Proposed national park reserve in the South Okanagan-Similkameen – “What We Heard” Report – Public Information Sessions

In support of its commitment to openness and transparency, Parks Canada will be hosting public information sessions to share feedback received during the public consultations on the proposed national park reserve in the South Okanagan-Similkameen.

Parks Canada undertook broad and extensive consultations with local residents, stakeholders, and all Canadians to hear their views on the proposed boundary for the proposed national park reserve and key aspects for consideration in the management of the lands. The valuable input of all will be taken into consideration in the assessment of the establishment of the proposed national park reserve.

Input from the public consultations will be published in the “What We Heard” report–developed by a third-party consultant–on the Let’s Talk South Okanagan-Similkameen web site on May 13.

The public information sessions will take place as follows:

Tuesday, May 14
12:00 p.m. – 8:00 p.m.

Venables Theatre, 6100 Gala Street

Oliver, B.C.

Wednesday, May 15
10:00 a.m. – 2:00 p.m.
Sonora  Community Centre, 8505 68th Ave
Osoyoos, B.C.

4:00 – 8:00 p.m.

Keremeos Victory Hall, 427-7th Avenue/Hwy 3

Keremeos, B.C.

Thursday May 16

12:00 p.m. – 8:00 p.m.
Shatford Centre, 760 Main Street
Penticton, B.C.

Parks Canada staff will be on site to answer questions.

For media: Parks Canada’s Sarah Boyle, Project Manager, and Kevin McNamee, Director, Protected Areas Establishment, will be available for in-person media interviews prior to the first public information session. Details will be provided in the coming days.

The goal is to have an agreement on a final boundary for the proposed national park reserve by summer 2019. Afterwards, steps would be undertaken towards the formal establishment of a national park reserve in the South Okanagan-Similkameen.

A new national park reserve in the South Okanagan-Similkameen would protect one of the most endangered natural regions in Canada and enable this inspiring landscape to be shared with Canadians and visitors from around the world for generations to come.

Chef des relations avec les médias Agence – Parcs Canada
Parks Canada Agency
30 rue Victoria

Note to Parcs Can a da !! – this is British Columbia

Canada – 1867 and it took you this long to find the Okanagan. After 150 years of mining, farming, residential, tourism, now cannabis, now wineries – someone in Ottawa thinks we should be a park ???