KM 0 AT K’ƏK’MAPLQS

KM0 at k’ək’maplqs is the northern gateway of the Okanagan Rail Trail, a 50 kilometer multi-use recreational corridor stretching between Kelowna and Coldstream. k’ək’maplqs is the nsyilxcen placename for the head of Kalamalka Lake, beside which the trailhead is located.

Working in close collaboration with the Friends of the Okanagan Rail Trail, the Okanagan Indian Band (OKIB) and the Regional District of North Okanagan, BENCH led the visioning, engagement, design and implementation processes for the Km0 at k’ək’maplqs project. The site includes seating and shade structures, grassland restoration, and features interpretive, wayfinding and donor recognition signage. The entrance kiosk bears the name of the trail in both English and nsyilxcən and presents a multi-century history of the trail, including its origin as part of an extensive network of routes used by the syilx Okanagan people, and its more recent use as a railway corridor, prior to its conversion to a recreational trail in 2018.

The gateway kiosk includes trail regulatory and etiquette signage, context and segment maps, community wayfinding elements, and interpretive content intended to spark a sense of discovery and curiosity. The kiosk was designed to be repeatable and flexible so that similar versions could be installed in the future at other main entry points to the trail along the length of the trail corridor.