Charles Adler had a great segment today, featuring the Chief of the Osoyoos Indian Band. Referenced is an article in the Winnipeg Sun written by Tom Brodbeck. And last but not least is this video of Chief Louie talking in Brandon, MB in 2009.
Charles Adler had a great segment today, featuring the Chief of the Osoyoos Indian Band. Referenced is an article in the Winnipeg Sun written by Tom Brodbeck. And last but not least is this video of Chief Louie talking in Brandon, MB in 2009.
The Osoyoos band has two things going for it, geography, and a leader who has some vision, and no victimization complex.
The valley has always been home to tourism, and is a wonderful summer location, with blazing hot summers. The vinyards have added the double bonus of a longterm economic base as well. They are certainly taking advantage of their geography, but it wasn’t always this way, and I’m talking only from the 70s on.
The band sets an example of what the FN can do with some vision and real investment, instead of blaming everybody else for their non-participation in society.
Interesting points, Dan. But let’s compare the natural benefits of Osoyoos with Singapore. The latter was originally a swamp and not exactly a great place to create a new country. But through vision, determination, and lots & lots of hard work, Singapore has thrived. Here’s an interesting article about Singapore vs. Ghana.
John Gormley also had a great interview today with another First Nation leader, Calvin Helin:
http://tinyurl.com/4qch6r4
Who cares? I mean I can appreciate the rarity of a native chief expounding the virtues of independence and fiscal responsibility, but why all this glad-handing?
How about some context:
‘The Osoyoos Indian Band Membership is approximately 450.’
So he’s the equivalent of the mayor of a hamlet. A very small town or village. Do hamlets even have a mayor? Or do the people just nominate a different guy every year who goes and locks up the rink at night? At any rate, I am not going to cheer and applaud this guy.
He manages hundreds of thousands of dollars in subsidy money that is given to him every year. Excellent. Show me his financial performance over an above, say… a mattress. If he socked it away in a bank account he would probably have a billion dollars in the bank right now. And he would be cutting a cheque to each ‘member’ for a hundred grand a year.
Pander pander pander
I care, Bob, because he provides a clear example for all other Aboriginal people in our country.
Based on your comments I don’t think you listened to a thing he said nor bothered to look at his band’s website where you would have learned that he has successfully started 9 (Nine) companies.
That’s pretty inspirational!
BobC,
Like RobertW, I too, care.
If he has, as you say, manages hundreds of thousands of dollars in subsidies, I want him as my financial advisor. Through vision and innovation he has converted that to two golf courses ( both of which are some of the best in the area – I’ve played them), a winery with soem high quality wines and a resort and spa.
Also, if it is true that he has a membership of only 450, then the band employs many non-natives from both Osoyoos and Oliver to work for him.
So he converts thousands to millions and helps local employments for ALL residents, this is anything but pandering, this is admiration for a job well done.
“A job defines who you are…. I don’t ever want any of my youth collecting a welfare cheque.”
The thing about Chief Louie is that he’s actually walking the walk. What wasn’t in is talk? A lot of grievances about treaty rights. What was in his talk? A lot about capitalism, creating jobs, partnerships with businesses large and small and building a business-friendly economy.
As others have said, yes, he’s received subsidies from government. From the sounds of it, these were largely turned into enterprises making lots of money and creating lots of local employment.
Ken and Robert, not only do I agree with you, but there’s also a larger point to consider. It shows that indeed federal support programs can work very well with the right band leadership in place. What struck me was that Clarence Louie is young. And if he continues the way he’s begun, he’s going to be more and more influential at both provincial and national aboriginal levels.
Further to what Ken just said, this article states that they employ 700 people.
Anyone who thinks it’s simple or unimpressive to successfully employee that number of people, let alone a dozen, clearly have never done it.
I think they manage a winery near Oliver that my hubby and I toured a few years ago. I was pretty impressed by how they run it. They were also selling condos just up the road if I recall.
