Salmon Arm winery looks to tap into larger events for ‘economic viability’

Salmon Arm winery looks to tap into larger events for ‘economic viability’

Published 5:00 am Tuesday, May 12, 2026

A Salmon Arm winery has a second application before the city for a planned events venue to help keep revenue flowing.

Jamie Smith wears several hats at Marionette Winery including operations manager, winemaker and part-time house musician at the winery’s lounge and patio where various culinary and/or live music events are held.

While these functions help support the winery, Smith aims to host larger events such as weddings, and has renovated structures on the property for this purpose.

“We’re using two old barns that were there – we’re repurposing them,” said Smith. “They were my equipment shed and a storage barn and I just took all my equipment out of the barn and emptied out the storage barn and dry walled it and put electric in it and made it into an events area.”

In November 2025, City of Salmon Arm council received a Liquor and Cannabis Regulation Branch (LCRB) referral for an application by Marionette for Special Event Area liquor licence. Council had no objection to the application and residents within an 800-metre radius of Marionette now have until May 30, 2026, to submit comments to the LCRB.

On March 24, Marionette received a visit from an Agricultural Land Commission (ALC) enforcement officer. Smith said the visit was prompted by a public complaint about him allegedly building a permanent structure. He said that wasn’t the case – that the barns being repurposed were existing structures. However, during the officer’s visit, Smith was informed he had to submit a non-farm use application to the ALC for the proposed events spaces.

Smith points out in his ALC application that the proposed non-farm use areas are “located exclusively on land that is unsuitable for agricultural purposes or vineyard cultivation.” These areas consist of an approximately 3,700-square-foot picnic area that “occupies the septic field area of the main building, which cannot be used for farming;” a 1,700 sq ft patio, situated on the “site of a derelict building that was removed due to its unusable condition,” and: the special events area (1,400 sq ft indoors and 1,400 sq ft outdoors), which “reuses derelict buildings and surrounding areas.”

Smith says in the application that these areas are essential to the winery’s economic viability of our winery, as approximately 90 per cent of its revenue “comes from on-site experiences such as tourism, private events, and unique wine-related activities rather than retail sales through liquor stores or restaurants.”

“My position with the winery is it doesn’t work anymore just having a tasting room,” Smith told the Observer. “It doesn’t work selling through retail because… We can’t compete with $8 bottles from Australia. So we have to have more revenue coming off of our properties.”

Though he supports the ALC, Smith admitted to being frustrated by the complaint and the need for a second application.

“Why two parts of the same government can’t be on the same page… whatever the ALC wanted us to do it should be part of one application,” said Smith. “It doesn’t make any sense to me.”

Smith’s ALC application has been referred to the City of Salmon Arm, utility providers, and is on the agenda for the May 13 meeting of the city’s Agricultural Advisory Committee.

Read more: Event space at Salmon Arm farm property not supported by land commission