It is a strip of prime real estate in Vernon and it has been the focus of controversy for several years.
On Wednesday, work began to make Kin Beach safer. Barriers are being installed to prevent cars from driving onto the beach.
However work is being met with mixed reactions.
The area has historically been the subject of heated debate. The land on either side of Lakeshore Road is owned by the Okanagan Indian Band. But the road itself is maintained by the City of Vernon.
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In 2009, the band and the city came to a verbal agreement to set up barriers along the road but at the last second, the deal fell through.
After three more years of cars treating the beach like a parking lot, both sides managed to reach a deal.
Vernon mayor Rob Sawatzky says the problem has bothered both the band and the city.
“There’s too much easy access to the beach and people get up to dangerous things that they shouldn’t,” he said.
The dangerous things include underage drinking, partying and drug use as well as risks posed by cars driving around and near beachgoers.
Despite those safety issues, there was mixed reaction to the new barriers. Some people tell CHBC News it will be harder for people to launch their canoes and paddleboards while others say the barriers will decrease the amount of space for parking.
The work at Kin Beach will be completed by next week.
The cost of the project is $20,000. The City of Vernon is footing $15,000 of the cost while the Okanagan Indian Band is contributing $5,000.
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