Historic O’Keefe Ranch: The Facts the Public Deserves to Know

Respectfully Submitted by Douglas MacGregor, President, Historic O’Keefe Ranch & Interior Heritage Society

I simply cannot sit back and allow the Mayor of Vernon to continue making statements about the future of O’Keefe Ranch that, in my opinion, rely on inflated figures and raise serious questions about the accuracy of the information being presented to the public.

Throughout our conversations, the Mayor has made his opposition to the continuation of O’Keefe Ranch very clear. He has been quite vocal in expressing his position that he does not support keeping the Ranch operating.

Yet the Mayor and Council encouraged us to continue operating and asked the Society to submit a one-year proposal that might allow the Ranch to remain open until 2028. We did what they asked. However, we heard nothing further from Council regarding our proposal until we were informed that our contract would not be renewed.

We advised the City that this decision would leave the Society with little choice but to dissolve and consult with our membership about its future. Whether the City chose to make its decision public before the Society could communicate with the community is something only the City can answer.

What is particularly disturbing is the Mayor's continued use of the figure of $350,000 per year to maintain O’Keefe Ranch. The public deserves a clear explanation of where this figure originated and exactly what it includes.

For the past two years, the City has provided approximately $10,000 per year toward the Ranch, along with approximately $40,000 per year for insurance. The insurance protects a property owned by the City, and the City is the primary beneficiary of that coverage, rather than the Society.

Furthermore, the Society had two years of its $10,000 annual payment withheld, requiring us to continue operating without those funds.

To my knowledge, the City has not been spending $350,000 annually to maintain the property. If it had, it is difficult to understand how the buildings and infrastructure could have deteriorated to their present condition.

It appears to me that these figures are now being used to justify a decision already made by seven members of our community, without meaningful consultation with the community they were elected to represent.

We Put Forward a Practical Alternative

The Society submitted a proposal to the City that would require a maximum contribution of approximately $150,000 per year, based on hiring a couple of staff members to support daily operations.

With this staffing in place, we could operate the Ranch five days a week instead of relying so heavily on weekend activities and volunteers. Longer operating hours would provide more opportunities to generate revenue and potentially reduce the amount the City would need to contribute.

We also made it clear that any income remaining after operating expenses would be directed toward repairing the City's buildings and infrastructure.

With a long-term agreement in place, the Society could once again approach local businesses, community supporters, and potential donors to help restore the buildings one at a time over a number of years.

We also proposed that a City representative sit on the Society's board as a voting member. This would give the City a direct role in governance and a clear understanding of what was being accomplished by the board, management, and volunteers.

These were practical suggestions intended to provide accountability, improve operations, increase revenue, and protect the Ranch for the future.

Unfortunately, the Society has not been given a meaningful opportunity to work through these options with the Mayor and Council.

Three Years of Uncertainty — Yet the Ranch Continues

For the past three years, the future of O’Keefe Ranch has remained uncertain. This uncertainty has made it extremely difficult to ask businesses for significant financial assistance or secure grants for improvements and operations. Potential supporters need to know that the Ranch will still be operating when their contributions or grant funding are put to use.

Despite these challenges, the Society and its volunteers have continued to keep the Ranch alive for visitors.

We have continued to operate and maintain the existing facilities and infrastructure while paying down accumulated debts incurred under previous contracted management.

Over the past 18 months of operations, we have not accumulated new debt. We have paid our ongoing expenses as they have come due, continued reducing past obligations, and managed to retain some money in the bank to support operations until our contract expires on March 31, 2027.

This has been accomplished through the commitment of our volunteers, careful financial management, and a determination to preserve this important part of our community's history.

I believe this record deserves recognition, not to be overshadowed by figures that do not appear to reflect the Society's proposed operating model.

There Are Other Ways Forward

The Mayor's estimates of the professional staffing required to operate the Ranch also appear, in my view, to be higher than necessary. There are many things that could be done to keep O’Keefe Ranch operating without placing an unreasonable financial burden on the City.

Our proposal offered a starting point for discussion. There may be other solutions as well. However, the Mayor and Council have not been willing to sit down with the Society and the other parties involved in the Ranch's current operations to properly explore these possibilities.

Instead, the message conveyed to us by the Mayor has been unmistakable: the City wants to dispose of the Ranch and relieve itself of what it considers an unnecessary burden.

Is that really the only option available to the City of Vernon?

Before making a decision with such significant consequences, surely the Mayor and Council have an obligation to examine the alternatives, review the actual costs, and consult meaningfully with the people who have worked so hard to preserve this historic property.

I would encourage the Mayor and Council to sit down with the Society and those involved in the Ranch's operations. Rather than simply presenting the public with a large annual cost figure, they should explain how that figure was calculated, what expenses it includes, and how it compares with the Society's proposal.

The community deserves transparency, a fair discussion, and an opportunity to understand what is truly possible.

What Does “In Perpetuity” Mean Today?

O’Keefe Ranch was donated to the City of Vernon in perpetuity. Those words carry a responsibility to consider the long-term preservation of this historic property.

Unfortunately, “in perpetuity” appears to have taken on a very different meaning under the present Mayor and Council.

I would also like to acknowledge and compliment the Township of Spallumcheen for its understanding and assistance. I sincerely hope that the future Mayor and Council of Vernon will demonstrate that same understanding and willingness to work with the Society and the community to find a way forward for Historic O’Keefe Ranch.

This Ranch belongs to the history of our community. Its future deserves more than a decision to walk away. It deserves an honest accounting of the costs, a fair consideration of the alternatives, and a genuine effort to preserve it for future generations.

Respectfully submitted,

Douglas MacGregor
President
Historic O’Keefe Ranch & Interior Heritage Society