Skaha Park group still going

Photo: Dustin Godfrey

Though they've been quiet for a couple of months, the Save Skaha Park Society is reminding the community they'll continue to be active for some time to come.

"A re-focused and still strong SSPS is on track to continue to be an active and vocal force for preservation of park land in Penticton," the group said in a written statement. "The Society will be in place until at least after the Civic election in November 2018."

While SSPS is happy with its work last year, which was instrumental in knocking down a waterslide proposal for Skaha Lake Park, that optimism comes with caution.

"Our first focus will be to closely monitor the implementation process of the terms of the new Skaha Park agreement and meeting of conditions precedent," the group said. "Past actions of this City Council have demonstrated there is a need for this."

The society is also looking at the parks and recreation master plan which is currently being developed by a steering committee.

"A major component of it will be the question of commercialization in our parks," the group said of the plan. "Once completed and accepted by the City, this plan will arguably be the most important single factor in determining what level of commercialization, if any, to be permitted in our parks in the foreseeable future."

The group says it will also be active during the 2018 civic election, looking at candidates' views of public parkland.

"We must ensure that such a divisive issue as the Skaha Park waterslide fiasco is never again allowed to happen in our city."