Race Track Legal Case Ends

Jan 17, 2019 | 4:10 PM

The long legal battle over Vernon’s Kin Race Track Park is over.

The Okanagan Equestrian Society has officially informed the City of Vernon that it won’t appeal a BC Supreme Court ruling last year that sided with the City and Regional District of North Okanagan over use of the park.

“This means that the claims of the OES and the Vernon Jockey Club with respect to land at Kin Park have ended,” says a City of Vernon media release. “The RDNO, in the 2014 Parks Agreement, has agreed to transfer ownership of their portion of the land to the City of Vernon, and this will be facilitated.

“We are very pleased to hear the official outcome of this lengthy court case,” says Vernon Mayor Victor Cumming. “We can now begin the process of engaging the public for ideas on the future use of this land, which is zoned for recreational uses. Our goal will be to determine a use for the land that provides benefit to a wide range of citizens.”

The equestrian society fought to preserve the land for horse related activities after more than 100 years of using it for horse racing, ending in 2013.

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A spokesman for the Okanagan Equestrian Society says it came down to a lack of money.

Vice president Ed Woolley says that’s basically why his group decided not to appeal last year’s BC Supreme Court ruling.

“It was largely for financial reasons,” Woolley said in an interview with Beach Radio News.

Woolley says it’s disappointing.

“It is, especially for that reason (lack of funds), as I think there were strong grounds for appeal from the judgement. However, you need to be able to put it forth, and the funds weren’t there for it. The sad part is a piece of Vernon’s history is being relegated to the shelves at this point,” adds Woolley.

The society put up a fight lasting almost a decade after being served eviction notice by the local governments in 2010.

“We are hopeful will sue the land it has acquired in a proper fashion for the community including with regards to sporting or other community activities,” says Woolley.

Original Jan. 10 story

It looks like the long legal case over Kin Race Track in Vernon could be over.

The Okanagan Equestrian Society has decided not to appeal last year’s BC Supreme Court ruling, meaning the City of Vernon will win the case over use of the publicly-owned land, and gets to decide what happens with the property.

City spokesman Nick Nilsen says they expect to hear a final word on the case by March.

“Apparently the appeal was never filed in the first place — there had been talk of an appeal, but it had not been filed — so at this point, we’re just waiting for the judge to say the case is concluded and that will be the end of it,” Nilsen tells Beach Radio News.

The site could be used for new recreational facilities.

“This is definitely a property of significant interest for ongoing recreation use and development in the city,” says Mayor Victor Cumming.

Cumming says deciding what to do with the land will be a priority for council.

“As you can imagine, because this has taken quite a while to come to fruition, there have been a number of suggestions of how to use the site and continue its function as a good recreation site for Greater Vernon,” adds Cumming in an interview with Beach Radio News.

Click here for more on BC Supreme Court ruling on Kin Race Track.

by Corey Fischer