Fundraising campaign launched to protect private land inside Myra-Bellevue Park

A campaign is underway to raise $800,000 to help protect a privately owned piece of land surrounded by Myra-Bellevue Park.

The BC Parks Foundation has launched a public fundraising effort to purchase the 32.4-hectare property on Kelowna’s South Slopes, with the goal of adding it to the existing park system and preventing future development.

The land is valued at $1.6 million. The Wilson 5 Foundation has committed to matching every dollar donated, cutting the public fundraising target in half.

The campaign deadline is Aug. 14.

Supporters said securing the property would help protect important habitat in one of the Okanagan’s key conservation areas.

The land includes mature forest and a section of Priest Creek, which provides an important water source for wildlife. It also sits within a regional wildlife corridor used by species including deer, elk, moose, black bears, cougars and other animals.

The property is one of the remaining privately held parcels within the larger Myra-Bellevue landscape, creating an opportunity to expand protected parkland.

Conservation groups, including Friends of the South Slopes and the Okanagan Collaborative Conservation Program, have supported efforts to preserve the area for decades.

If the fundraising goal is reached and the purchase is completed, the property will become part of Myra-Bellevue Park, keeping the land protected for conservation, recreation and public access.

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