New accessibility upgrades will be on display for the first time this long weekend at two Penticton beaches.
City crews are currently installing Mobi-mats at Skaha Lake Park, near the base of Parkview Drive, and Okanagan Lake Beach by the S.S. Sicamous.
The mats provide easy access to the beach and will be available for use starting Victoria Day weekend, the city said.
Accessibility work comes after Penticton installed Mobi-mats at Sudbury Beach in July 2024, becoming just the third community in Canada to give one of its beaches such upgrades. The mats will remain at Sudbury Beach moving forward.
As part of its "ongoing efforts to make our community more accessible for all," the city says it is also making Mobi-chairs available starting July 1.
The chairs, set to provide easy access to the water, will be ready for use when the city installs its beach slides and docks in select areas.
One set of Mobi-mats and chairs cost around $30,000, city officials said during a council meeting in March. They are being paid for by using funds from the city's Gaming Reserve, which had a balance of $1.7 million, as of Dec. 31, 2023.
As the weather warms up and beach season inches closer, city officials are also reminding residents of the other accessibility options it offers near the water:
• Ramp from the walkway down to the beach, with accessible picnic tables (Okanagan Lake Beach, near Power Street)
• Ramp from the walkway leads down to a concrete walking path that goes to the water's edge, also with picnic tables (Okanagan Lake Beach, west of Lakawanna Park)
• Accessible ramp down to the beach, with two accessible tables (Skaha Lake Park, near the concession)
• Ramp to beach, near dog park (Okanagan Lake Park, east of the Lakeside Resort)
