Osoyoos, B.C., lives up to its reputation for warm welcomes during historic flood
Residents and local businesses band together to ward off floodwaters
Spending time in a town like Osoyoos, B.C., you'll notice pretty quickly that people like to help out their neighbours.
This week, when I was trudging through two feet of water with a camera over my shoulder and water flowing into my boots, I clearly looked like I could use a hand.
That's when passerby Rick Valley told me I could hop in the back of his pickup truck for a quick ferry through the flooded street, which I graciously accepted (after all, how could I resist the shot?).
Then, he offered me some chewing tobacco — and I knew I was home.
Historic flooding
I was dispatched to the Okanagan — where I was raised — this week as part of a team of CBC reporters tasked with covering the historic flooding in B.C.'s Interior.
Nearly 4,500 people have been forced out of their homes, while 7,000 residents have been placed on evacuation alert as the threat of flooding rises across the province.
Among those communities affected is Osoyoos — a small town nestled on the southern edge of B.C.'s Okanagan Valley, home to a warm, picturesque lake that draws visitors from all corners of the earth.
But the lake can be vengeful — and this year, it's risen to near-historic levels fuelled by the rapidly melting snowpack.
"It receives water-flow from the north, which is from Okanagan Lake, moving south — but then it's getting extreme pushback at this time from the Similkameen River ... and that's actually backing up into Osoyoos Lake," said Karla Kozakevich, chair of the Regional District of Okanagan Similkameen.
The end result is flooded campgrounds, evacuated lakefront homes and a beach-side hotel that can kiss those May long-weekend bookings goodbye.
Hotel hit hard
The lakefront Coast Hotel had to be evacuated when the lake eclipsed the sandbag barrier. The hotel, best known by the local kids for its waterslide, is now in dire straits.
I took a tour with general manager Muhammad Mian. His tone was understandably sombre as we stood looking over submerged sandbags, patio chairs, and barbecues.
"Suddenly the water levels just kept rising and then it kept coming into our basement and there was no way we could stop it," he said.
But even he couldn't help but crack a smile when we watched a catfish swim right up to the parking lot.
Canada's warmest welcome
Guests at the evacuated Coast Hotel were welcomed into spare rooms at its nearest competitor, the Holiday Inn, free of charge.
It was an offering that perfectly encapsulates how the town has responded to the flooding: When times are tough, neighbours are there to lend a helping hand.
Residents took time off work to volunteer to fill sandbags. Local businesses donated food, water, and workers who helped prevent further damage to the town.
Even tourists got in on the action.
Amid all the chaos, the town's mayor Sue McKortoff said Osoyoos continues to live up to its motto.
"It's Canada's warmest welcome," she said.
The town won't be under water any time soon — the majority of hotels are still open for business, there's plenty of wine to taste, and the golf courses are as green as they've ever been.
But where there's water, you can count on residents like Rick Valley, who's been helping all his neighbours pump water from their basements.
"I just had my hip replaced — but Goddammit, it feels good to be working again," he said.