The Okanagan Nation Alliance is upset with plans for upgrades to the provincial park at Pillar Lake.
The park is located right next to the lake, about 15 kilometres north of Falkland, in the north Okanagan.
Its name comes from the remarkably large pillar, which carries deep cultural significance for local Indian bands.
The pillar is one of the most unusual natural structures in all of the Okanagan. It stands nearly 50 feet tall, jutting out of the ground, straight into the sky.
The pillar is a popular tourist destination. It has been marked with graffiti, paintings, and carvings – heartbreaking scars for the Okanagan Nation Alliance.
Band members fear things will only get worse now that the province is working to make the pillar even more accessible to tourists.
Plans are in the works to add steps and railings along the steep incline leading to the pillar.
The Ministry of Environment says at this point the plans for the pillar are still in draft form. The ministry also says it plans on consulting with the Okanagan Nation Alliance before proceeding with any construction.
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