Desert Park is now the scene of two horse racing days per year, like this one in August. The facilities are also used during the winter for training horses from Alberta that are brought here for the better climate. The recently released Town of Osoyoos Community Services Master Plan depicts horses as a declining industry in B.C. and suggests the land should be put to other uses. Carol Youngberg, president of the Desert Park Exhibition Society, however, believes there’s potential to grow the equestrian activities while also seeing the facility better used by non-equestrian sports and events. (Richard McGuire file photo)
A new study casts a doubt on the future of equestrian events at Desert Park, but in the wake of successful horse racing events, the report is a surprise to some.
“They caught me a bit by surprise,” said Mayor Stu Wells. “We had better have a very major sit down and discussion because those recommendations have huge implications with what is happening in town and with the Desert Park Exhibition Society.”
Wells thinks that consultants Lees and Associates did a good job overall with the Town of Osoyoos Community Services Master Plan, though he said council would have the final word.
“Those are out-of-town consultants,” Wells said. “I think they did a good job, however, I don’t know if they have the complete local flavour. And that’s going to be determined by council.”
The plan says there is a limited supply of land in Osoyoos and this makes Desert Park critically important in serving the future needs of the community for recreation and to generate economic benefits.
The land at Desert Park is Crown owned and is granted for recreational use to the town.
The equestrian centre “currently occupies a significant amount of public land that could potentially be used to provide greater public benefits to the community,” the report says.
Among the possible uses for Desert Park, the study lists four new options in addition to ones suggested in a 2005 Urban Systems report:
1. A regional indoor/outdoor event centre;
2. A sport tourism venue that would include sports field use but would terminate the Desert Park Exhibition Society’s lease when it expires in 2016. Possible additional uses could include golf course expansion, indoor driving range, indoor multisports complex and sport training centre;
3. A town-operated park that would retain sports field use and upgrade portions of existing buildings, but would terminate the society’s lease in 2016;
4. A future arena and aquatic centre, which in the short term would retain sports fields, but remove equestrian facilities.
Carol Youngberg, president of the Desert Park Exhibition Society, takes issue with some of the recommendations in the report and believes that equestrian activities can still be an important part of Desert Park as a multi-use facility.
“Desert Park is not being used to its fullest capacity,” said Youngberg, adding other uses for the facility can co-exist with horse racing and training.
The equestrian activities bring considerable benefits to Osoyoos, she added, contradicting statements in the consultants’ report.
“There are 20 horse owners and trainers who bring with them at least five to six people,” said Youngberg. “So that’s about 120 people that come into the area that use motels, hotels, restaurants, grocery stores and gas stations to say nothing about feed and all the other agricultural products they require to keep them here.”
While the equestrian industry may not be what it was 20 years ago, the trend is cyclical, she said, and it has great potential to involve a younger generation if the community works towards it.
The Community Services Master Plan suggests the buildings at Desert Park are reaching the end of their life expectancy. The recreation complex is 33 years old, the report said.
“Given the lack of maintenance of the facility and initial construction standards, the facility has limited life expectancy,” the report said. “Higher than normal maintenance costs are expected. The building has served its purpose and is nearing the end of its serviceable life.”
Youngberg, however, points out the town is currently facing other major expenses such as construction of a new fire hall and various infrastructure projects so there isn’t the money for the kind of sports complex the consultants talk about.
Instead of putting so much energy into thinking of ways to get rid of the existing facility, we would be better off to look for ways to use the facility we already have to its full potential, she said.
A recent engineers report suggests the present building can be renovated, Youngberg said. The Desert Park Exhibition Society will be going to the town with a three-phase proposal to resurrect the building, she added.
“There has to be uses attached to the proposal so that they can see that they’re meeting the needs of the community,” she said.
Youngberg acknowledges not all kinds of events can be held simultaneously at Desert Park, but she believes equestrian activities are compatible with other uses.
“You have to work the facility out so that it becomes compatible for all its uses,” she said.
Mayor Wells agrees.
“I think a lot of these issues are solved by people sitting down and having open and frank dialogue,” said Wells. “As we go down that road it’s going to require a real sit down between other users and the horse folks.”
One of the challenges, he said, is getting in and out of the infield for other events. And some activities can spook the horses.
Wells looks forward to seeing the results of the engineer’s report on the existing buildings as well as hearing the recommendations from the Desert Park Exhibition Society.
“I think the key to that whole building is the grandstand because it has implications not only for horseracing, but for a lot of other events that take place there,” he said. “There’s no use doing anything until we know the cost of making the grandstand and bleachers completely useable and safe for the public.”
In addition to the four options suggested for the park by Lees and Associates, they also said the options in the 2005 Urban Systems report could still be considered.
Those options were:
1. An equestrian-focused centre that would add additional equine facilities and could host complementary uses such as car shows, a circus or concerts;
2. A modified equestrian concept where a local and regional-scale equestrian centre would be combined with community sports fields;
3. A recreation centre with a recreational vehicle component for associated senior visitor use, golfers and sports tournaments.
RICHARD McGUIRE
Osoyoos Times
