmail.com&

[Queen K]

Removed by myself.
*edited to add,
Reason: I have wasted more time than I would have liked posting today and need to wrap it up without having to respond anymore.
Edited, edited to add,
I think I may actually go and vote after reading some of the local responses.

I hope you do.
Because if we hear one peep out of you over the results, the broken promises, the idjiots in Parliament, we can only hope you actually took an hour or less out of your time to vote.

[Urban Cowboy]

Westside has had significant helicopter activity for as long as I've been here, being almost thirty years, and they'd already been there for some time at that point, so again, if a body is looking for peace and quiet, some due diligence would be in order.

Every year come June, someone who moved in beside an orchard, starts a thread ranting about helicopters making noise drying the cherries. It's a part of the agricultural industry here, so again if they want peace and quiet, they should have asked more questions before buying here.

Believe me the farmers would much prefer not to have to shell out around $1500 hr to dry their crop, but the losses would be devastating, and it's a time sensitive issue.

Maybe if approached politely, there might be a way to get the choppers to approach from a less disturbing direction.

[fall]

Have you contacted transport Canada? And if so and this is illegal, why is it still going on?
The helicopters really have zero respect for the community, well I should say one company in particular with blue and silver helicopters, the only company out of the three operating on the Westside that has had a crash.
I suppose that is why they have no regard for the height regulations either, it sounds like it's a free for all until another crashes more seriously and they are forced to be regulated more tightly.
Yes, Kelowna is busy and growing but they really need some regulations in order for the thousands of tax paying residents that are living here to have some uninterrupted enjoyment in their own homes or yards.
Like you said, until you have them going over your home within a few hundred feet you probably wouldn't get it.
I am not overly bothered by it but it is so frequent this year it is becoming a nuisance and hard to ignore.
I think a petition on this would do well, and a new mayor and council.

Edited to tweak a few things!

[fall]

Westside has had significant helicopter activity for as long as I've been here, being almost thirty years, and they'd already been there for some time at that point, so again, if a body is looking for peace and quiet, some due diligence would be in order.

Every year come June, someone who moved in beside an orchard, starts a thread ranting about helicopters making noise drying the cherries. It's a part of the agricultural industry here, so again if they want peace and quiet, they should have asked more questions before buying here.

Believe me the farmers would much prefer not to have to shell out around $1500 hr to dry their crop, but the losses would be devastating, and it's a time sensitive issue.

Maybe if approached politely, there might be a way to get the choppers to approach from a less disturbing direction.

No it hasn't, it's had activity with Alpine but not anywhere near what it is today. Alpine has expanded, Wildcat has not been there thirty years, nor has Valhalla.
The city had no consideration for the residents when issuing Valhalla a business licence or approval to expand.
They destroyed the whole lower area off Westlake and you couldn't give a home away there.
The cherry crops are a drop in the bucket.
The helicopter traffic has increased ten fold in the seven years I have been here.
Unless you are deaf and dont feel vibration you couldn't help but notice.