O’Keefe Ranch Heritage Society and the City of Vernon Dispute Continues
October 9 2026 - The public dispute over the future of the Historic O’Keefe Ranch continues, with the Historic O’Keefe Ranch & Interior Heritage Society and the City of Vernon at odds over costs, transparency, and what happens after the current lease ends.
On October 6, Global News Okanagan aired a segment (reporter Kevin Pontious) in which Vernon Mayor Victor Cumming said the actual cost to operate the ranch and keep it at current levels is “probably in the order of magnitude of $550,000 a year.” He acknowledged the community attachment to the site (“my kids went there… it’s a part of the community”) but indicated the existing model is not sustainable and that the city’s interest is “to just find a different path forward.”
The society’s president, Douglas MacGregor, stated in the same segment that if the city does not allow the society to continue operating the ranch, the society would have to dissolve and either turn assets over to another operator or sell them.
In a subsequent public response posted as Press Release #3 on the society’s website, okeeferanch.ca, MacGregor disputed the mayor’s cost figures.
MacGregor said the society’s operating proposal was approximately $150,000 annually (excluding capital repairs), and he referenced the city’s historical support and a 2024 assessment that identified substantial capital needs.
The society has also stated that it received formal notice the city would not extend the lease beyond its March 31, 2027 expiry, and it has criticized what it describes as a lack of transparency around the city’s next steps (including references to “confidential land discussions”).
The society has urged residents to sign a petition ahead of the October 17 municipal election. The petition (“Keep History Alive! Save O’Keefe Ranch”) is available at: https://www.change.org/p/keep-history-alive-save-o-keefe-ranch
Key established points for context:
The City of Vernon owns the ranch property (originally donated by the Devonian Foundation).
The society has operated it under a lease since the 1970s, relying heavily on volunteers.
The lease is scheduled to expire March 31, 2027, with no renewal currently in place.
Cost figures remain contested: the mayor cited roughly $550,000 per year; the society says its operating request was closer to $150,000 (capital needs are treated separately in the society’s account).
The society has indicated it would be willing to hand operations to another operator if one is identified to preserve the site.
No confirmed plan for housing development or sale of the ranch itself has been publicly stated by the city; the mayor has said it is “not in the city’s plans” and the goal is a different path forward.
This remains an active local issue with differing public numbers and interpretations of sustainability, community value, and next steps.
Further details are expected as the lease end date approaches and in the context of the upcoming municipal election.
O’Keefe Ranch Heritage Society and the City of Vernon Dispute Continues
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