Some of the land donated by Kelowna locals to protect Okanagan Lake's shoreline.
Image Credit: OCCP/Paul Cotton
February 20, 2025 - 6:00 PM
A group of Kelowna landowners have partnered with the BC Parks Foundation to donate 117 hectares of land on Okanagan Lake in an effort to protect it.
Colin Pritchard grew up in the Okanagan and was fascinated by kokanee salmon as a kid and when he grew up he had the opportunity to help protect them, according to a release from BC Parks Foundation issued today, Feb. 20.
“The salmon bring up a lot of memories of my friends and I looking for the fish. Now is the time to protect them,” Pritchard said in the release.
Pritchard had part-ownership over 117 hectares, or 288 acres, of land near Westside Road on Okanagan Lake, and he decided to donate his share to the BC Parks Foundation.
Deer on the newly donated land around Okanagan Lake.
Image Credit: OCCP/Paul Cotton
He then approached the other part-owners Gordon Baughen and Robin Durrant who jumped at the opportunity to donate their interest in the land to help protect the shoreline and the salmon.
“It was my wife Penny’s idea to donate it. When she died in 2023, it was my trigger to donate it,” Baughen said in the release. “Our whole family is really pleased that we were able to make this work and know that it would have made our matriarch happy.”
Okanagan Collaborative Conservation Program’s director Scott Boswell said this property is essential for helping conserve the kokanee salmon that spend their entire lives in freshwater.
“The shoreline is a critical spawning ground for kokanee salmon,” Boswell said in the release. “By protecting this valuable ecological gem near Okanagan Lake, other species can also thrive. It’s a fantastic project.”
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A bird's eye view of protected shoreline on Okanagan Lake.
Image Credit: OCCP/Paul Cotton
Durrant said donating the land was a great idea.
“Our family applauds the work of the foundation and especially for preserving this great wildlife corridor down to the shoreline,” Durrant said in the release. “We are delighted to have the opportunity to contribute.”
BC Parks Foundation CEO Andy Day said it’s people like this that give hope to conservation efforts.
“These wonderful people are absolute heroes,” Day said in the release. “This wouldn’t have happened without them, and now they have created a legacy that will benefit people, salmon and other species forever. It is another wonderful example of the power of British Columbians coming together to protect beautiful parts of our province.”
The Wilson 5 Foundation and the Environment and Climate Change Canada’s Nature Smart Climate Solutions Fund also contributed to helping conserve the 288 acres.
“We need to protect as much of this shoreline and protect the fish,” Pritchard said. “It is so impressive to see so many partners and community members come to their defense. We can make a real difference together.”
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