Okanagan Gondola will be off the ground after breaking ground on the project near Kalamalka Lake.
Ridge North America, along with officials from the Regional District of North Okanagan, held a ground-breaking ceremony in the hills above the lake Thursday, July 10, marking the start of construction at the gondola's summit station and base area.
"The Okanagan Gondola will offer breathtaking views, immersive trails, and elevated dining designed for all ages," said Rupert Harper, general manager of Okanagan Gondola with Ridge North America.
鈥淭his is an exciting milestone for our team and our partners. We鈥檙e looking forward to building an experience that celebrates the landscape and spirit of the Okanagan region.鈥�
The project near Bailey Road will complement Vernon鈥檚 existing tourism offerings and contribute to the area鈥檚 growing appeal as a destination for outdoor and cultural experiences.
鈥淭his project has the unique characteristic of creating something truly special for both residents and visitors,鈥� said David McKenna, Ridge North America president. 鈥淚t鈥檚 rewarding to be part of something that connects people to the outdoors in such a meaningful way.鈥�
While the gondola is a go, there are still outstanding water issues that need to be resolved before a restaurant can operate at the site.
Concerns have been raised regarding expanding the Greater Vernon Water (GVW) boundaries.
According to a Greater Vernon Advisory Committee (GVAC) report, the water network is "constrained in its current ability to access the full extent of its water licenses, has concerns about the ability to support the full extent of potential growth within its existing boundaries and has not been successful in obtaining `water reserves' to facilitate long-term growth planning."
There is also a "significant" potential for water quality issues, and a connection would impact maximum day demand on the Longspoon reservoir.
"But the development that's been approved is somewhat restricted by covenant," said Bob Fleming, GVAC chair. "A condition of the development, actually was, that they could not have on-site food preparation. They would be limited to off-site food preparation and food trucks could prepare their food off-site and be brought in and sold. But it would not be for an on-premise restaurant, and that was related to what was likely available from the wells."
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