KELOWNA – You might notice the Bear sculpture in downtown Kelowna is off limits for the next couple of weeks.
Crews are repairing the base which has been damaged by people climbing onto the sculpture and jumping off of it.
“It was never designed for somebody to jump off the structure. You can see when you climb up there, you’re going to be at a fairly good height,” explained Martin Johansen, Manager of Building Services with the City of Kelowna.
It’s an opportunity to make some other changes as well.
“We are taking the opportunity to redo the way the lights were done,” explains Johansen.
He says the cumulative cost for the repairs could add up to $40,000, which he says should prevent future damage.
“I don’t think we’ll increase security. You can’t watch the bear 24 hours a day. There’s always going to be people who take opportunity when opportunity exists, but the maintenance will not be an issue anymore,” says Johansen.
He says crews should be done the repairs by early November.
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