Skaha Lake Park is a beautiful lakefront park along Skaha Lake.
Its large, wooded, grassy parkland on the beach where sun and sand meet, is probably most representative of what Penticton is.
It is also part of my morning walk. I am not the most active person, but the beauty of the park makes my morning routine (I am only doing this to stop my doctor from nagging) bearable, well, actually quite enjoyable. Oh, the view, the fresh air and the friendly folks along the way, these are things that are good for the body as well as the soul. And now they are to destroy the most beautiful part of the park.
The City of Penticton signed a 29-year agreement, to lease part of the waterfront park space at Skaha Park to build a water-slide despite opposition of many thousands of residents and non-residents alike. We are not against progress and developments.
I would even be pleased if they would build a waterslide across the street from the park.
Parkland, especially at waterfront is non-negotiable for commercial developments. That is why we don’t tear up the park and put a strip mall there, however much we want more shopping.
We are only fighting to preserve precious public parkland For all to enjoy.
This Thanksgiving morning, I decided to take my camera with me on my walk so I can capture some images to remind us all what we are allowing to be destroyed. I thought, maybe many people who are indifferent to the issue, and those who advocate giving up waterfront parkland to build a waterslide don’t frequent or have never visited Skaha Lake Park.
If they won’t come to the park, we will bring the park to them. All photographs are taken by the proposed destruction zone. Please spend a few minutes with me on my walk and I hope I’ll convince you to join the fight.
Follow this link to browse at your own pace www.johnpoon.ca.
Share and spread the words and photos.
Note, I have donated all the photographs in my Save Skaha Park photo gallery to the Save Skaha Park society for use to further its cause. For starters, many of these will be included in the fund raising Celebrate Skaha Park 2016 Calendar.
It will make wonderful gifts for the upcoming holidays, as well as a treasured keepsake for yourselves. Please lend a supporting hand when it comes out.
John Poon
Penticton