A fruit packing company in the Central Okanagan has been fined €78,368 for illegally discharging effluent into a ditch. The fine, issued by the Ministry of Environment, has been deemed insufficient by local resident Alexandra Wright, who believes it to be a “slap on the wrist.” This is not the first time Sandher Fruit Packers has faced penalties for wastewater discharge violations, having been fined €32,000 in 2022. Wright, along with other residents, is concerned about the environmental impact of the discharge, which flows into Mill Creek and Simpsons Pond before reaching Okanagan Lake. A petition against the company’s application for an effluent discharge permit has gathered over 1,600 signatures.