Two Kamloops councillors worry Parks Master Plan takes away too much green space

KAMLOOPS – The Kamloops Parks Master Plan was recently unveiled and but not everyone is excited about the upgrades.

Coun. Arjun Singh and Coun. Denis Walsh worried the new infrastructure, mostly located in Riverside Park, would take away from the parks’ green spaces.

The city looked at three parks along the Thompson River: Riverside, Waterfront and Pioneer Parks. All would see upgrades to walking trails or paths, new landscaping and access to and views of the river.

Riverside and Pioneer would also get some upgrades.

The parks plan would create an outdoor skating rink and pickleball courts between the existing tennis courts in the west end of Riverside Park. The plan also features more splash pad amenities, including a wading pool and more opportunities for food vendors, including food trucks.

A new central hub is slated in the plan for Pioneer Park including basketball hoops, beach volleyball courts, a picnic shelter and plaza.

Coun. Singh wondered if all of the new activities would take away from the “chill out space.” Coun. Walsh echoed the concern about the loss of green space saying Riverside Park was changing from a “passive to an active space.”

“Everyone has their own ideas about what Riverside Park should be,” city parks director Byron McCorkell says, adding the ideas presented in the Parks Master Plan were from direct public feedback.

The cost of the upgrades and when they would begin still remains to be seen.

To contact a reporter for this story, email Dana Reynolds at dreynolds@infonews.ca or call 250-819-6089. To contact an editor, email mjones@infonews.ca or call 250-718-2724.