Private camping on the shores of Okanagan Lake in Peachland is no longer possible.
After 66 years, the Todd family is leaving the cozy campsite that was a temporary home to countless travellers and local campers alike.
“After 66 years ( just finished the 67th season ) Todd’s Tent Town / Todd’s RV & Camping has closed our gates for the last time,” Graham and Kelly Todd wrote in a Facebook post.
“Since 1956, we hosted so many wonderful campers from all around the world.”
The Todd family, which owned and operated the site for decades, thanked their “wonderful staff and all of (their) guests from over the years” in a post that gained widespread support online.
“So many memories were made. We are all so fortunate to have had this gathering spot for family and friends for so long,” the Todds wrote.
Get daily National news
The Peachland campsite wasn’t all that unique when it started — but, until now, it was the last privately owned, destination RV park on Okanagan Lake.
There are a couple of similar sites left that do seasonal rentals, but Todd’s RV & Camping is the last to do nightlies and vacation rentals.
Graham Todd’s granddad bought the property in 1928. In its original incarnation, the adjacent condo development, Lakeshore Gardens, was his orchard, and the campground is where cows and other farm creatures roamed.
It wasn’t until 1956 that the campsite started.
The campsite may be closing, but the Todds aren’t going too far. They bought a property close to the campground, a place they say feels like home.
The Todds had hoped that the municipality would buy the lot and keep it green space when it was originally listed for sale two years ago.
However, that wasn’t in the cards and now a developer has bought the property with the purpose of building high-end condos.
A company called Porchlight Development is planning a 49-unit tourist and residential project that includes six luxury beachside bungalows for the sprawling property that made up Todd’s RV & Campground.
“The form of the buildings and bungalows reflects and reinforces the quality and drama of the surrounding landscape and lakefront, resulting in three buildings with European hill town style stepped-floor levels that form large terraces on each building and for each individual suite and six individual one level lakeside bungalow,” read the promotional material for the development.
Comments