O'Keefe Ranch's pathway to crucial funding has just gotten more complex. 

At the Monday, Oct. 28 council meeting for the District of Coldstream, a request of $19,964 in funding for O'Keefe Ranch was deferred from council. 

President of the O'Keefe Ranch Historical Society, Bruce Cummings, made the presentation. 

"Council has deferred the consideration of the grant because there was discussion of O'Keefe going back to the Regional District North Okanagan (RDNO) to discuss funding," said Coldstream's CAO Jeremy Sundin. "Council wanted O'Keefe to have funding discussions with the RDNO before they would consider that grant-in-aid."

Coldstream's grant-in-aid's are for a maximum of $1,000 per organization. However, O'Keefe Ranch was looking to get the $19,964 through the COVID19 Safe Restart Reserve. 

According to a report, during the 2022 budget process, $19,964 per year for five years (2022-2026) was allocated from the COVID19 Safe Restart Reserve to O'Keefe Ranch. The full amount ($99,820) was already deducted from the COVID19 Reserve, and transferred into the Reserve for Future Expenditures. The instalments for 2022, 2023 and 2024 had been paid to O'Keefe, but 2025 and 2026 are still open, and should council decide not to continue "this process, any remaining balance would have to be transferred back to the COVID19 Safe Restart reserve."

Sundin told The Morning Star that "council decided not to make a decision on that yet but directed Mr. Cummings to go to the RDNO."

However, he did say that Cummings "did not have immediate plans to make his presentation to the RDNO."

"O'Keefe is a regional asset, and perhaps all the communities should be considering some support," Sundin said. "It will be coming back to council, regardless of how that goes with the RDNO but they (council) wanted Cummings to do that first." 

In the presentation, Cummings outlined the ranch's current financial situation, including the lack of funds provided by the City of Vernon. 

According to Cummings, in the past six years, Vernon council provided at least $100,000 each year, until 2025, when just $10,000 was committed.

"We will continue to operate as long as we can," the presentation said. "We are seeking funding to replace Vernon's historical contribution through donations, sponsorships, membership and fundraiser events."

Additionally, the Ranch asked the Township of Spallumcheen on Monday, Oct. 21, to designate itself as a Historic Place on the B.C. Register of Historic Places, which would open up provincial funding to the Ranch. Once registered in B.C., it can apply for federal funding through the Canadian Register of Historic Places.