In the quaint village of Naramata in the South Okanagan, the area’s natural beauty, history and community spirit are highly valued by its approximately 1,000 residents. Situated on Naramata Bench with stunning views of Okanagan Lake, Naramata maintains a strong tourism industry, but with no economic development function, improvements were lacking in the spaces where people work, recreate, explore and do business.  In 2024, the Regional District of Okanagan Similkameen (RDOS) launched a Community Revitalization project to encourage people to spend more time in the village centre and to attract more permanent residents.

Adrienne Fedrigo, a regional Director with the RDOS, took the lead on developing the Community Revitalization Plan with support from the Economic Trust of the Southern Interior (ETSI-BC). We spoke to Adrienne about Naramata’s changing look and feel as the plan rolls out.

What was the inspiration for revitalizing Naramata?

It actually goes back to a pilot project earlier this year that placed a porta potty within Naramata Village Centre for two months. The nearest public washroom is more that 1 km away, which discourages people from walking, so they would drive to the washroom and then leave the Village. Meanwhile, business owners noticed that while the porty potty was in place people stayed in the area longer and business revenues increased.  This example shows how even subtle changes can make a difference to the local economy.

How does the new Community Revitalization Plan build on this concept?

The intention was to take action on initiatives previously identified in the Official Community Plan and capture additional ideas and opportunities that citizens and businesses want to see.  

The plan is a living document that promotes entrepreneurship and diversification to fill gaps in services and products that may exist in the local economy. It is also a great foundation piece to support funding opportunities as they arise.

What did you need to conduct this project?

We needed a consultant who knew the area, could engage locals and present the revitalization concept in an uncontentious way. Denise Blashko, Executive Director of the Osoyoos Chamber, was that person. The ETSI-BC funding enabled us to hire Denise outside of her regular job to conduct extensive community outreach. I gave her a big list of ideas as a starting point and she conducted more than a dozen one-on-one interviews, organized an informal Business Walk and hosted a public Open House to gather community insight and feedback. She added many valuable new ideas with suggested timelines and budgets, then presented the final plan at various locations in the community.

What are some highlights of the new plan?

• The greatest outcome may be the strong collaboration that’s developed between the regional and provincial government, local businesses, non-profits, citizens and volunteers who have partnered through economic development to enhance their community.

• Creating a clear brand is essential to show the world who we are, what our values are, and the colors and taglines that should be part of our brand.  Many great ideas were brought forward for further discussion.

• The research also suggests Naramata would benefit from an Active Transportation Plan that redesigns the way people move in the community to support emissions reduction, better air quality and healthier living.

• A formalized program for beautification and wayfinding is helping to organize many ideas in the plan and will lead to quicker decisions and faster project turnaround times.

• The addition of a dedicated a multipurpose facility/community centre would address gaps identified through the outreach process. It could include meeting space, drop-in coworking space, local art displays and even a commercial kitchen. And of course, public washrooms.

Have you seen new investment in specific projects?

One of the outcomes is a $50,000 investment by a developer who purchased a couple of shipping containers that could be outfitted to function as pop-up retail spaces. When the developer learned about our revitalization planning, they moved ahead with the containers to be ready for the use by the summer of 2025. Four local entrepreneurs are using the spaces to test their products in the marketplace.  

We also gained two new restaurants: one in the Village Centre, and another in the historic Naramata Inn which has gone through a major renovation since 2020.

Many smaller initiatives, such as building a boat dock to attract boaters to local businesses and extending library hours into the evening, are also on the table. Some of these are quick win opportunities while others may need two to three years depending on approval processes, grant cycles, budgets and weather.

In the meantime, we have a guide for decision-making, creating goals and taking action to build an amazing community and long-term destination of choice.