Second collaborative beach cleanup planned in Penticton

PENTICTON – With thoughts of threat of further flooding diminishing, the City of Penticton is looking forward to seeing its beaches back in regular use.

The City is putting together another community cleanup event similar to the one staged last week in order to get the beaches ready for the summer season.

Members of the public who would like to help take part in a further clean up of the city’s beaches can come out Thursday, June 29 from 10 a.m. to noon, according to a City of Penticton media release.

Mayor Andrew Jakubeit says many citizens offered assistance and support through the weeks of rising waters, and the city now has the opportunity to provide residents with a chance to give back.

“We had a great turnout for the first cleanup event last week and we heard from the community that there still was a lot of interest so with the Canada Day weekend on the way and the beach season kicking off, the timing is perfect,” Jackubeit says in the release.

City staff will be on the walkway at the corner of Lakeshore Drive and Power Street from 9:45 a.m. to meet with volunteers and coordinate the cleanup effort.

Participants should bring leather work gloves and wear closed toe shoes, the City says. Rakes, shovels or wheelbarrow would also be useful.

Sandbags should continue to be left in place for a few more weeks in order to add a level of protection as water levels continue to decrease.

Okanagan Lake has dropped 10 centimetres from the peak level in mid-June, exposing more and more beach each day, the City says.

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