Someone familiar at the Peachland Visitor Centre
Darci Ritchey moves from the Westbank Museum to welcoming tourists to Peachland
The Peachland Community Arts Council didn’t have to look far to find the new manager for the Peachland Visitor Centre.
The council, which took over the management of the Peachland Visitor Centre from the Peachland Chamber of Commerce at the beginning of March, has hired Darci Ritchey, who was formerly the Westbank Museum co-ordinator and visitor information counsellor.
“She’s just an absolute perfect fit for us,” said Deborah Livingstone, president of the Peachland Community Arts Council, noting Ritchey has museum and visitor centre experience and loves the arts as an actor and artist.
Ritchey, who has an education in history and English, began working at the Westbank Museum three years ago.
Ritchey admitted she was initially terrified of helping tourists.
“I couldn’t read a map on my own. But I learned and it became my favourite part,” she said.
Now Ritchey loves tourism and knows that is the direction in which she wants to head.
Her new job at the Peachland Visitor Centre will include interacting with tourists and helping to promote Peachland and the surrounding area.
Ritchey said she’ll be engaging with locals as well, taking a hand in event planning and working closely with the Bat Education and Ecological Protection Society, which offers programs promoting bats that use the Peachland Primary School attic as a roost.
“I’m a big fan of the bats,” said Ritchey. Ritchey is excited about her new job.
“I love everything about Peachland and I always have,” she said, noting the community really comes together to make it a wonderful place to live.
“There’s such a huge focus on arts and culture that is really desirable,” she said. “It always kind of reminded me of a smaller, quainter version of Nelson.”
Ritchey wants to connect with locals as well as local business owners and develop a sense of community.