By Don Urquhart, Times Chronicle
Osoyoos Town Council has approved the redirecting of Resort Municipality Infrastructure (RMI) monies, which were previously allocated to the Osoyoos & District Museum and Archives mural project, to the Museum’s new Urban Heritage Park on Main Street.
In September 2022 council supported the recommendation of town staff to utilize the $25,000 carry forward amount within the Public Art/Heritage stream to install heritage murals on the east wall of the museum facing 87th Avenue.
The transfer of the RMI funding is occurring despite the fact the museum was awarded a grant of $310,530 by the federal government on Dec. 17, 2022. At the time it was said to enable the museum to fully complete the ongoing renovations to the lower level and construction of the outdoor Urban Heritage Park.
Gina MacKay, Director of Planning & Development with the town, noted the murals have now been installed as a result of the “generous support of a local business person” which made the $25,000 no longer necessary for the mural project.
The Museum Society requested that Council support the efforts of the museum to build out the Urban Heritage Park on the vacant parcel located immediately to the west of the new museum by allocating the previously supported mural funds to this new park development.
A portion of the park facing Main Street will remain open to the public and will have some benches, garbage cans, and bicycle parking featuring the same street furnishings being used at the 85th Street Plaza.
The remainder of the park will be open during museum operating hours and includes outdoor heritage displays and native plant species within the landscape plan.
The park will enable special events to be held which are complementary to the museum.
