Summerland British Columbia - Summerland politicians have climbed aboard an ambitious plan to create a new visitors' centre in a century-old train car.
 
Preliminary plans presented to council at its meeting this week would see the visitors' centre move from its current home on Highway 97 into a restored train car donated by CPKC and placed somewhere in the downtown core.
 
"The main objective is to drive more traffic to the downtown core and to the businesses," said Sally Pierce, executive director of the Summerland Chamber of Commerce, which operates the visitors' centre under contract to the District of Summerland.
 
Pierce said modern tourists tend to arrive with maps and itineraries in hand, meaning visitors' centres need to embrace those changes and focus more on personalized experiences and business promotion.
 
A unique building also helps.
 
Based on her former work for CPKC, Pierce reached out to the company to ask about acquiring one of the antique cars in its holdings.
 
The offer that came back was to send a former crew car called the Killarney, which was built in 1916, from Alberta to Summerland.
 
"They said what they didn't want to see is (the Killarney) left hiding away in a museum, so I explained that it would be the home of the visitors' centre, and the history not only of Summerland, but of British Columbia and Canada itself would be kept alive by visitors coming," said Pierce.
 
"And we feel it would be quite a draw," she continued, noting Summerland's railroad history and the top-rated Kettle Valley Steam Railway tourist attraction.
 
Transporting the train car west would require a "significant" investment, said Pierce, but would still cost less than putting up a new building.
 
Three sites are under consideration to host the Killarney, the former SADI site on Prairie Valley Road, or in the vicinity of the Summerland Badminton Club building also on Prairie Valley Road.
 
Using a train car as a visitors' centre "has been done in other locations, but I think it's ideal for our community," said Coun. Marty Van Alphen.
 
"I'm open to all the proposals at this point in time. I think it's a really great and unique option that's ahead of us here."
 
With support from council in hand, Pierce will now draw up a formal proposal to send to CPKC for approval.
 
The current visitors' centre was put up for sale in April 2024 for $750,000.
 
Proceeds will be split between the chamber, which will use the cash to relocate its offices, and the district, which will use its share for tourism initiatives.
 
Joe Fries.