nłqiłemix QUILCHENA COMMUNITY CENTRE

A gathering place that upholds, celebrates and shares Upper Nicola’s Sylix culture and heritage.

https://uppernicola.com/

The landscape design for the Upper Nicola community is a reflection of deep-rooted Syilx values—centered on cultural revitalization, food sovereignty, learning, and connection to the land. Guided by the community’s vision and goals, this plan offers a dynamic, inclusive, and resilient landscape that grows with the people it serves. Each space is designed to support holistic wellness, foster intergenerational knowledge-sharing, and promote environmental stewardship.

Community Building and Knowledge Sharing

This landscape is a place of connection, education, and cultural continuity. Through intentional design and programming, it nurtures the transfer of traditional knowledge, the building of new skills, and the strengthening of relationships across generations. It becomes a shared space where community members can learn together, grow together, and thrive together.

Sense of Place

Grounded in the identity of Upper Nicola, the design features local materials and indigenous, traditional, and medicinal plants. These elements celebrate Syilx knowledge and practices, reinforce the community’s connection to the land, and create a meaningful, culturally resonant experience in every corner of the site.

Natural Play Space

The natural play space is designed to stimulate creativity, exploration, and development. Using natural and local materials, the space offers rich sensory experiences and opportunities for physical and emotional growth. Play elements may reflect Syilx forms and culturally significant themes, deepening children's cultural awareness through play.

Located adjacent to the community garden, this area enables caregivers to tend garden plots while children play nearby—creating opportunities for young people to be immersed in traditional plants and land-based practices from an early age.

Community Park Space

A multi-functional Community Park supports active living, gathering, and cultural expression. Features include:

• Multi-sport court for recreational play

• Skate plaza and pump track for youth engagement

• Amphitheatre for performance, storytelling, and ceremony

• Social spaces with steps, sloped meadows, seatwalls, and scenic views

• Shaded and accessible seating for rest and community interaction
  
  

These inclusive spaces offer room for celebration, rest, and recreation—serving the diverse needs of the community year-round.

Community Gardens & Community Agriculture

A key pillar of the design is a robust Community Agriculture Hub that supports local food systems, economic opportunity, and cultural revitalization. This area directly supports community programs such as the Growing Healthy Program and aligns with long-term food sovereignty goals. Features include:

• Expandable and scalable garden plots

• Preserving and storing foods to support year-round food access

• Traditional and medicinal plant cultivation

• Community orchard for seasonal harvests

• Tool library to support accessible gardening

• Garden starts and a plant nursery for community distribution

• Community farm for larger-scale growing and learning

• Demonstration gardens to teach techniques and traditional practices

• Arts and crafts production related to land-based skills

• Ongoing knowledge-sharing to strengthen self-reliance and cultural identity
  
  

This area not only feeds the community but also offers a space to teach, grow, and reconnect with ancestral practices.

Gathering Space

A centrally located Gathering Space anchors the site as a hub for cultural, social, and ceremonial life. Designed with flexibility and accessibility in mind, it flows naturally from interior community spaces into the landscape and supports a wide variety of uses:

• Cultural ceremonies and events

• Workshops and arts & crafts production

• Community celebrations and storytelling

• Outdoor fire or BBQ areas for shared meals

• Open social space for both large and intimate gatherings

• Barrier-free access for inclusive participation
  
  

This space brings the community together—to share, reflect, and celebrate in meaningful ways.

Sustainability and Accessibility

The entire landscape is underpinned by sustainable practices such as rainwater management, FireSmart landscaping, and the use of local, low-impact materials. Universal accessibility ensures that people of all ages and abilities can participate in every aspect of the site—whether growing food, attending ceremony, or simply enjoying time in nature.

This landscape is not only a physical space but a cultural and social ecosystem. The goal being to support a thriving, resilient future where Syilx knowledge is honored, shared, and lived every day.