I am all for native leaders using their positions to get their people to rise above their “lot in life”. He runs a dry reserve and expects all of the tribe to contribute. How is that a bad thing??
I find BobC’s comment so very typical of a misinformed and angry bigot who ends up smearing all conservatives with his ignorant bile. I had the pleasure of doing several service calls to the Osoyoos band’s Golf Course, and found the large staff, a mix of mostly First Nations with some off reservation folks, to be professional, hard working, well spoken, reliable and very fine people. If they in fact do get a subsidy, they deserve it! The Osoyoos band is a model of a well functioning and more importantly, contributing member of the community. Any amount they receive is an excellent investment that pays off in spades! I would rather pay that band than the city of Vancouver who spend millions upon millions enabling prostitution and drug abuse. All “subsidised” by taxpayers far more than the Osoyoos band!
We go down to Osoyoos a couple times a year. It is an awesome spot and IMO the Chief is doing a good job.
Aizlynne
That was the ‘Nkameep band, and their vinyard.
Same idea.
When I was a kid, I would spend my summers at my Grandpa’s place between Oliver and Osoyoos. Up on the hillside across the valley, used to be all sage. By the time I was a young man, the sage was transformed into vinyards, hundreds of acres worth, on native land.
Sure, government money developed it, but, at least it went to productive means, to help, in baby steps, get the FN peoples a leg up.
Again, they are blessed by the geography to allow them to do that. There are many other bands in BC, with nothing about their area that lends to such a wealth generator as this. Sure, eco-tourism is a help to some bands, but there;s only so many well-heeled birkenstock types to go hug trees for thousands at a pop.
Good for Chief Louie. We need more of him.
Under the leadership of Louie, the natives in Osoyoos run a vineyard (@1000 acres) they lease few thousand acres to The Burrowing Owl winery.
They run a winery on the east side of The Lake Osoyoos, north of the Crowsnest Hwy (No.3) a first class enterprise, a lot of original Indian artwork, very impressive.
About 5 years ago they built first class condominiums and townhouses for sale and vacation rentals.
On the same site, they built a hotel, and more condominiums.
There is much more this guy accomplished.
If you have a chance, go ahead and visit, you will like it.
Have lived in Osoyoos for 10 years, met Clarence Louie a number of times.
It is really funny (like ha ha funny) to observe politicos sucking up to him.
At a local pre-election gathering of the liberals (provincial), when Louie showed up everybody clapped.
To clear things up.
The Liberals in BC were at a time in past, thought of as more related to the conservatives in Alberta than being Liberal.
Today, it is another story, not really that much different from Alberta story where steady Eddy is leading the “conservative” charge toward socialism.
The Keromeos band is also impressive. I laid the interlocking paving stone sidewalks in Keromeos in 1979 with a predominantly Native crew. Hard working native crew too. I got to know them very well when I was invited to be the only white man to ride bull and bareback in their All Indian Rodeo. Training occurred on the mechanical bull on the reservation, where there were tidy facilities and tidy homes. There were drunks of course, but the majority were happy and proud of being the most successful businesslike band in BC. Living proof that with great leadership, natives don’t need a nickel of Canadian Taxpayer funds.
In the Keromeos case, the Chief understood that dependency was a killer.The best thing we could do for natives is to cut the budget for Indian and Northern Affairs in half, if not to zero. Great leaders will come to the fore. It might take a hundred years but it is the right way to go.
Vast swaths of government workers do everything they can to keep natives dependent. For one reason. To protect their lush compensation packets.
Chief Louis is doing a great job, IMO and deserves all the praise he gets – from the people in his band and from his fellow Canadians. Good points RCGZ and TrueNorthest. For some odd reason many people just hate to see success unless it is the success of some bigshot that they feel inferior to; Chief Louis is in the business of enabling self respect in people; earned self respect. How soon the naysayers pop out of the woodwork to minimize his accomplishments. I think that is the Palin Syndrome that infects pathetic snobs who want people to stay in ‘their places’.
