Vernon BC has Ogopogo in Storage

Statue of World Famous Ogopogo Unlikely to Return in its Original Form

June 24 2026 - After months of public curiosity and some confusion, the fate of Vernon's Polson Park’s iconic Ogopogo statue has now been clarified by city council.

Ogopogo in Polson Park's"Duck Pond" in 2022

The concrete statue, which sat in the middle of the park’s main duck pond for decades, was removed during the Vernon Creek Naturalization Project, a roughly $9 million ecological restoration that removed concrete channels and old ponds to restore the creek to a more natural state, improve flood protection, and enhance wildlife habitat.

During the June 8, regular council meeting, Councillor Kari Gares asked what had happened to the statue.

During the following discussion some councillors believed it may have been destroyed during the park work, while others thought it may be in storage.

Councillor Gares requested a clear update. Staff delivered the answer at the June 22 council meeting.

The original Ogopogo is in storage, but it is in poor condition after 35+ years outdoors and cannot be restored or reinstalled.

Councillor Gares responded to the update by saying:

“Thank you for that update. That makes a lot of sense. I guess this is going to have to be a discussion that the next council will have to make as to whether or not a new replica is constructed. Because that is something that has historical value for Vernon, and I know a lot of the residents have been asking about it.”

Council agreed that any new Ogopogo replica, possibly a modern, family-friendly or interactive version that children could play on, should be considered as part of the larger Polson Park Revitalization Plan.

Unlike Kelowna’s well-known waterfront Ogopogo (built in 1949 by Egildo Orsi and his sons), no public records have been found identifying who designed or built Vernon’s 1990 Polson Park version.

The long-running “Ogopogo mystery” in Vernon has now been officially solved: the original 1990 statue will not return, but its legacy may live on in a new form in the revitalized park.

Note on rights: In 1953, Vernon broadcaster Arthur “Gil” Seabrook originally registered copyright on the name “Ogopogo.” The City of Vernon later held those rights until March 2021, when council formally transferred the copyright and all related interests to the Okanagan Nation Alliance for $1.

Vernon BC has Ogopogo in Storage

This story includes a correction. The Ogopogo inquiries were mistakenly attributed to councillor Durning