More parkland in Central Okanagan

There will soon be more parkland in the Central Okanagan thanks to a donation by a forest product company.

Tolko Industries is donating about 30 hectares of land in the Bear Creek area of West Kelowna to the Regional District for a park.

The donation is good news for the area’s wildlife. It also means upgrades to a section of notoriously dangerous Westside Road.

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“Of the Bear Creek portion, over approximately half of that will be donated to the Central Okanagan Regional District for park purpose, it has very important wildlife and habitat,” said Kelowna-Mission MLA Steve Thomson.

West Kelowna mayor Doug Findlater says Westside Road can be frightening.

“I have a summer cabin up that way and I’m up there quite often in the summer,” he said. “It’s a very hazardous road to navigate from the perspective of narrow and windy. If you put a few big vehicles on it, it’s very scary.”

The Regional District will look after the parkland donation while the Ministry of Transportation will oversee improvements to Westside Road.