RDOS hosts open house for new heritage plans

PENTICTON — Local government is turning to the community for input on new, more interactive heritage planning projects.

The Heritage Planning Session is the first round of public engagement where community members can give input on what aspects of the region they value, such as landscapes, events, rituals or spiritual places.

Organizers are trying to push people outside the box in terms of what they consider to be part of the region’s heritage, says Lindsay Bourque, the district’s rural projects coordinator.

“The kind of static commemoration you see with plaques is something we’re moving away from,” she says. “They’re not very engaging.”

The provincial government is starting to reign in funding to heritage sights, she says. More money is now going towards self-sustaining projects, and not just for-profit models.

The Okanagan-Similkameen has a strong agricultural background that Bourque thinks will drive this project.

The district has already hired a consultant to study the area and public input to help narrow down the options. Trends are already forming and Bourque and her team have broken them up into major themes, including “to market” and “river valley settlement.”

Another series of open houses will be held later this year. Meetings will also be held with people in the area who have a good idea of local heritage, Bourque says. She also plans to hear stories of the older generation who grew up in the area.

Today’s open house will be held at Lier House, 1-220 Manor Park Avenue, Penticton. It is a drop-in event from 4 p.m. to 8 p.m.

To contact the reporter for this story, email Meaghan Archer at marcher@infotelnews.ca or call 250-488-3065. To contact the editor, email mjones@infotelnews.ca or call 250-718-2724.