City of Kelowna will continue to operate activity centre at Sarsons Beach Park

Activity centre a gem

Photo: City of Kelowna

Kelowna city council gave a ringing endorsement of the long running Okanagan Mission Activity Centre at Sarsons Beach Park.

And, despite construction of a new Mission Activity Centre in the coming years, council unanimously endorsed the idea of the city continuing to operate the centre alongside the Okanagan Mission Seniors Centre Society.

Council also agreed with a name change to Sarsons Activity Centre to reflect its location.

The society provides programming and activities throughout the week while the city offers programs and facility rentals in the evenings and on weekends.

More than 12,600 distinct visitors used the facility last year alone.

Parks and building planning manager Robert Parlane says the centre generates a net revenue of about $10,000 a year with yearly operating expenses of about $35,000.

On top of that, Parlane says about $750,000 in upgrades will be put into the building over the next decade with the most pressing need a new roof at a cost of about $50,000 which will be done later this spring.

Coun. Ron Cannan called the centre a "community jewel" while Coun. Maxine DeHart called it a very unique site.

"We know that our city is changing and it is changing rapidly," said DeHart, "but there are some things that we just have to preserve.

"Sarsons is one of our beautiful gems and there are some things we just have to keep."

"By including the centre in the wider infrastructure plans of building a strong Kelowna, it can complement the new Mission Activity Centre and increase the diversity of programs and user groups in that specific area." MAYOR

"This is a very passionate topic. Council have been very adamant about this site and that we want to preserve it. It is a very unique site in our community.