West Kelowna starts fall on a high note with a new park and lifting of barbecue ban

Back to Search

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Thursday, Sept. 23, 2021

As summer 2021 comes to a close, the City of West Kelowna is excited to open the new Carate Park in Westbank Centre and to announce that all municipal parks will allow barbequing again, with care, including those in Glenrosa that had been closed earlier this summer during the Mt. Law Wildfire.

“We invite the community to stop by and experience Carate Park’s unique-to-West Kelowna features, including a one-of-a-kind playground and a walking path connecting two pollinator gardens for the bees,” says Parks and Fleet Manager Stacey Harding. “The $140,000 12-week improvement project, at Majoros Road in Westbank Centre, was made possible mostly from cost charges on new development and upgrades were completed last week.”

As Carate Park opens at one end of Westbank Centre, the Kid’s Care Spray Park at the other end of the neighbourhood closes for the season. The last day of 2021 operations for the children’s water playground in Westbank Centre Park, off Hebert Road, was Saturday. However, the other amenities there, including the off-leash dog park area and the community garden are open.

Fire Chief Jason Brolund and Parks and Fleet Manager Stacey Harding are also happy to announce that the barbeque ban, which had been required most of this summer due to extreme heat and drought, can now be removed.

“Thankfully the cooler, wetter weather has reduced the fire hazard rating, which had been at high to extreme all summer and has now dropped to moderate,” says Brolund. “Parks users must take all proper precautions when barbequing in our parks, or anywhere for that matter and remember, no smoking or vaping is allowed in our parks, on our trails or at public spaces in the City of West Kelowna.”

The lifting of the barbeque ban also applies to recently re-opened parks in Glenrosa, which had been closed until the Mt. Law wildfire was brought under control.

The re-opened parks are:

Oriole Park
Stonegate Park
Wild Rose Park
Glenrosa Cemetery
McMorland Park
Glenrosa Park
Last Mountain Park
Ranch Park
Glen Eagles Walkway
McIver Park
Gates Grove Park
Morningside Park
Astoria Park
Mule Deer Park
Glen Abbey Park
Glenway Park
Wildfire Commemorative Park
Webber Road Walkway