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1885 – 2019 · North Vernon

The Kin Race Track: 130 Years from Horse Races to the Active Living Centre

Presented by Tim Jones · Vernon History

Video presented by Tim's AI-generated presenter, in his own voice.

For well over a century, race day at the Kin Race Track was one of the biggest social events in the North Okanagan. Today, the same land is becoming Vernon's new Active Living Centre.

Races on O'Keefe's land

The track's story is tied to one of the valley's best-known pioneers. Cornelius O'Keefe, founder of the O'Keefe Ranch, bought the land in 1883. In 1885, a committee of locals organized horse races there, and racing quickly became one of the region's largest social events. In 1892, the Vernon Jockey Club took over organizing the races. The track was long believed to be the oldest active racetrack in Canada.

The last race

Racing slowed over the years. In 2014, the opening race card was cancelled for lack of horses, and an arson fire destroyed the grandstand. After a court ruling in favour of the City of Vernon and the Regional District of North Okanagan, the old grandstands were demolished in July 2019.

A new chapter

The city chose the southern end of the former track lands, along 43rd Avenue, for its new Active Living Centre. Officials broke ground on the project in 2024. It will replace the city's aging pool, which opened in 1966, and give the old race grounds a new life as a community gathering place.

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