Blue sky and a sparkling Okanagan Lake were the perfect backdrops for the opening of Kelowna’s newest waterfront park on Friday, Aug. 30.
Mayor Tom Dyas, Councillors Maxine DeHart and Luke Stack, city staff and several residents were on hand to celebrate the opening of Truswell Park.
“A great day for the city,” Dyas said. “The connectivity we will establish along the waterfront and the future plans that we have…provides something our community wants…more access to the waterfront.”
By unlocking an additional 400 feet of existing walkway that was previously landlocked, Truswell Park secures public access to the two- acre beachfront area (Secret Beach) Dyas added.
The park increases connectivity with downtown beach parks and, in future, will link Gyro and Rotary beaches, and add a pedestrian bridge over Mission Creek to connect with Blue Bird Park and Sarsons.
The acquisition of the park property, previously owned by the Truswell family, has been on the books for 25 to 30 years.
“We’ve always seen this as a jewel,” said Derek Edstrom, divisional director of partnerships and investments. “It’s a jewel in the connection of parks. You get out to the sand and it’s a beautiful panoramic view of the lake.”
Edstrom added that approximately 120 key properties around the city have been identified for potential park space.
“We typically build relationships with those property owners…so when they are ready to undertake a sale we meet with them and try to find a process that works for them.”
The city bought the 1.8-acre Truswell property for $18 million.
Planning for park amenities, including washrooms, a playground and a parking plan, will happen over the winter months. The public will also have an opportunity to provide input.
Installation may take some time as the mayor noted that staff are busy working on current projects including DeHart Park, the revitalization of Parkinson Recreation Centre, and facilities in Rutland, Glenmore, and Mission.
“It’s a matter of to a degree bench strength how quickly they’re able to deploy based on the other projects they’re working on, but it is a priority,” Dyas said.
Truswell Park is located at 3896 Truswell Road.
