Executive Summary The Gellatly Nut Farm Regional Park offers a unique combination of historic, cultural landscape, natural and recreation values of importance to the local community, the region, and beyond. This 4 ha (10 acre) park, established in 2002, is located on the west shore of Okanagan Lake on Gellatly Point in Westbank. The park is situated amidst residential, agricultural and tourist commercial land uses, in an area steeped in the history of aboriginal use, early agricultural development and the Gellatly family. Terrain is flat, and soils are rich and productive. The heritage nut orchard reflects close to a century of selecting, testing and breeding walnuts, filberts and chestnuts to develop cultivars that combined high quality with frost hardiness. Gene sources from around the world were gathered, tested and intercrossed with related North American species in order to produce new hybrid varieties. While some of the trees are close to one hundred years old, many of the rows of trees date from the mid-1960’s when Jack Gellatly was actively testing and selecting amongst native species, exotics, and their hybrids. The Gellatly Nut Farm has been described as the “cradle of hardy nut growing and breeding in North America and beyond” and continues to be popular for nut sales in the fall. Two of the historic buildings in the park are considered highly significant, the Gellatly residence and the barn. The log cabin that forms the core of the Gellatly residence was constructed in 1905 as a residence for Jack Gellatly. Consisting of vertical poplar logs, this building is unique in the Okanagan Valley. The barn was constructed in the same year using poplar logs and dovetailed corners, and is also considered very significant. Other historic features within the core homestead area include a nut-drying shed built in the 1930’s or ‘40’s, and remnants of a historic irrigation ditch. Elsewhere on the property is a lakeshore cabin built in the mid-1920’s, and a cottage built in 1945. The park’s waterfront provides 148 m of clean, pebbly beach with a gradual drop-off suitable for family use. The orchard offers a rare setting described as “magical” and “peaceful”. Open space is available for free play and special events. Remnant native vegetation is limited to a stand of mature black cottonwood and understorey shrubs along the waterfront. This is a natural habitat type that is important to a variety of species, and considered “at risk” in the Okanagan. The unique combination of features and attributes in this park have potential to attract a very high level of use, and different kinds of uses that are not necessarily compatible. Early in the process, a number of key planning issues were identified as challenges to be addressed through planning: • Cohesiveness of Park Themes and “Sense of Place” The character of this park or its “sense of place”, could be compromised by excessive complexity of themes, facilities and uses, and detract from visitor experiences. • Threats to Horticultural Integrity, Viability of Tree Specimens, and Genetic Variety Thinning and pruning, and other management is required to ensure the long-term health of the valuable collection of trees and shrubs. • Threats to Heritage Buildings and Features The heritage buildings vary in age from at least fifty to close to one hundred years old. There is some deterioration, especially where wood elements are in contact with the ground. If the buildings are to be open to the public, stabilization is required, which could compromise the heritage integrity. Gellatly Nut Farm Regional Park Concept Plan Page ii • Threats to Commemorative Integrity of the Orchard Cultural Landscape The nut orchard landscape has evolved over time (primarily from the early 1900's to the late 1960's), and reflects the personal qualities and pioneering spirit of David, and especially Jack Gellatly. Around the residence, trees were planted and retained for aesthetic qualities, and some are now close to 100 years old. In the remainder of the orchard, trees and shrubs were planted, evaluated, culled, and new stock planted on a continuous basis. Lack of active orchard management (pruning and thinning) over the last thirty years has altered the character-defining features of the Gellatly working nut farm. The park has been nominated as a National Historic Site for its cultural landscape, so commemorative integrity is of utmost importance. It is uncertain how Parks Canada’s Cultural Resource Management Policy would apply to restoring the commemorative integrity of the orchard through thinning and pruning. Park development and use could overwhelm the scale and structure of heritage developments and impact the ability to appreciate the sense of time and place. Moving historic buildings may not respect the spirit and integrity of the overall complex. • Potential Impacts of Use and Development on Park Resources Despite potential for heavy waterfront and heritage use, the park's carrying capacity is limited, and vehicle parking and circulation could create major impacts. Park vehicle access along the existing road could compromise