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Neighbours in the Three Mile Beach area have launched a petition as of today, Thursday, asking the mayor of Penticton and RCMP to take action regarding nudity at the beach.
They say the encroachment by nudists on to the family beach has forced families to move to the dog beach at the Penticton location.
"Last Sunday there were approximately 15 nudists there and five people wearing swimsuits at the family beach," said a neighbour, who asked to not be named. "There was approximately 75 people, families, seniors and children all forced to sit on the dog beach. We are just fed up and we want action."
The petition reads as follows:
To the mayor of Penticton, Penticton City Council, RCMP and the British Columbia Attorney General, we demand immediate action on the family beach at Three Mile Road in Penticton.
The recent June 2014 encroachment by nudists on to the family beach has forced families to move to the dog beach. It is also highly offensive that people are exposing themselves to children and families.
This area is not secluded and is in a residential neighbourhood. Penticton and Naramata takes pride in its strong family values.
Three Mile Beach is also situated in one of the most beautiful wine regions in Canada.
We demand immediate action and want to see a "No nudity allowed on Three Mile Beach" sign posted there."
The petition goes on to say, "This is not a clean nude beach, it is a sexual meeting place, and provides a small sample of Craigslist ads.
The ads in question are asking people to meet at the beach for explicit sexual favours.
More than 100 signatures have been gathered in the last 24 hours, according to the neighbour who spoke to Castanet.
On the same day the petition came out there was an RCMP officer at the beach, who said the RCMP got a call about naked people.
The officer said he asked people to put their clothes back on, gave a warning and everyone was cooperative.
In response to the petition, naturists using the beach Thursday, said Three Mile has been used as a nude beach for years and should be left as such.
"For more than 80 years this has been clothing optional, so put up a clothing optional sign so that it can stay used as such," said beach goer Dustin Wolchina. "This is also not a kids' beach, there are no washrooms, changing rooms or showers here, absolutely no amenities for children."
Several neighbours in the area said they had not seen the petition. Some were not worried about the situation, while one, who asked not to be named, said the people of Penticton should realize they could lose the beach as a public family beach.
A handful of beach goers at the nearby dog beach said the nudity didn't bother them. They said they were at that beach, simply because they have dogs.
