Times Chronicle Staff
Inmates from Okanagan Correctional Centre have joined forces to upgrade the Secrest Hill agriculture worker’s campground near Oliver.
The inmates built 50 picnic tables as part of an enhancement project by the regional district in partnership with the Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Fisheries.
The $457,000 funding was allocated to campground upgrades, washroom facilities, road resurfacing, fencing, camp host site improvements, and various campground amenities such as cook areas, off-leash area, and new picnic tables.
“Many agriculture workers arrive with very little, so having a (picnic) table to organize their cooking supplies and enjoy a meal can make all the difference to their comfort level,” said regional district chair Mark Pendergraft.
Boundary-Similkameen MLA Roly Russell said building these tables provides another avenue for individuals in custody to give back while developing new skills for their future. And it helps improve quality of life for many agricultural workers that spend time at Secrest Hill (formerly known as Loose Bay Campground).
“ We know how important these workers are to our region and to our farms: projects like this make a difference both within the correctional centre community and in the community at large,” Russell said.
Secrest Hill camp has 125 individual spaces and is one of the largest agriculture worker’s campsites in the Okanagan and Similkameen valleys. Campers at Secrest Hill are employed at a variety of agricultural operations in the region, including vineyards and farms producing wine, fruit, vegetables, cannabis, and mushrooms.
