Community members are concerned over the potential demolition of the Okanagan Mission Activity Centre (OMAC) on 4398 Hobson Road in Kelowna.

The Okanagan Mission Activity Centre is a small multi-use facility near Sarsons Beach in the Lower Mission. The facility is owned by the city and is operated in collaboration with the Okanagan Mission Seniors Centre Society. It is a community hub for over 300 senior members and a much-beloved site for many others, according to Seniors Centre Society member Carol Millar.

But the fate of the facility has always been uncertain: talks about the centresa国际传媒檚 demolition have been happening since 2019.

sa国际传媒淎 couple of years ago, we invited the manager of the parks and recreation department to come and speak with us. At the time, he told us that the city wanted to put in this new building between the Capital News Centre and the H2O Adventure and Fitness Centre. I think their vision is for it to be like Parkinson Recreation Centre,sa国际传媒� said Millar.

Millar and other society members have been canvassing the community to gather comments and feedback from residents. Many of the people they talked to did not know about the citysa国际传媒檚 plan to demolish OMAC, she said.

sa国际传媒淭hey didnsa国际传媒檛 know about it, and thatsa国际传媒檚 why we are canvassing. This past weekend we attended the Pandosy Art Festive to let people know that this is the citysa国际传媒檚 intention for OMAC and if they are aware of it,sa国际传媒� said Millar. sa国际传媒淲e want to gather information and gather support as well.sa国际传媒�

Millar said she has been in touch with the city ever since she started canvassing the community about this issue. However, the plans for the activity centre still remain unclear.

sa国际传媒淭he city said they will consult the community about this, so now wesa国际传媒檙e getting our ducks in a row because the consultation process can often be very quick or theysa国际传媒檝e already made up their minds,sa国际传媒� said Millar. sa国际传媒淩ight now we are trying to get support from the community and trying to figure out how to support the building financially and what the Society can do to support it.sa国际传媒�

The city, however, said there is no imminent plan to demolish OMAC. Plans to redesign the centre are in the citysa国际传媒檚 10-year Capital Plan, but nothing concrete has been decided.

sa国际传媒淚tsa国际传媒檚 only a plan at this point, and the final decision on budget approval for that will be made by the council of the day,sa国际传媒� said City of Kelowna media relations manager Tom Wilson. sa国际传媒淥MAC Seniors Centre Society has been aware of the above plans for several years, and staff have been in contact with the board periodically to answer questions and consult on any needed upgrades to the building.

sa国际传媒淯ntil theresa国际传媒檚 a decision by city council in a few years, there is nothing new,sa国际传媒� he added.

READ MORE: Future unknown for Kelowna seniorssa国际传媒� activity centre

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paula.tran@kelownacapnews.com
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