Ranch relief from city hall

Vernon council has voted to wait until the end of December 2022 to receive a $70,000 dollar promissory note from the Historic O’Keefe Ranch and Interior Heritage Society. Council also voted to forgo all annual property insurance recoveries from 2019 to 2021.

As a further cost saving measure, the society can undergo a review engagement of its finances instead of a more costly audit. City staff indicated that all outstanding issues from a 2017 audit had been properly addressed.

The tourist and heritage attraction has continued to struggle financially and was even harder hit this summer with COVID-19 delaying their opening date, curtailing some activities and resulting in fewer tourists.

It will close for the season this Saturday September 19th.

The city provided a $100,000 dollar grant to O’Keefe this year; that is supposed to drop to $50,000 in 2021.

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Numerous attempts have been made in the past to have other local governments in the area support ranch operations.

“We need to have this before the Regional District of the North Okanagan (RDNO) and keep pushing it,” said Councillor Dalvir Nahal.

“It’s been there many times. Vernon taxpayers have been funding this from day one, other jurisdictions have no interest in helping,” stated Councillor Akbal Mund. “The society needs to go before RDNO.”