To the editor:

Get rid of the Ogopogo on our float and replace it with the stunning and awe-inspiring theme of 鈥渙utdoor recreation鈥�?

We could be confused with Revelstoke or Whistler, for Pete鈥檚 sake. Who are these people on city staff? Sound like a bunch of whippersnappers to me.

They talk about branding. That鈥檚 a very cool and trendy word. Yes, it鈥檚 all about branding. Has it occurred to them that the Ogopogo is probably one of the most iconic brands that exists anywhere?

Could you imagine KFC dumping Colonel Sanders? Would Loch Ness ever kiss Nessy good-bye?

I spoke to one of our prominent councillors who agreed that Ogopogo should stay. Maybe a little face lift is in store. And I wonder what our Westbank First Nations people would say? They refer to Ogopogo as N鈥檋a-a鈥檌tk. Here鈥檚 an excerpt from their website:

鈥淭he meaning of N鈥檋a-a鈥檌tk is Sacred Spirit of the Lake, not lake demon or monster. If N鈥檋a-a-itk disappears due to pollution and misuse of the water, so do the plants, medicines, trees and foods that sustain us. For this reason, WFN embraces N鈥檋a-a-itk, as is obvious on our logo, as an important figure in our history and connection to the land.鈥�

Ogopogo and N鈥檋a-a鈥檌tk are the Okanagan. They have been ever since anyone can remember. If it aint broke, boys, don鈥檛 fix it.

Richard Knight, 琉璃神社