I am writing you from Sarto, Manitoba where I call home.
My mother has lived in Penticton for 10 years now, and I have many fond memories of going to Skaha Beach which is a short walk from her house.
The quiet calm of the morning while swimming laps along the buoys in beauty and peace, the elation I felt when teaching newcomers to Canada to ride a bike along the boardwalk and watching them shine at the new opportunity, hours spent in the sun reading, knitting, playing ukulele, then swimming in the lake when it gets too hot. I even found two perfect trees to string up my hammock one year, and settled in to read when a reporter from the Penticton Western News asked to take a picture of me. I said yes and was surprised and excited to see it on the front cover of the next edition!
The beach is a focal point of my yearly visits to the Okanagan, It brings me sadness to think that a large portion of the park could be developed with large waterslides. There is no shortage of beauty and fun at the beach, and to spoil the natural landscape would be a shame. This year I am expecting my first child and I am looking forward to trips to the beach just a short walk from Grandma’s house. What better place to learn to swim and appreciate nature than at Skaha Beach, framed by the Okanagan Valley with sounds of laughter and playful waves hitting the shores?
Please reconsider the possibility of developing the public space of Skaha Park into a waterslide establishment. You would be greatly diminishing the quality of life of the residents of Penticton, and the visitors to your beautiful city.
Kathryn Ayers
Sarto, Manitoba