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Penticton’s Skaha Park controversy is heading for the courts

Penticton's Skaha Park controversy is heading for the courts | iNFOnews.ca
Former mayor Jake Kimberley watches Monday's council proceedings from the gallery. The former Penticton mayor has been a vocal opponent of council's plans to build a waterpark at Skaha Park. Photographer: Steve Arstad

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.

To contact the reporter for this story, email Steve Arstad at sarstad@infonews.ca or call 250-488-3065. To contact the editor, email mjones@infonews.ca or call 250-718-2724.

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Steve Arstad

By Steve Arstad

I have been looking for news in the South Okanagan - SImilkameen for 20 years, having turned a part time lifelong interest into a full time profession. After five years publishing a local newsletter, several years working as a correspondent / stringer for several local newspapers and seven years as editor of a Similkameen weekly newspaper, I joined iNFOnews.ca in 2014. My goal in the news industry has always been to deliver accurate and interesting articles about local people and places. My interest in the profession is life long - from my earliest memories of grade school, I have enjoyed writing.
As an airborne geophysical surveyor I travelled extensively around the globe, conducting helicopter borne mineral surveys.
I also spent several years at an Okanagan Falls based lumber mill, producing glued-wood laminated products.
As a member of the Kaleden community, I have been involved in the Kaleden Volunteer Fire Department for 22 years, and also serve as a trustee on the Kaleden Irrigation District board.
I am currently married to my wife Judy, of 26 years. We are empty-nesters who enjoy living in Kaleden with our Welsh Terrier, Angus, and cat, Tibbs.
Our two daughters, Meagan and Hayley, reside in Richmond and Victoria, respectively.

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