Society launches campaign to save North Okanagan's Historic O'Keefe Ranch

The Historic O’Keefe Ranch society plans to introduce a trio of campaigns to demonstrate the need for a lease renewal from the City of Vernon. Currently, the ranch is owned by the city and the ranch society doesn't know if its lease will be renewed in 2027. “The ranch is significant for its deep Indigenous roots and its role in early European settlement. It served as a crucial business and agricultural hub and later evolved into a pioneering cultural tourism destination. Women played pivotal roles in its history during this male-dominated era,” ranch manager Sherrilee Franks said. Although the ranch society has reached out to the city inquiring about a lease renewal, the city has not yet responded leaving the society wondering who will take care of the ranch in the future. The ranch society's campaigns will demonstrate the issues the ranch faces as well as explaining the importance and value of farming and ranching within North Okanagan and the impacts the operation had on the region. “The ranch continues to engage the community through partnerships with local organizations, offering educational and recreational opportunities and serving as a platform for new experiences and transactions in a historically rich environment,” Franks said. The campaign will include a series of videos and social media posts. The first video release will explore the beginnings of the society, the sale of the building to the Devonian society and later to the City of Vernon and how the land and building is currently being cared for. The ranch was home to the first post office in the area, along with a general store and trading centre. These businesses are currently represented through interactive displays and demonstrations on the ranch’s property. Several original ranch buildings are still standing and are used for educational purposes. “It is crucial for the residents of the North Okanagan to understand the importance of preserving this valuable and unique historic site with the many stories which illustrate the roots of the North Okanagan,” Bruce Cummings, president of the O’Keefe ranch society said in a media release. For more on the campaign and more information about Historic O'Keefe Ranch, go here https://www.okeeferanch.ca/information-campaign .  To contact a reporter for this story, email Bailey Zimmer mailto:bzimmer@infonews.ca  or call 250-808-0143 or email the editor mailto:news@infonews.ca . You can also submit photos, videos or news tips to the newsroom mailto:tips@infonews.ca  and be entered to win a monthly prize draw. We welcome your comments and opinions on our stories but play nice. We won't censor or delete comments unless they contain off-topic statements or links, unnecessary vulgarity, false facts, spam or obviously fake profiles. If you have any concerns about what you see in comments, email the editor in the link above. SUBSCRIBE to our awesome newsletter here https://infotel.ca/newsletter .