A place to land during evacuation
Wildfire evacuation accommodations
To everyone up and down this valley who has been ordered to leave home, we are deeply concerned for the fear, uncertainty, and disruption you are living through. Naramata Centre is offering temporary indoor accommodations and campsites to individuals and families whose primary residence is under an official evacuation order, wherever in the region you are coming from.
Please use the request form rather than our regular reservation system. Submitting the form is not a reservation, and nothing is guaranteed until a team member has confirmed it with you.
About this place
What is Naramata Centre, where is it, and what is it all about?
We are a retreat and hospitality property on the shore of Okanagan Lake, in the village of Naramata, about twenty minutes north of Penticton. Seventeen acres of it. Cottages and rooms, three campgrounds, a chapel, a labyrinth, gardens and orchard edges, and a path that comes out at a public beach.
Most of the year we host groups. Reunions, retreats, staff gatherings, faith communities, family weeks. Through the summer we run Summer Sessions, a full program of shared meals, music, learning, and time on the water. That ordinary work is the reason there are kitchens, beds, and a chapel here rather than an empty field.
It is a small place in a small town. You can walk the whole property in about fifteen minutes, and most people do, more than once. There is no pool, no room service, and no front desk staffed through the night. What there is: a kitchen, a bed, trees, and the lake.
There has been a community on this shore since 1947, when it began as a leadership training school. Naramata Centre Society is an incorporated ministry within the United Church of Canada. Everyone is welcome here, of any faith or none, and that is not a recent addition.
For most of those eighty years the work has been the same. Make a place. Set the table. Take people in. So offering what we have to neighbours in a crisis is not a departure from what we do. It is both our pleasure and our responsibility, and we are glad to be able to do it.
If appropriate space is available, we will make every reasonable effort to accommodate people who have been ordered to leave their homes. The amenity fee will be waived. No deposit is required, and payment is not required when you arrive. We will confirm that your primary residence is within the evacuation order area, but we will not ask you to prove financial hardship. Support is available to everyone who qualifies, regardless of faith, identity, or previous connection to Naramata Centre.
We are not a resort. We are a soft spot to land, temporarily, in a hard time.
The beach, a porch, the garden archway, and early morning on the lake. This is the whole of it, and it is enough.
Whose land this is
The territory, and what that means here.
We acknowledge that Naramata Centre Society is located on the traditional, ancestral, and unceded territory of the syilx Okanagan people.
That is the territory this property sits on. It may well not be the territory you are coming from. Evacuation orders in this region reach across several Nations and communities, including syilx Okanagan communities further north and Secwépemc communities beyond them. Wherever home is, and whether or not you are Indigenous, you are welcome here. Rather than tell you what we think you need, here are the things we are actually in a position to say.
Smudging and medicines
Our no smoking rule is about cigarettes, and it was never meant to reach ceremony. If you need to smudge or burn medicines, tell the front desk and we will find you a way and a place to do it.
Ask us, and the answer starts from yes.
Places to be
The sacred garden is planted with Indigenous plants, and the labyrinth sits close to it. Both are quiet, both are open, and neither needs booking or explaining.
At the bottom of the path, the public beach holds an Indigenous garden and a dedicated space.
Tell us if we get it wrong
We are not going to assume we know what is right for you, and we would far rather be corrected than left to carry on. Speak to anyone at the front desk, or write to us.
The Okanagan Nation Alliance is at syilx.org.
Where you would be
Somewhere to sleep, and somewhere to cook.
We cannot feed you, so the kitchen matters more here than it normally would. Every option below includes one. Tell us how many people you are and whether you need to cook, and we will match you to whatever fits.
A kitchen of your own
Our cottages and larger suites have full kitchens behind a private door. East Court suites have a private kitchenette. If you are cooking for a family, this is what we will look for first.
Your own room, a shared kitchen
Some indoor accommodations are private rooms with a shared kitchen close by. Your own door, your own beds, and a proper kitchen you cook in alongside other guests.
Creekside Commons
The campgrounds share Creekside Commons, an outdoor kitchen a short walk from the sites. It is where campers cook, and where most of the conversation happens.
Bring your own food, and whatever cookware and dishes you can carry. If you left with nothing, say so in the form and we will see what we can gather.
Some accommodations and campsites are dog friendly, and those are the only places a pet can be. If the space we are able to offer is not one of them, we will not be able to accommodate your pet there. Tell us about your animals in the form and we will look for a match first. Naramata Centre is non-smoking, indoors and out, which is a rule about cigarettes rather than about ceremony.
Rate options
Three ways accommodations may be arranged
Choose the option that best reflects your situation in the request form. You can also select “Not sure” and our team will speak with you.
Coverage is available
The regular rate applies when a household is able to cover the cost, whether from their own means, through insurance, or through support they are receiving. We bill the household, never an agency.
A reduced rate is needed
A reduced emergency rate may be offered when the regular rate is not covered or is not manageable.
The household cannot pay
Accommodations may be provided at no charge when a household cannot reasonably pay.
No one will be turned away solely because they cannot afford the regular accommodation or camping rate.
Before you submit
What this support includes
What we may be able to offer
- Temporary indoor accommodations, some with a private kitchen and some with a shared one
- Tent camping, with the outdoor kitchen at Creekside Commons
- Sites for some self contained trailers or recreational vehicles
- Longer arrangements when availability permits and the evacuation order remains active
- A waived amenity fee
- Full rate, supported, or sponsored arrangements
Important limits
- Meals and food service are not available
- Nothing is guaranteed until we have confirmed it with you directly
- We may need to move you between rooms or sites during your time here
- Pets can only be accommodated in the dog friendly rooms and sites
- Naramata Centre is non-smoking, indoors and out, which is a rule about cigarettes rather than about ceremony
- The response is for official evacuation orders, not alerts
- Naramata Centre is not an official evacuation centre
- Naramata Centre is not an Emergency Support Services reception centre
- Local safety conditions may change what we can offer
Straight with you
Three things we would rather say now than later.
