Councillor sounding O’Keefe Ranch alarm

By Richard Rolke - Vernon Morning Star - October 24, 2007

Plummeting attendance and tight finances has a Vernon politician ready to declare a state of emergency at O’Keefe Ranch.Coun. Barry Beardsell was alarmed to hear about current conditions at the city-owned historical site Monday, and he believes it is time for action.“The financial problems are far from solved and are getting worse,” he said.Beardsell is suggesting a state of emergency be declared in the hopes of getting assistance from the federal and provincial governments and the North Okanagan Regional District.O’Keefe Ranch’s board of directors told council Monday that there is currently an $80,000 surplus, but there will be very little left after depreciation and year-end expenses are factored in.Attendance this year also dropped to 23,206, a 15.6 per cent decline over 2006.

“Bus tours are down because of the lack of a marketing person and we need to get on that,” said Darryl O’Brian, vice-president.O’Keefe Ranch laid off its marketing co-ordinator last year because of budget constraints. NORD is trying to withdraw from funding the ranch, but Beardsell opposes that move because of what he sees as the site’s benefit to the entire region. “Local government has to solve this financial problem once and for all,” he said, adding that there is also a role for the provincial and federal governments.But O’Brian says federal regulations for historic sites are too restrictive.“The province is also getting out of heritage sites and weaning them off (taxpayers’ funds).”The other challenge is O’Keefe Ranch had sought $600,000 from the Southern Interior Development Initiative Trust to help construct a proposed RV park. But it is apparently only eligible for $150,000 now, and that is if matching funds are available.Despite these difficulties, though, O’Brian insists his board will continue to move ahead with long-term plans to make the ranch a self-sustaining operation.“We are going after every grant we can,” he said.The O’Keefe Ranch board will present its 2008 budget to council Nov. 26 and it will also make a presentation to NORD Dec. 7.