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Penticton  

Arrest at nude beach

RCMP have confirmed that a nude beachgoer was arrested at Three Mile Beach on Canada Day.

Staff Sgt. Kurt Lozinski said Tuesday that officers spoke with an individual who refused to provide her name.

The woman was arrested for obstruction and public nudity.

The individual eventually gave her name and was released on a promise to appear in court with conditions. One of those conditions is to stay away from Three Mile Beach.

Her first court appearance is scheduled for July 29.

Lozinski added some determination needs to be made on the matter, as a definitive answer on nudity at the beach is needed.

He said he is aware homeowners are concerned, but the RCMP has to determine priorities, and public nudity is not always at the top of the list.

Use of the beach by naturists has been an ongoing issue, with the nude beachgoers pitted against neighbours.

In April, Penticton council decided to stick with the status quo. What that means, according to Mayor Andrew Jakubeit, is council didn't authorize the beach to be clothing optional and that municipal bylaws can't supersede federal laws regarding public nudity.

Police can enforce it and make arrests on a case-by-case basis, he said.

If called to the beach, the first request is to put clothing back on (which most do). If police get called out again for the same person, they would step in and make an arrest.

Jakubeit said it is his understanding 80 per cent of the naturists have moved on, while the remaining few hope to co-exist.

On April 24, a lawsuit was filed by neighbour Cary Pinkowski's Hermitage Vineyards Ltd., listing several naturists who use the beach as defendants. More recently, a sign and surveillance camera were installed at the far end of the beach.

"At the end of the day, they moved on to public land after previously being on private land, and that's why there is animosity between the neighbourhood and the public," said Jakubeit. "And there is a passionate group thinking that they can stay there."

Nude sunbathers who use the beach say it has been a clothing optional location for decades and that the people who use it are respectful of others and the environment.



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