Lack of funds could ensure ranch closure

By Vernon Daily Courier staff http://www.dailycourier.ca/

Historic O’ Keefe Ranch, may be history after this season if the ranch does not receive a grant of $1.139 million from the City of Vernon and the North Okanagan Regional District (NORD). The B.C. historic site is already operating at a loss for the year even though it has only been open since the end of April. Rod Drennan, president of the O’Keefe Ranch and Interior Heritage Society, brought a large contingent of volunteer board members to city council on Monday for a “charm offensive.” “We have some very serious decisions to make,” said Drennan. Drennan said that the ranch needs $1.819 million to build a 50 space RV complex on the property and to do building repairs. A paper written by the group claimed that the society was expecting to raise $685,000 to go towards the projects and needs the City of Vernon, who own the ranch, to work with NORD in supplying an additional $1.139 million.

“We have very good information from two RV park owners who have given us a look at the costs involved and outlined what is needed,” said Drennan. The ultimate goal of the RV park would be to provide income to the ranch that would allow it to wean itself off of city funding, said Drennan. Catherine Lord, treasurer of the ranch society, said that $750,000 would be needed from the city and NORD over the next two years to build the RV park and repair the buildings on the property. “It takes a unique contractor for this type of work,” said Drennan. “It’s not like we’re just putting on vinyl siding.” “Just about any of the 20 or so structures need work done on them.” Drennan said that there were no easy answers for council and that issues being examined now “should have been dealt with years ago.” Drennan said that without the cash injection from the city and NORD, it was hard to see the ranch continuing its operations after the current season, which ends Thanksgiving weekend.

“Any decision to close the ranch would be the owner’s,” said Drennan, emphasizing that the City of Vernon owned the ranch. “But a straight rejection would tell some of the board members that we just cannot carry on past this season.” Council agreed to look at the issue and referred it to the finance
committee.