The Okanagan Falls Community Association will be presenting a recovery plan for Okanagan Falls

Photo: Contributed

The Regional District of Okanagan-Similkameen will be presented with a 2020 Economic Development & Recovery Plan for Okanagan Falls on Thursday.

Prepared by Okanagan Falls Community Association and RDOS members, the document is deemed as a ‘call to action’ for the town. 

Currently, the project stands as a “3-year work plan for the vision, economic development and COVID-19 recovery of the community of Okanagan Falls” and “guidance for the Okanagan Falls Economic Development Office to December of 2022.

The proposal outlines the economic decline of OK Falls, where they state “No greater symptom of this was apparent than the sudden closure of the only local grocery store in the community (the “IGA”) in September, 2019.” 

Hoping to utilize community collaboration, the plan outlines seven goals to achieve for improving Okanagan Falls. 

1. An Attractive Community for young Families; .2 Continued Business Support through Recovery; .3 Understand Infrastructure Challenges, and Plan for the Future; .4 An Informed Discussion on the prospect of Incorporation in Okanagan Falls; .5 Develop a Community Brand, and build Okanagan Falls as a Tourism Destination; .6 Downtown Improvement and Beautification; and .7 Build on Community Amenities that are already a Strength. 

These goals each come with outlined action plans and suggestions on how to fulfill them in order to better the community. 

It also argues that while Okanagan Falls develops plans and projects for the community, ‘there is a lack of tangible action and delivery on the implementation items in these plans.’

Target Timelines, SWAT analysis’, community surveys, environmental and financial analysis are detailed in the report.

The group is pushing that this is an operational plan for the community, rather than just a visionary document. 

Chief Administrative Officer, Bill Newell, will be presenting the full report to the RDOS on Thursday.