The North Okanagan’s MLAs may be lobbied to keep a money-maker on track for O’Keefe Ranch. At least one City of Vernon official says it’s time for MLAs George Abbott and Tom Christensen to get directly involved in the plight of the cash-strapped heritage site. “We have to get the co-operation of our MLAs on this one,” said Coun. Barry Beardsell, 
who sits on a committee looking at the future of the ranch. The city and the O’Keefe Ranch and Interior Heritage Society had proposed to generate revenue through an RV park, but that plan was turned down from the Agricultural Land Commission. The ALC stated the land proposed for the RV park is good for growing crops and should be preserved. Despite that ruling, Beardsell doesn’t believe the RV park should be abandoned. “It (ranch) cannot generate a break-even situation so it needs an ancillary operation to generate revenue,” he said. “It would also serve agriculture well because it would generate money for the ranch and the historic telling of agriculture.”
Beardsell added that the land would have remain in the Agricultural Land Reserve and an area would have been set aside for tourists to keep any horses with them. Beardsell would not speculate on whether the provincial government should overrule the ALC ruling or ask the commission to reconsider its decision. “I am optimistic something can be done and the first step is with those two MLAs,” he said of Abbott and Christensen. Christensen is willing to meet with the city and O’Keefe Ranch society. “But the challenge is the ALC is independent of government,” he said, adding that political interference in the commission’s activities is not allowed. “I am not aware of a process to appeal an ALC decision to a political level.” Christensen admits that he is interested in looking at ways to assist the ranch through difficult financial times.“It’s a valuable historical asset for the North Okanagan,” he said.
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