Watch a flock of Chickens sometime; chickens are birds that cannot fly, they cannot defend themselves because they cannot fly and have never developed big beaks or sharp claws. Chickens are totally dependant birds and they have a defined pecking order; a trait unknown in birds of flight. Birds that fly are free.
While certainly praise worthy, let’s not forget that the same is done by most Canadians every day. They go to work, take care of families, are involved in community with, in most cases, little praise.
It is only the contrast between the Osoyoos band and most other bands that make this noteworthy.
I’m with BobC, why all the glad handing over something that’s expected of everyone else? It’s almost as if Indians are some lesser being who, upon achieving more than is expected, are adulated for arriving at what is commonplace with other Canadians.
I wouldn’t be at all surprised if Chief Louis sees his white groupies the same way. He looks to have common sense. Naturally he would take advantage of the groupies, only good business…
Chief Louis has the right idea (I’ve never heard of the Osoyoos): wish we had more like him.
res ipsa loquitur
so check the suicide rate on chief louie’s band….there ain’t no existential despair in that tribe ’cause they keeps BUSY and possess more than a modicum of amour propre…
for THAT alone this chief deserves respect and credit….
the band(reserve) beside me are every bit as entrepreneurial….AND well to do….
this potential fiscal independence is the first step toward being weaned from nanny’s dugs…..which is a bonus…
I wonder if Chief Louie would have coddled numb nuts who let his two daughters freeze to death in their underwear.
I attended an event where he gave a speech. I can’t remember the exact quote but he said,’if you think life sucks it’s because you suck.’
Mine,mine,mine,me,me,me, this guy is an egomaniac mostly.
Chief Clarence Louie has even pushed up the minimum wages in Osoyoos, I saw a help wanted sign for the Osoyoos Tim Horton’s looking for staff paying a wage starting at $12 hr.
Chief Louie is doing a lot of things right for himself and his band. He deserves an enormous amount of credit. I have a lot of respect for him. I love his messages. He is truly inspirational.
The one criticism I have of Chief Louie is that he rarely talks about the economic advantage he has operating his businesses and employing natives on the reserve.
I could be wrong and I stand to be corrected, but my understanding is that native businesses operated on reserve land pay zero corporate tax and zero property tax and zero GST. And natives who work on the reserve pay zero personal income tax.
When referencing sports, Chief Louie talks about how he believes natives can compete with anyone else on a level playing field. He’s correct; they surely can. But pulling that back into the realm of his businesses, he’s not playing on a level economic field. He’s paying practically zero tax whereas the non-native businessman 10 yards off reserve is paying as high as 25% (nat. avg) corp tax, plus Louie’s native employees are paying zero income tax whereas the non-native employees are paying 17-50%.
If there is an area where Chief Louie can garner even greater respect from me, it is taxation. An economically level playing field is one where native businesses pay taxes like non-native businesses and natives themselves pay income tax like non-natives.
Now, it could be that he pays corp taxes even though he doesn’t have to and deducts income tax, EI, CPP, etc. from the payroll too. But I have my doubts, specifically because he mentioned inter-band commerce as the key to their economic future. Which, again, to my knowledge, isn’t taxed.
Mark, how right you are.
Bottom line is that over $11 Billion a year goes into reservations with little accountability. The difference with Chief Louie is that he uses his band’s money more responsibly than other chiefs. It doesn’t change the reality that he has a economic advantage that other Canadians do not.
The reservation industry is big business and many of those who profit reside in Ottawa. The bureaucracy takes its cut and the fools who fund it (taxpayers) rarely ask any questions.
BobC and fiddle: The reason that I find these stories inspirational and worthy of kudos is because I am right wing.
A primary difference between the left and right can be distilled down to the mantra of ‘leg up’ vs. ‘hand out’.
