iN DISCUSSION: It’s not the ivermectin, it’s the snake oil salespeople

This is where cold hard facts give way to the hottest of takes, mostly mine I suppose. I’m the editor, Marshall Jones.

Want to include yours? Listen, this isn’t the comment section, this isn’t social media. Discussion and debate requires context and a wee bit of bravery — we need your name and where you’re writing from. Build it in your account or email me any time.

Nov. 3, 2025 Newsletter editorial

Along one of my more travelled routes in my city, there’s a newish housing development, lots of rental apartments and condos.

No complaints. But what is instantly clear to the rest of the neighbourhood is there isn’t enough parking there. Cars line both sides of the streets, park where they shouldn’t, reducing sight lines, traffic often slows or even stops there.

As Jesse Tomas reported, we’re seeing a lot more of this because many homebuilders, particularly in Kelowna, don’t have to include parking in their buildings, or drastically reduced parking.

You shouldn’t have to pay for parking spots of you don’t have to, so makes sense in a lot of ways — if Kelowna were a major city.

It’s not Vancouver. It’s got a long way to go, particularly if we’re depending on transit to make up any differences.

My concern is the kind of people who need these more affordable homes tend to be people who need vehicles to get to and from work. They’re the ones parking on the street, trying to evade tickets, paying added costs, the ones who can least afford it.

I’m curious what you think. Is this regular market forces at work? Is Kelowna appropriately ahead of a necessary curve or unnecessarily engineering our lives for a city (and transit system) that doesn’t exist yet? Or something else entirely.

iN RESPONSE

Hey Marshall,

Appreciated reading your iNFOnews.ca op-ed today.

Since you’re asking for reader feedback: There is no such thing as a free lunch.

New residents will pay either 50+ thousand dollars upfront for an indoor parking spot, or they will choose to struggle for street parking.

The issue is, when the city doesn’t require parking to be built, while keeping the street parking free, of course people will freeload off of the street parking. People pay implicitly with their time circling the block looking for a spot instead of with cash. 

Market orientation would be letting private business decide how to best maximize their revenue while serving their customers. Planners should ensure public access to street parking through metered parking supply and 80% occupancy targets. That parking revenue can be returned to people through parking benefit districts or lower property taxes.

That’s the general economic principles laid out in the leading text on the subject.

It’s available at the local library. The first chapter is enough to grasp the issues of central planning and top-down government inefficiency. Nothing to do with climate per-se, just planning and the cost of living.

Davis Kyle, Kelowna, via email

No parking is ridiculous in Kelowna and a recipe for disaster. They better not cry when they remain empty.

Nicole Rondeau, via email

There is a parking problem in Kelowna.

Moved to this lovely city 20 years ago and like it here.

Lately have noticed that at my wife’s doctor we now have to pay for parking (Indigo). Went to a park we used to like taking our kids to downtown when they were little (Hot Sands Park) and now have to pay for parking there (Indigo again).

Is the city in cahoots with Indigo to make money?

The city is also converting car lanes into bike paths, I travelled on a 4 lane road recently, it narrowed to 2 lines for bike lanes and then back to four!

And to my surprise, I read your article and found it is not mandatory to have car parking at housing developments. What possible reason could there be for that.

Dave Bradich, via email

Nov. 5, 2025 Newsletter editorial

We’re still waiting to hear from Health Canada about why it apparently raided a Kelowna “health and wellness” company recently.

The owner posted on social media video that appears to show Health Canada seizing product. 

Svetlana Rilkoff was selling vitamins and Ivermectin, an antiparasitic drug primarily used in the West for deworming livestock that has become a mythical panacea among certain online communities for a host of human ailments.

I think it’s silly. But it also doesn’t appear to be harmful.

So I’m dying to know the rationale for why my government felt the need to save me from a product I can order on Amazon and have delivered tomorrow. 

Will they be at the farmers market next, seizing healing crystals and dream catchers? Busting open vials of essential oils? Will they take down apothecaries, pour out tinctures and herbs in the street?

I think all this stuff is a waste of money, but I’m pretty sure everyone who spent a dollar on Ivermectin or healing prayer CDs or whale songs, unguents, ointments and ancient unknown mushrooms did so willingly, expecting not a certainty but a chance at relief of some malady or another.

I can’t judge anyone looking for that (unlike the snake oil salesmen…).

I just want my government to explain itself clearly, particularly — once again, for the sake of our needed confidence — why it makes the decisions it makes regarding human health.

What do you think? Is this something you want government to protect you from? Caveat emptor? Email me at mjones@infonews.ca.

iN RESPONSE

Ivermectin is mainly used for parasites internally or for headlice and a few other issues in humans. If the dose isn’t correct, it can cause major health issues. If it’s not made for human consumption (a lot of these witch doctors are using animal grade) and prescribed correctly the outcome can be disastrous. It absolutely doesn’t cure Covid-19 or anything like that. I’m not opposed to voodoo if it doesn’t put someone’s life or health at risk. Sounds like she has been selling blackmarket stuff in which case she probably needs to be charged. My horses get ivermectin regularly for worms. During Covid-19 you could hardly get it because of wingnuts buying it instead of taking the shot. You can’t cure stupid.

— Bonnie Derry, Vernon, via email

Since when did we decide that we are subservient to the government and that they are here to protect us from ourselves? Why do they make the rules without ever putting it to the public? The streets in Kelowna are being butchered and these stupid bike lanes put them in MORE danger as the driver can’t see them when there are trees between the road and the bike lane so that we can’t park our cars. The government going after all natural remedies and pushing pharmaceuticals. Why do I not get a choice anymore?

The government is supposed to work FOR us. Not CONTROL us!!

— Mike Greenwood, via email

Selling snake oil… That’s what I feel about anyone willing to sell this product to anyone who’s not a Vet.  

Where do these people get these ideas from. Conspiracy theories and willing to disregard facts.    

Of course the Health Dept needs to follow up on what they’re doing as they would check a pharmacy that would sell something not authorized by a doctor.  

She’s not a doctor. 

Glad to hear we have policies in place to protect the majority.  

— Diane Courneyeur, via email