Penticton’s Skaha Park controversy is heading for the courts

PENTICTON – The City of Penticton is headed for a legal battle over its agreement with Trio Marine regarding redevelopment of a portion of the Skaha Park property.

The City of Penticton has been served with “filings with the Supreme Court,” according to a comment made by Mayor Andrew Jakubeit at the Monday, Sept. 28 Penticton council meeting.

The mayor's comment was confirmed by  Save Skaha Park Society spokesperson Lisa Martin, who said in a release Monday the society had served a civil claim against the City of Penticton and Trio Marine Group Inc., to stop plans to lease 5.83 acres of the park to Trio Marine for up to 39 years in order to develop a "fenced waterslide."

The Save Skaha Park Society organized four functions over the summer to draw attention to their opposition to the city’s plans, including two city hall rallies and two events at Skaha Park. When the city refused to back down from their decision, the society hired legal counsel and on Friday, September 25 filed the civil claim in B.C. Supreme Court in a challenge to the lawfulness of the city’s deal with Trio Marine Group Inc.

“We wish no ill to our mayor and councillors or to Trio, but we cannot let this bad decision go unchallenged,” Martin said in the Monday news release.

“Commercializing Skaha Park without voter consent would make it a lot easier for this and future councils to dispose of other parks for commercial interests. We simply can’t stand by and let this happen without a fight,” Martin said.

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