the heritage ambiance and interfere with visitor use, especially in the heritage core off Whitworth Road. Vehicle parking and circulation could detract from the park quality. Unauthentic development can detract from the sense of the history. Uncontrolled recreation use in the orchard would impact ground cover, particularly when the ground is wet in the spring or after watering, and could cause soil compaction. • Opportunities and Issues Associated with Revenue Generation/Commercial Use Unlike any other Regional Park, the Gellatly Nut Farm produces a marketable product (nuts). The sale of nuts and tree seedlings represents a historic commercial use of the park with potential interpretive value, and an opportunity to help fund orchard operations and maintenance. There is interest in including revenue generating opportunities to help fund preservation and management of heritage features in the park. In addition to nut and seedling sales, suggestions have included a tea shop, admissions and donations, food concession, visitor centre with rooms to rent for meetings and weddings, and gift shop. Regional Park policy currently does not permit commercial facilities, and only allows commercial services that are program oriented, personal services such as guided programs, and that meet specific conditions. While appropriate commercial services could enhance park opportunities, they also have potential to impact park resources and other recreational pursuits, so need to be carefully evaluated and managed. • Potential Impacts of Adjacent Land Use on Park Values Intrusions on park views from surrounding developments can significantly impact a heritage setting and visitor experience. Of greatest concern for the Gellatly Nut Farm is future tourist commercial development to the north, and potential widening of Whitworth Road. • Potential Impacts of the Park on Adjacent Landowners Poorly managed use and/or high levels of use could create traffic and parking problems on adjacent roadways, as well as safety concerns for the cyclists and pedestrians that use the roadway. Gellatly Nut Farm Regional Park Concept Plan Page iii • Potential Future Opportunities/Options There may be future opportunities to provide some parking and access (or exit) off-site. Opportunities may arise as property north of the park is re-developed, parking issues in the Gellatly Bay area are addressed, or other nearby options are explored. If the park is developed to capacity initially, potential future opportunities for better management of vehicle use may be foregone. With such complexity of issues it is useful to establish principles to guide park planning and management. These are described below. 1. Park planning and operations will follow a strong heritage appreciation and ecological management approach. 2. The Heritage Nut Orchard will be managed in a fashion that restores and maintains commemorative integrity of its cultural landscape, in accordance with good horticultural practices. 3. Within the Heritage Nut Orchard, heritage resource preservation will be a high priority, and will be balanced with visitor opportunities that are in keeping with the history and spirit of the historic nut farm. 4. The park will be planned and managed as a Regional Recreation/Cultural/Waterfront Park according to RDCO Regional Parks Policies. 5. The park will be planned and managed with awareness of its tourism potential for heritage appreciation and agri-tourism. Types and levels of tourist use will be managed to protect park attributes, and use opportunities by regional residents. 6. Park planning will consider opportunities for long term self-sufficiency of heritage preservation, maintenance and operations. 7. Park development will proceed cautiously in a phased approach, to allow for adaptive management, and options to take advantage of future opportunities. Following these principles, and public input, a park concept plan was developed, with key features as described below. 1. Balance of heritage and recreation objectives. This unique park will accommodate uses for both heritage appreciation and recreation. Heritage and recreation zones in the park will each have a different management focus, and each separately will attract visitors with different (but equally legitimate) needs and expectations for their park experience. Integration of these two types of park experience will provide for a unique destination that will meet the needs of a variety of regional residents. Over one quarter of the park will support intensive waterfront recreation, with the remainder of the park devoted to leisure and recreation uses compatible with heritage appreciation. 2. Partial separation of heritage and recreation uses. Park access will come off Whitworth Road along the northern park boundary to separate parking areas for waterfront recreation and heritage areas. The orchard will be fenced to control visitor use. Recreation and heritage park uses will be integrated, in particular through the Heritage Interpretive Centre. Gellatly Nut Farm Regional Park Concept Plan Page iv 3. A conservative approach to development.