Horse college plan moves to next step

Oct 10, 2019 | 2:23 PM

A group looking to start a horse college in the North Okanagan will be pursuing a lease with a local First Nation for land near the Tolko plant in Spallumcheen.

Malcolm Lynn, president of the Monashee Agri Park Society, says the next step is to start negotiations with the Harris Indian Band which is under the jurisdiction of the Okanagan Indian Band (OKIB).

“It’s at Otter Lake Cross Road, right across the road from the Tolko mill,” Lynn told Vernon Matters.

He says the site will mean “less red tape” as the 49 acre site is not in the Agricultural Land Reserve (ALR).

“It belongs to the band and we have to deal directly with the OKIB, not the municipality of Spallumcheen. It’s suitable for what we’re looking for. There is 30 acres that are cleared and 15 acres in bush,” Lynn said.

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The group is proposing to offer certified blacksmith and veterinarian-assistant courses at the Monashee Equine College, with the revenue used to create horse-related facilities such as a race track, and a swimming pool for horses.

Lynn said they also considered other land proposals.

“We went out and looked, and talked, with the board at O’Keefe Ranch. That was another option, but there was no water there. They’re hooked up to city water and they’re in the ALR,” Lynn said. “To get something like a college through the ALR, they said, would be pretty tough to do because they wouldn’t consider it as agriculture related to the O’Keefe Ranch. That’s what the president of the board said.”

The non-profit society said they will be seeking a long term lease from the OKIB to use about 25 acres, or 10 hectares, of the land.

“The owner of the property took me to the chief and council meeting on Monday, and I presented our business plan to them, and they’re very interested in doing something. They didn’t commit to anything, but we asked if we could pursue a long term lease on the property so that we could build a college, and they were interested, so we’ll have to go back in front of them again,” Lynn said.

Harris Indian Band land in Spallumcheen, proposed site for Monashee Equine College (Google Maps)

Lynn says they would like to get a lease agreement lasting at least 49 years.

“That’s negotiable [the cost and term], and of course it has to be government-approved as the government is giving us the money to build the improvements on it. Right now the government says a minimum of 49 years,” Lynn said.

He added the society is now in need of volunteers.

“What we need real bad is some volunteers for info-technology (website, email set-up) and grant writing, now that we’re applying for grants through Work BC. There is a half-a-million dollar grant we’re applying for.”

To contact the society, call their Vernon office 250-545-6148.

by Pete McIntyre

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