The difference usually leads the left to accuse the right of racism, being uncaring, or unfeeling.
Stories like this validate the right. Belittling the small and large successes on the Reserves serves no purpose except to prove the writer being ignorant of the challenges and inequalities faced by those on reserve.
It is one thing to celebrate the small business person or the workers in a society where it is _expected_ that they move to where the jobs are.
It is quite another to celebrate similar successes where a) it is not generally expected and b) emigration is not an option.
Oh cry me a river, free education and free post-secondary, no taxes, don’t tell me about challenges. Indians aren’t lesser people that less should be expected…
Said fiddle: “free post-secondary, no taxes”
To drag this back on topic I’d suggest the tax specialist should look up what a corporation is and whether it qualifies as a person under the Indian Act. Maybe even wonder aloud if the off-reserve generated profits are subject to taxes.
Next I’d suggest our resident University Admissions Officer look up what a ‘cap’ means and how it relates to the Indian Act.
Aw gee, you mean they’re subject to some of the same laws we are? Do tell. That’s discrimination and a “challenge”. However will they surmount that?
So, you’re walking back you’re ‘free post-secondary, no taxes’ statement, then, eh?
I wonder what else you may be wrong about.
“A primary difference between the left and right can be distilled down to the mantra of ‘leg up’ vs. ‘hand out’. ”
Good one,lance.
Chief Clarence Louis deserves praise if only for the fact that he runs one of the few FN’s in Canada that has a positive outlook.
Critics should watch the entire 7-part presentation,and look into his other actions before they fall back on the “privileged Indian” comments.
Louis is doing the job that DIAND and the rest of the FN’s should be doing,so don’t knock the man for taking advantage of the situation as it now exists.
He started nine companies,so his people have jobs,and he preaches the old fashioned values that made this Country great,”hard work,education,responsibility”.
Look on the positive side of what the man is doing rather than carp about inequities in the system that favour Indians.
The only way Indians will ever get out of the welfare trap,and off the backs of the taxpayer,is through the works of sensible leaders like Clarence Louis, so quit yer bitching and be glad at least SOME people are trying to improve things!
I’m not the resident “tax specialist” by any means, but CRA and INA information is pretty clear that businesses owned and operated by natives on a reserve are exempt from taxation under Section 87 of the Indian Act. Further, personal income earned by natives on the reserve is exempt from taxation.
http://www.cra-arc.gc.ca/brgnls/stts-eng.html#heading5
http://www.ainc-inac.gc.ca/ai/mr/is/info113-eng.asp
Businesses owned and operated by natives off reserve, as well as money made by native off reserve, are for the most part subject to “regular” taxation.
Did I miss something?
Hat off to Louie, but that said I don’t think many of the comments here are putting things in proper perspective.
(Sry, Mark. Something caught on your comment. It’s published now.)
Generally you’re correct with one notable exception. The type of business.
Profits derived by a sole proprietorship, whose profits are derived fully on reserve are the only type of business exempt from taxes. This is because a sole-proprietorship is the person, whereas the other business types are entities in and of themselves.
All other business types or sole proprietorship whose revenue is fully or in-part from off-reserve pay, think electrician, plumber, or journalist, are subject to tax.
Wrong.
http://www.woodwardandcompany.com/media/pdfs/ICAB_Conf_TaxExemptions_Lanine_.pdf
On February 27, 2004, the Minister of Finance released a revised package of draft
technical amendments to the Income Tax Act, including an amendment to the
exemption in s.149(1)(d.5) for income earned by municipal corporations.
The amendment extends the exemption to include any corporation, commission or
association at least 90% of the capital of which was owned by one or more entities each
of which is a municipal or public body performing a function of government in Canada,
which is consistent with the bodies described in paragraph 149(1)(c) of the Act.
This is a significant exemption for bands which qualify under s.149(c), as a corporation
owned by the band earning 90% or more of its income on reserve would be exempt
from income tax even if operated for a profit.
