Tranquille is currently owned by a private western Canadian company, British Columbia Wilderness Tours Inc. Under a contract to purchase the property, the Developer pursuing the current Masterplan update is the Ignition Group of Companies (www.ignitiongroup.ca).
BC Wilderness Tours has been on the hunt for an experienced developer and team to resolve the development challenges at Tranquille before selling the land. The Ignition Group of Companies has assembled an expert team (read more about the Team here) capable of bringing the Tranquille vision to fruition.
Tranquille is located within the City of Kamloops west of the Airport at the confluence of the South Thompson River and Kamloops Lake. The Tranquille property extends across 2.7 km, from Cooney Bay to the former provincial sanatorium and farm, and is neighboured by the Tranquille Ecological Reserve to the West, the Lac Du Bois Provincial Park to the North, and the Tranquille Wildlife Management Area (bird sanctuary) to the East.
Today the Tranquille waterfront is privately owned. The historic survey of Tranquille extends the property boundaries into Kamloops Lake. The Masterplan update will secure the Tranquille waterfront for the public through civic dedication of lands below the surveyed high water mark, protection of riparian habitat with a network of trails, and establishing a waterfront park and boat launch on Cooney Bay.
Tranquille is composed of five legal parcels totaling 469 acres (190 hectares). The updated Tranquille Masterplan proposes approximately half of the land for active farming, a quarter for community lands, with the remainder of the land for a public park on Cooney Bay, walking trails and protection of the natural habitat.
Yes, the Tranquille on the Lake Neighbourhood Plan was approved by the City of Kamloops in 2012 and is part of the City’s Official Community Plan. Rezoning for development was put on hold pending completion of a Phased Development Agreement and subsequent approval of deferred planning documents, including a Master Development Plan, Farm Business Plan and Detailed Design Guidelines.
The 2012 Neighbourhood Plan is not financially viable as it did not resolve the complex, interrelated challenges at Tranquille. These challenges included the very substantial costs of the deconstruction and hazardous material removal (asbestos etc) of more than 40 long abandoned and deteriorating buildings, and improvements to the Tranquile River’s dams and water management infrastructure. Although the Neighbourhood Plan was adopted, a number of detailed technical studies were required in order to move forward with development. These studies, which have since been completed, revealed challenges that prevented the 2012 Neighbourhood Plan from advancing without revision. The Masterplan update, which incorporates the results of these studies, resolves Tranquille’s outstanding challenges to realize a solution that is comprehensively planned, technically sound, financially viable, yet consistent with the intent of the approved Neighbourhood Plan.
Affirming the 2012 Neighbourhood Plan, the Masterplan update resolves the financial viability of Tranquille through making a series of strategic improvements affecting the community, farm and natural environment. Applying the development acreage designated in 2012, the Masterplan update consolidates the community where it makes most sense – on the lake and mostly ruined soils beneath the abandoned sanitorium and mental health facilities old buildings, tunnels and roads. The updated plan also properly incorporates up to date surveys of the riparian and 200 year flood plain boundaries. It preserves the farm’s historic barns and lakefront setting at the entrance to the community, while making better use of Tranquille’s soils and microclimates, and improves the natural environment by protecting what’s important and enhancing its relationship with the farm and neighboring ecosystem.
Yes, the Masterplan update will make the Tranquille waterfront more accessible for all. Lands below the surveyed high water mark will be legally dedicated, to belong to the public in perpetuity. Enhanced access to Cooney Bay will be provided through an extension of Tranquille Road, including two river crossings and a dedicated pedestrian and cycling path, along with new river and lakefront trails. Use and enjoyment of the waterfront will be further improved through establishment of a City of Kamloops park and boat launch on Cooney Bay.
The heritage barns and stables will be restored to serve the future needs of the farm and serve as the home of the Tranquille Market Garden + Orchards. Owing to the 35 years of deterioration, the remaining sanatorium buildings and infrastructure have continued to degrade, requiring deconstruction for public safety. Wherever suitable, materials will be salvaged for reuse onsite; for example, concrete will be crushed for use in roadbeds. The sanatorium’s hazardous materials will be safely managed according to government regulations.
