On this episode, the panel discussed the Agriculture Land Reserve in the Okanagan and the best way to cope with future wildfires.

Ron Mattiussi, former Kelowna CAO, says the ALR policies should be revisited, noting most of the policies were created and implemented in the 1970s.

"I'm not arguing the principle of preserving agricultural land, but do we? Are we doing it? Are we doing it well? Is it the right land? Is it in the right place? I think it's about time somebody started asking real questions," says Mattiussi.

Jeff Cox says he agrees with the concept of ALR but also wonders if we are doing it the right way.

"There are rules that exist around the ALR today that make no sense to me," says Cox.

Scott Lanigan and Mattiussi discussed the impact of fire management, noting the success of FireSmart programs in mitigating wildfires around urban areas. They also touch on the need for a collaborative approach involving municipal, provincial, and federal levels of government to address these issues effectively.

"Years ago... they used to be much more creative in using and empowering forestry crews and those types of things," says Lanigan.

Mattiussi says he doesn't believe that Canada and B.C has done enough fire suppression work, pointing to past Indigenous practices that managed to keep wildfire damage to a manageable level.

"I'm not a climate denier at all. Climate change is real, but there's such an attachment between, the climate is changing and we're burning down. Well, 300 years ago, Indigenous groups in this valley actually did fire suppression, so this is not new. They cleaned the forests around the areas that they were inhabiting," says Mattiussi.

Castanet is proud to present One Foot Off Center, a podcast tackling the big issues facing the Okanagan.

Rick Maddison, Ron Mattiussi, Scott Lanigan and Jeff Cox will meet every month to discuss how those issues impact everyday Canadians.

Maddison is a well-known entrepreneur in Kelowna and owner of Tempest Media. Mattiussi is the former chief administrator of the City of Kelowna and has worked in local government across the province.

Lanigan is the lead pastor of Trinity Church, one of Kelowna’s largest churches, who has served with various community groups like Journey Home.

Cox is the founder and CEO of Kelowna-based Simply Benefits.

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One Foot Off Center will be published monthly by Castanet, on YouTube and in an audio-only version on Spotify.