It is expected that the draft technical amendments will come into force sometime in
Spring of 2007. The amendments will be retroactive to May 8, 2000.
fiddle, do you know what it takes to qualify as a public body (Bands don’t qualify as municipalities) providing a function of gov’t?
Here’s a hint.
Reading comprehension…
Hello, the Income Tax Act has it’s own interpretation. Maybe you should read it…
do you know what it takes to qualify as a public body (Bands don’t qualify as municipalities) providing a function of gov’t?
http://www.tsawwassenfirstnation.com/treaty/Tsawwassen_Tax_Treatment_Agreement_Initialled_Dec8.pdf
3 INCOME TAX ACT STATUS OF TSAWWASSEN FIRST NATION
3 (1) For the purpose of paragraph 149(1)(c) of the Income Tax Act, Tsawwassen First
Nation is deemed to be a public body performing a function of government in
Canada.
(2) For the purposes of paragraphs 149(1)(d) to 149(1)(d.6) and subsections 149(1.1)
to 149(1.3) of the Income Tax Act, Tsawwassen First Nation is deemed to be a
municipality in Canada whose geographical boundaries are those of Tsawwassen
Lands.
(3) For the purposes of subsections 110.1(1), 118.1(1) and 149.1(1) of the Income Tax
Act, Tsawwassen First Nation is deemed to be a municipality.
(4) Tsawwassen First Nation will be treated as a public authority designated pursuant
to subsection 32(2) of the Cultural Property Export and Import Act, and any nonprofit
organization established by Tsawwassen First Nation to receive, store and
display cultural objects will be treated as an institution designated under that
subsection of that Act, if Tsawwassen First Nation or the non-profit organization, as
the case may be:
http://www.globalphilanthropy.ca/index.php/blog/comments/is_a_particular_first_nation_band_a_public_body_performing_a_function_of_go/
Because the Band is a public body performing a function of government in Canada within the meaning of paragraph 149(1)(c) of the Act, and therefore exempt from tax under Part I of the Act, no tax will be payable under Part I of the Act by the Band on any interest from the GIC included in its income as a result of the proposed transaction described above.
fiddle, do you even do any research beyond finding quotes in links that purport to blow holes in my arguments?
The Income Tax act _does not_ define what “providing a function of Gov’t” is. Your own links reference that. Therefore it is generally assumed to be education, health, children services, elderly services, roads, enacting By-Laws pursuant to s.81 and s.82 and approved by the Min INAC. (not sure exactly which ones, but close to those) and water and sewer.
To pay for all these gov’t services the Reserves generally enact one or more of the FN Taxes that I linked to earlier.
Do you know what Tsawwassen gave up when it was declared a muni? Here, let me help you…Reserve Status.
The SCoC ruled on the status of Reserves being Municipalities.
reading the comments and saw red. some people are so ignorant and cannot resist comment before learning and researching the topic; sit up and read this folks …has been around since 2006
http://www.theglobeandmail.com/news/national/article844275.ece
The point was, they, corporately, paid no tax.
Indians have as much or more opportunity than whites, that’s a fact you can’t dispute. You can make excuses, but that’s a fact.
Glad handing an Indian because he’s done what is commonly done among Canadians is an insult. No different than leftists who designate some groups as less capable.
It speaks to your general view of Indians as less capable than other Canadians, therefore deserving of accolades when they are successful.
We may be getting away from the topic of the success of the success of Chief Clarence Louie and Osoyoos band and getting into the picking flysh1t out of pepper thingy.
Thanks for following up, Lance. And thanks for the extra reading, fiddle. Tax law certainly isn’t clear cut all the time.
At the end of the day, as Kulak points out, Chief Louie and his band are role models for other natives. I’d just like to see the playing field leveled a little more once reserves turn themselves around.
Have a great night!
Every business (and I mean every) should take advantage of any advantages they have. A “level playing field” is a myth.