Working with the land, the updated Masterplan celebrates the renewal of Tranquille’s agricultural heritage. The farm and its irrigation infrastructure will be fully restored as a valued working farm, including orchards, vineyards and fields, re-establishing the land’s productivity and enriching local agriculture. The heritage barns and stables will be renovated to serve the future needs of the farm and serve as the home of the Tranquille Market Garden + Orchards. Tranquille’s farm will feature a variety of craft farm businesses, including an apiary, a goat herd and cheesery for chèvre and gelato, along with community flower and vegetable markets. Adding to the agricultural value of the Farm, the Masterplan proposes building an artisan winery overlooking Kamloops Lake.
Tranquille is about building a family-friendly community with a home for everyone. The updated Masterplan offers a lifestyle that weaves together village living with a working farm, all on the lake. Tranquille will feature a variety of housing choices, from lakefront homes to park-fronting cottages, row homes to village apartments, all fostering a vibrant community. While we are steadily working our way through the required approvals, build-out of the community is expected to occur over the next 15 years, through seven or eight phases with Phase 1 home sales possibly beginning in 2022.
Yes, the updated Masterplan establishes a new City park and boat launch on Cooney Bay. The new facilities include public day-use docks for a wide range of recreational watercraft, from kayaks and paddleboards to sailboats and outboards.
The updated Masterplan protects Tranquille’s natural features. The Ignition Group has invested in building a comprehensive understanding of the land through technical studies in combination with local knowledge from non-profits and Thompson Rivers University faculty. The community is designed in response to the land, as a series of compact, walkable neighbourhoods structured around a mixed-use village and public waterfront. Through protected riparian areas, in combination with a network of parks and pathways, the Masterplan proposes to restore sensitive ecosystems and foster environmental stewardship.
Yes, an earlier plan did, but the developer feels that a golf course was incompatible with making the plans for the community lands and farm lands as good as they could be, and that it is much more important to dedicate the land that would have been used for the golf course to the farm.
Urban sprawl is defined as, “the expansion of poorly planned, low-density, auto-dependent development, which spreads out over large amounts of land, putting long distances between homes, stores, and work and creating a high segregation between residential and commercial uses with harmful impacts on the people living in these areas and the ecosystems and wildlife that have been displaced.” https://www.everythingconnects.org/urban-sprawl.html
Tranquille is the opposite of sprawl. Designated in KAMPLAN 2018 for future growth with an adopted Neighbourhood Plan, Tranquille is planned as a sustainable agri-community that combines a working farm, mixed-use Village, compact walkable neighbourhoods, public waterfront, and restored ecosystems:
• Farm | Plan returns Tranquille to active agricultural production with expanded acres under cultivation, restored facilities, and diversified crops + local farm businesses;
• Village | Plan reduces daily vehicle trips through Village services from local shops + clinics, to community daycare + lakehouse, to market gardens and waterfront inn + restaurant, all within easy neighbourhood walking + cycling.
• Neighbourhoods | Plan clusters the Community on the waterfront and former Provincial sanitorium site, providing a diversity of homes within a 5-minute walk of parks and village amenities to accommodate a range of lifestyles, life-stages and incomes.
• Waterfront | Plan reintroduces Kamloops to the Lake, securing public waterfront access through a network of parks + trails anchored by a destination lakefront park on Cooney Bay.
• Ecosystems | Plan restores Tranquille’s sensitive ecosystems through protecting riparian areas, stabilizing salmon river function, and enhancing wildlife habitat.
Tranquille is planned as an independent, sustainable community, including it’s own potable water, urban sanitary and storm water servicing. To the extent practical, community infrastructure will be independently operated from the municipal utility network, Although the major roads and trunk servicing infrastructure will be installed early in the construction process, site servicing and local roads will generally be installed on a phase by phase basis to meet Tranquille’s needs as the community builds out the Master Plan.
Tranquille is planned as a sustainable waterfront community with a home for everyone. Designed to accommodate a range of lifestyles, life-stages and incomes, Tranquille is composed of five neighbourhoods, each with its distinct character. Tranquille homes celebrate generous living, from its waterfront executive homes, to its traditional neighbourhood homes, to clustered cottage homes set on shared commons and gardens. Within the Tranquille Village, the Master Plan provides urban townhomes for lock + leave living, as well as opportunities for single-level apartment living featuring panoramic views over Kamloops Lake and the Thompson River.
To realize the Master Plan vision, homes at Tranquille will conform to City-approved Design Guidelines prepared by experienced professionals, to ensure a cohesive architectural style and high standard of construction.
