(re: Penticton Fruit Outlet Closure A Mistake, Letters, Western News, Oct. 25)
I wish to add my wholehearted agreement to Denis O. Gorman’s letter to the editor.
When I entered the Penticton packing house retail fruit outlet, I saw the sign at the door that Oct 31, 2013 was the last day of the retail fruit operation and that the Penticton outlet was permanently closing as of that date.
I am not a Halloween fan but this closure is no treat but a very bad and consumer detrimental trick!
The store was full of customers, each one extremely shocked and upset at this turn of events and they voiced it to each other and the clerk. Not only has Penticton closed but the Oliver packinghouse retail outlet closed earlier as well. The sad response was, ‘you now have go to either Osoyoos or Kelowna.”
When will these two retail outlets close as most people cannot or will not drive those distances?
For 31 years our family has supported the local packinghouses which provided local quality fruit and produce at reasonable prices for many months of the year prices still much higher then what the orchardists received from the packinghouses for all their efforts and expenses.
Must we now buy Washington or California grown fruit instead from the large retail stores or have to go to the Canadian prairies where one may buy them more cheaply?
Go figure.
Ebe Hiob
Okanagan Falls
