Winery wants to build giant lighthouse

A new West Kelowna winery would include Canada's tallest lighthouse.

At a proposed height of 35 metres on the north slope of Goat’s Peak, it would also be the tallest building in West Kelowna.

“We want this place to be a ‘beacon’ for tourism and local pride,” applicant Darrel Monette writes in a letter to the city.

Design of the proposed lighthouse is said by Monette to be inspired by real and imaginary structures as varied as the Leaning Tower of Pisa in Italy, Big Ben in London, and the Tower of Sauron from The Lord of the Rings book.

“We started developing the idea of building a ‘towering beacon’ on the hillside of Goat’s Peak, a new landmark that will show the world how great this town truly is,” Monette says.

Council approval, to be considered at a meeting today, is necessary because the proposed lighthouse is more than twice as high as building regulations allow.

Municipal planners recommend council grant the necessary height variance, saying the winery would support agriculture and create jobs.

“The proposed building style of a lighthouse would be unique in the region and a one-of-a-kind landmark,” planner Hailey Rilkoff writes in a report.

The 17-acre winery development site is east of the intersection of Highway 97 and Glenrosa Road, across from Gorman's mill. It has Goat’s Peak Winery as a working name.

Plans show a 6,000 square foot production facility and the 1,200 square-foot, lighthouse-shaped tasting room offering views of West Kelowna, Okanagan Lake, and Kelowna.

Lighthouse architect Tim Sahuri says the building would not block anyone's views.