Photo: Contributed

The BX Ranchlands are going to stay green.

Located off of East Vernon Road, the large parcel of undeveloped green space is a rare commodity for the area.

The Regional District of North Okanagan purchased the land in 2016 to create a perimeter trail through a portion of the land with some discussion of subdividing and selling the remaining section.

However, the board resolved to sell the remaining section to Electoral Areas B and C, effectively keeping the land in public hands and allowing the opportunity to explore agricultural and educational opportunities.

“The BX Ranchlands are historically significant for our area. You can’t create more green space, but you can conserve that which is undeveloped, and for this exact reason, we have worked to retain this property in public hands for the benefit of our communities. It is a great big, beautiful open space right on the edge of the City,” said Bob Fleming, director for Electoral Area B. “We thank our partners, the City of Vernon and the District of Coldstream, for their cooperation in allowing us to conserve this amazing property for the benefit of the entire community and, really, the whole region.”

The 137-acre parcel is within the agricultural land reserve, meaning that it could be used as an agricultural park or a space for farming education.

With the land now owned by the two electoral areas, discussions can begin on how the space can be used.

“The public support for retaining the BX Ranchlands has been a driving force for our efforts to secure the land for our community,” said Amanda Shatzko, director for Electoral Area C. “We will continue to consult with residents and collaborative organizations as we plan the future of a regionally significant park.”

The RDNO is working with the Institute for Sustainable Food Systems at Kwantlen Polytechnic University to explore the development and implementation of a regional agriculture and food system education facility and programming on the BX Ranchlands property.

The intent is not to have a bricks-and-mortar facility but rather to use the land for hands-on agricultural learning. The next step is to conduct a feasibility study to evaluate the property for this program.