We are in wildfire country too
Naramata is not under an evacuation order or alert as this is written, and the fires driving the current orders are further north up the lake. But we are in the same country as you are, and a season can turn.
Naramata Centre has its own emergency evacuation plan, it is current, and our staff know it. If conditions change here, you will hear it from us directly along with where to go next.
We may have to move you
Some rooms and sites are already held by guests who booked months ago, and we intend to honour those reservations. That means there may be a point where we need to move you from one room or site to another.
We will do everything we reasonably can to keep you in one place for the whole time you are here. If a move cannot be avoided, we will tell you as early as we can, and we will help you carry your things.
We cannot guarantee space
We will commit to accommodations as we have them, and we will be straight with you about what is open. What we will not do is promise you a room before we know we have one.
Nothing is guaranteed, and submitting the form is not a reservation. If we cannot house you, we will tell you quickly rather than leave you waiting, so you still have time to make another plan.
Simple intake process
How it works
Complete the form
Tell us who needs accommodations, your primary address, your dates, and the type of space you need.
We review the request
Our team confirms the evacuation order area, checks suitable availability, and reviews the request.
We contact you
A team member will contact you after availability and final approval have been considered. The form itself is not a confirmed reservation.
Accommodation request
Is your primary residence under an official evacuation order?
Complete the short request form. Please do not submit a separate request through the regular Naramata Centre booking system.
Questions
Frequently asked questions
Who can request accommodations?
This support is for individuals and families whose primary residence is currently under an official wildfire evacuation order. Evacuation alerts do not qualify at this time.
Do I need to prove financial hardship?
No. We will ask which rate option best reflects your situation, but we will not ask you to provide financial documents or prove hardship.
Can I book several weeks?
Possibly. Longer arrangements depend on suitable availability, the evacuation order remaining active, and local safety conditions. Significantly more space is expected beginning August 24.
Can I bring a dog?
Some of our accommodations and campsites are dog friendly, and those are the only places a pet can be. If the space we are able to offer is not one of them, we will not be able to accommodate your dog there, so it is worth telling us about your animals in the form. We will look for a match first, but we cannot guarantee one.
Can I smoke?
Naramata Centre is non-smoking, indoors and out, and that holds through the wildfire response. Given current conditions we would ask everyone to be especially careful with anything that burns.
Can I smudge, or burn medicines?
Our no smoking rule is about cigarettes, and it was never meant to reach ceremony. Please tell the front desk what you need and we will find you a way and a place to do it. Ask us, and the answer starts from yes.
Is Naramata Centre itself safe from the fires?
Naramata is not under an evacuation order or alert as this is written, and the fires driving the current orders are further north up the lake. We are still in wildfire country, so we do not treat ourselves as safe. Naramata Centre has its own emergency evacuation plan, it is current, and our staff know it. If conditions change here, you will hear it directly from us along with where to go next.
What is nearby?
We sit on the edge of the village of Naramata, which is small and walkable, with a public beach at the bottom of our path. The grounds include a chapel, a labyrinth, gardens, and orchard edges, and you can walk the whole property in about fifteen minutes. Penticton is a short drive for groceries, pharmacies, and services.
How far is it, if I am coming from further up the lake?
Naramata is at the south end of Okanagan Lake, about twenty minutes north of Penticton. Roughly an hour and a half from Kelowna and around two hours from Vernon, traffic and road closures allowing. It is far enough south to be well clear of the fires driving the current orders, and close enough that you can get home when they lift. Check DriveBC before you set out.
Are meals provided?
No. Meals and food service are not available, so you will need to bring your own food and cook it yourself.
Will I have a kitchen?
Yes. Some indoor accommodations have a full kitchen or a kitchenette behind your own door. Others are private rooms with a shared kitchen close by. If you are camping, the campgrounds share Creekside Commons, an outdoor kitchen a short walk from the sites. Tell us in the form whether you need to cook and how many people you are feeding.
Will I have to move rooms while I am here?
Possibly, and we would rather you hear it now. Some rooms and sites are already held by guests who booked months ago, and we intend to honour those reservations. We will do everything we reasonably can to keep you in one place for the whole time you are here. If a move cannot be avoided we will give you as much notice as we can, and we will help you carry your things.
Once I submit the form, is my space guaranteed?
No. We will commit to accommodations as we have them available, but nothing is guaranteed until a team member has confirmed it with you directly. If we cannot house you, we will tell you quickly rather than leave you waiting, so you still have time to make another plan.
What happens if my evacuation order is lifted early?
Please contact us as soon as possible. Unused nights will be cancelled and any payment for those unused nights will be refunded without penalty.
What should I do if I cannot use the online form?
Call us and a staff member can help record your information. You can also email us.
If you are able to help
You can put a family under a roof tonight.
Every sponsored room and campsite is paid for by someone who will never meet the household that uses it. That is how this works, and it is the only reason we can tell a family who left with nothing that the cost is not their problem right now.
If you are in a position to give, a gift covers the real cost of a bed, a kitchen, and a door that locks, for as long as an evacuation order holds. Any amount helps, and all of it goes to this.
On the CanadaHelps donation form, write “Wildfire Evacuee Hospitality” in the private message field so we can direct your gift to this work.