Carrying colourful signs decrying impediments constructed on the foreshore, a group of Kelowna residents walked from City Park to Rotary Beach to raise awareness and create change.

sa国际传媒淔or many years people have been trying to block access to the foreshore, and people began thinking you couldnsa国际传媒檛 walk the beach (where there are docks),sa国际传媒� Brenda Bachmann, a member of PLANKelowna, said. sa国际传媒淪o we are bringing awareness to people that you can walk the beach,sa国际传媒�

Bachmann told the crowd that as long as they have one foot in the water itsa国际传媒檚 a public space. Waterfront property extends from the normal high water mark to the lake, and all the space in between is for the province and the public.

Long term residents Dave Harris and Deb Matheson joined dozens of residents as they marched down the foreshore.

sa国际传媒淭his is public property and there shouldnsa国际传媒檛 be obstructions,sa国际传媒滺arris said. sa国际传媒淭he shoreline is public property and they are blocking itsa国际传媒� either they (the home owners) have too much money or they donsa国际传媒檛 care.sa国际传媒�

The group had to leave the beach side to walk on the street three times to finish their walk due to total obstructions of the foreshore.

sa国际传媒淲e are really disappointed in whatsa国际传媒檚 happened. By the time our grandkids grow upsa国际传媒� itsa国际传媒檚 become a rich mansa国际传媒檚 paradise,sa国际传媒� Matheson said. sa国际传媒淵ou cansa国际传媒檛 walk more than a few properties because of the docks and rocks people have put out into the property.sa国际传媒�

Related: Walk to press for public access to Kelownasa国际传媒檚 foreshore back for second year

PLANKelowna says its priorities are:

sa国际传媒� Construction of a planned small public park linking Strathcona Beach Park and Royal Avenue Beach Access.

sa国际传媒� Repair and improvement of the existing public walkway along the lakeshore north of Maude Roxby Wetland.

sa国际传媒� Construction, in a basic form, of the long-awaited lakeshore park near Cedar Avenue, with features added at later dates as budgets allow. The city has owned a row of 12 waterfront properties on the site of the future park for more than 20 years.

sa国际传媒� Having the City of Kelowna resume buying properties that are adjacent to existing lakefront parks when they become available. It says costs could be reduced by selling the road-side part of these properties and adding just the lakefront portion of the property to parks.

sa国际传媒� Having the city provide, and permanently install, small signs at the high water mark of waterfront properties so beach walkers donsa国际传媒檛 inadvertently trespass onto private property.

sa国际传媒� Completion of the missing sections of the Abbott Street recreation corridor multi-use path, south of the Kelowna General Hospital.

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