Large land donation boosts biodiversity along Okanagan Lake

The BC Parks Foundation has received a generous donation to help protect land along the west side of Okanagan Lake.

Thanks to the support of Kelowna philanthropist Colin Pritchard, the foundation successfully purchased 288 acres (117 hectares) along Westside Road, West Kelowna, preserving a key stretch of shoreline for Kokanee salmon to spawn.

“The salmon bring back a lot of memories of my friends and me looking for the fish," Pritchard said in a news release. "Now is the time to protect them.”

To make the deal possible, Pritchard also helped secure donations from two of the five landowners, Gordon Baughen and Robin Durrant, who contributed their interests in the property.

“I think what's so special about some of these properties, especially closer to urban centers, is that people across B.C. value their outdoor spaces for so many different reasons: recreation values, personal health values, biodiversity values, climate,” Jennie McCaffrey, VP, BC Parks Foundation said.

“What we really see is that people across B.C. come together when we're able to protect these special places. And I really think that it's quite meaningful for the community to create their own lasting legacy.”

McCaffrey added that the donation didn’t raise concerns about the longevity of the salmon but instead reinforced the need to protect their habitat for future generations.

“We've done a lot of projects like this across the province, and we’re always looking for high-biodiversity areas to protect and conserve,” she said.

“This salmon spawning habitat along the lakeshore is incredible—it's really unique in the province. So, it was extra important to protect this particular property, but we’re always looking to safeguard special ecosystems with high biodiversity.”