City Council has adopted a new Parks Regulation Bylaw, which provides a clear and modernized set of guidelines for managing our local parks, beaches and trails.
The updated bylaw provides new rules involving temporary overnight sheltering in parks and public spaces, including the locations where overnight sheltering is not allowed. The previous bylaw, which dates back to 1974, does not align with recent developments in the law, making it unenforceable.
The City is reminding the public that camping in municipal parks and public spaces is strictly prohibited. Anyone who has access to indoor shelter, in Penticton or elsewhere, is prohibited from camping overnight in any park.
The updated bylaw follow a line of B.C. court decisions which have found that people who do not have access to any form of indoor shelter cannot be prohibited from temporarily sheltering in public spaces. As such, only people who cannot access any form of indoor shelter are allowed to temporarily shelter overnight, with provisions in place, including:
- Sheltering is only permitted between the hours of 7 p.m. and 9 a.m. Shelters may not be erected, occupied or maintained outside of these hours.
- Shelters may not be located within:
- 15 metres of playgrounds.
- 4 metres of trails, sports fields, environmentally or culturally sensitive areas.
- 50 metres of any school property.
- 15 metres from building entrances.
- Shelters must be spaced at least four metres apart.
- Shelters and associated possessions must not occupy an area of more than 9 square metres.
Also, temporary overnight sheltering is prohibited along the two main lake frontages, including:
- Okanagan Beach, SS Sicamous Park and the Rose Garden
- Rotary Park, Gyro Park and Okanagan Lake Park
- Japanese Garden, Marina Way Park and Marina Way Beach
- Northern section of Lakawanna Park, located at 886 Lakeshore Drive W
- Skaha Lake Beach, Sudbury Beach and Skaha Lake Park
City staff will hold an upcoming public information session to answer questions, with a date to be made public soon. Also, the bylaw will be forwarded to the Public Safety and Parks and Recreation advisory committees for review.
For further information, including maps and a Q&A, visit penticton.ca/homeless.
