FAQ

This important document will guide planning and decision-making related to parks and recreation services for the next 10 years. In order to move forward with confidence, the city needs to know what YOU think so the plan can reflect community needs.

As well, the Parks and Recreation Master Plan is about the health of our community and the health of our environment. It will be the foundation for our quality of life and the quality of growth we foster. Most of all it is about how we connect with each other.  Do not miss the opportunity to contribute Penticton. Our last Parks and Recreation plan was created in 1993. A lot has changed and we want to hear your vision for the future.

Parks and recreation includes a wide range of City places, spaces and programs. We want to talk about parks, beaches, trails, indoor and outdoor recreation facilities, and recreation programs and services. Everything from dog parks to sports fields, arenas to Zumba.

After four months of intensive consultation, an independent consulting firm has been hired to incorporate community feedback, survey results and similar community practice into a first draft of the Parks and Recreation Master Plan.

Urban Systems, the consultants selected, will return the first draft of the Master Plan to the community for feedback in early Fall. A second draft will be returned for further feedback before the end of the year. Both draft rounds include additional community open houses, surveys, and the option for online dialogue.

Council has also appointed a diverse selection of community members to a Parks and Recreation Master Plan Steering Committee to guide the process. Councillors that serve on the body include Mayor Andrew Jakubeit and Councillor Judy Sentes. Ron Ramsay is the Chair of the Steering Committee.

The City staff team leading the process include Lori Mullin, Recreation and Culture Manager for the City and Jeff Lynka, Supervisor for the City.

The open house is a comfortable, free-flowing space where you will find information panels and question boards on which you can place your comments. There will also be comment forms and staff on hand to answer your questions or hear your concerns. The first open house was held on May 25th and was attended by nearly 150 people. The second open house will be in Mid October. Everyone is welcome and free child minding will be available. We’ll even have snacks!

The telephone survey is a statistically significant survey of 400 random samples that are representative of our community. What does that mean? It will be an accurate way to predict feelings across the community. Here are a sample of questions it includes:

What types of activities do people frequently participate in?

Satisfaction levels with different aspects of Parks and Recreation?

Where the public feels improvements are needed?

Are there any groups that lack programs or support?

Is there any age groups for which recreation or sport programs are insufficient?

What kind of commercial services are supported in parks? From paddle board rentals to restaurants and attractions like Loco Landing. 

Results of the Telephone Survey can be found in the Key Documents section.

16 Focus Group Discussions were held in Phase 1 of the planning process. We encouraged leaders of target user groups to attend in order to share the needs and visions of groups they represent.

The City of Penticton invites the public to participate in the creation of our new Parks and Recreation Master Plan. This important document will guide planning and decision-making related to parks and recreation services for the next 10 years.

Independent consultants will be working with City staff and Council to roll out a robust engagement strategy to help shape the Master Plan over the next eight months.

Council has also appointed a diverse selection of community members to a Parks and Recreation Master Plan Steering Committee to guide the process.