City Decides Against Renewing Lease for Historic Site

The City of Vernon will end its long-standing operational arrangement with the Historic O’Keefe Ranch and Interior Heritage Society when the ranch’s current lease expires on March 31, 2027. In an Oct. 1 letter sent by chief administrative officer Carey Herd, the municipality stated that the current operating model for the city-owned land is financially unsustainable. The city noted it will not extend the agreement and is reviewing alternative options that aim to secure a sustainable path while honoring the site’s local significance.

Society and Supporters Raise Concerns Over Future

Over the past three decades, the city provided $4.12 million in funding to the site. However, municipal priorities are shifting toward other cultural projects, such as supporting the transition of the Greater Vernon Museum and Archives into the new Greater Vernon Cultural Centre. Society president Douglas MacGregor cautioned that if the organization is forced to dissolve due to the decision, assets and attractions owned by the society would need to be sold. He emphasized that the ranch serves as an essential gathering space, tourism driver, and historical resource for the North Okanagan, highlighting the thousands of volunteer hours spent keeping it operational.

Community Response and Petition Gain Momentum

The announcement has sparked pushback within the region. MP Scott Anderson publicly criticized the city’s move as “shameful” and called on the community to support an online petition at change.org aimed at preserving the historic landmark. As of Monday, Oct. 5, the petition had gathered more than 2,600 signatures. Meanwhile, city officials expressed gratitude in their letter for the contributions made by the society’s volunteers and supporters over nearly 50 years, even as they move forward with exploring new directions for the property.

Significant Reduction in Local Bear Mortality

Lethal encounters with black bears in the Tofino and Ucluelet area have fallen sharply this year, with just a single bear dispatched. The outcome marks a contrast to 2025, when 12 bears were killed due to food conditioning. According to Chris Read of WildSafeBC Pacific Rim, many of the animals killed in 2025 had become heavily accustomed to accessible, unsecure human food sources during the preceding two years.

Read noted that black bears are currently sticking to natural food, even though unsecured attractants remain present across the region. While bears are being displaced from traditional habitats, Read emphasized their ability to adapt around human populations and stressed the importance of securing garbage to minimize human-wildlife friction.

Garbage Remains Top Provincial Attractant

Data from WildSafeBC highlights secure waste management as the primary factor in reducing interactions. Provincial statistics show that between 2014 and 2018, the BC Conservation Officer Service logged 21,020 reports citing garbage as an attractant. The second highest cause—residential fruit trees and gardens—accounted for 5,395 reports over the same timeframe.

Proactive Enforcement and Community Integration

In an effort to address the issue locally, Ucluelet established a pilot program this past summer by hiring Cameron McKieve as a wildlife safety response officer. Working alongside conservation officers, McKieve initiated 50 enforcement actions, conducted 36 educational interactions, issued eight municipal tickets, and served six provincial warnings or orders. He has since been retained as a full-time municipal bylaw officer.

Due to the current provincial election period, representatives from the BC Conservation Officer Service and McKieve are unable to provide interviews while the provincial government operates under caretaker restrictions limited to essential communications.

WildSafeBC’s local outreach incorporates traditional cultural knowledge from the Nuu-chah-nulth people regarding coexistence with wildlife. Read expressed optimism that residents will continue learning to respect bears at a distance to prevent animals from becoming habituated or aggressive.