UPDATE: City provides extra funding to O’Keefe Ranch

Mar 11, 2024 | 2:45 PM

Vernon city council has agreed to provide additional support to O’Keefe Ranch, along with some restrictions.

At council’s meeting on March 11, Councillor Kari Gares amended a provision to provide the historic site with $30,000, as long as the money would be used for operations and not capital projects.

Debra Law, Vernon’s director of financial services, noted the ranch’s financial issues stem from repaying a $40,000 Canada Emergency Business Account (CEBA) loan.

Bruce Cummings, president of the O’Keefe Ranch and Interior Heritage Society, told council in February, having to repay that federal loan left the ranch “cash poor” until the end of March.

Gares noted council had previously passed a resolution to reduce funding for the ranch, but when COVID-19 hit, that process was delayed.

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Council voted unanimously in favour of providing the funds from the COVID-19 Restart Fund with the restriction on how it was to be used.

City staff recommends council provide relief to O’Keefe Ranch
March 11, 2024

The O’Keefe Ranch could be getting a lifeline from its owner.

City of Vernon staff are recommending city council provide a $30,000 grant to the ranch which made a plea for support at council’s previous meeting in February.

Bruce Cummings, president of the O’Keefe Ranch and Interior Heritage Society, made the funding request to the city. He said the ranch applied for $150,000 in operational funding in 2023, but received only $50,000.

He added an additional $20,000 was provided by the District of Coldstream in 2023, but the funds from the local municipalities ran out, mainly due to the ranch repaying a $40,000 Canada Emergency Business Account (CEBA) loan, leaving the ranch “cash poor” until the end of March.

Debra Law, director, financial services for the city, said the city has an operating grant of $50,000 included in its 2024 budget, which was paid in February 2024. She said during the budget discussions back in December, council moved to not support a change request for $100,000 in additional funding for the ranch.

Law is recommending council use a COVID-19 Safe restart grant for the $30,000 grant, noting the grant can be directly attributed to operating issues related to COVID-19, due to the repayment of the CEBA loan.

She added the city’s COVID-19 Safe Restart grant currently has a projected balance of about $150,000.

The ranch’s request will be on city council agenda at its March 11 meeting.

by Liam Verster

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