City opens two parks in time for summer

Residents and visitors to Kelowna will be able to enjoy Glenmore Recreation Park and the expansion of Rutland Centennial Park this summer.

Officially opening Saturday, June 5, Glenmore Recreation Park features soccer fields, an off-leash dog park and a paved parking lot.

This video shows some of the features at Glenmore and Centennial parks.

“As we’ve seen in the past year, our outdoor spaces have become so important to our well-being. Our data has shown that use of parks and pathways has surged in the past year, as people get out and find new places to explore,” said Andrew Gibbs, City of Kelowna project manager.

“This is one of about 85 infrastructure projects city crews and contractors are working on this year,” Mayor Colin Basran said about Glenmore Recreation Park. “We will invest around $65 million this year for projects that maintain, enhance or add to our city properties.”

Glenmore Recreation Park is an 11.5 hectare park located at the corner of Longhill and Valley Roads. It started as an empty field and has been built in phases. Phase 1 included site preparation and construction of drainage infrastructure. Phase 2 saw two sports fields and the dog park constructed and now in Phase 3, the access road and parking stalls have been paved. The fields are ready for use and dog owners can let their pups run and play in the enclosed off-leash park.

“To celebrate the opening of Glenmore Recreation Park, we are encouraging residents who visit the dog park to post a selfie of themselves and their dogs with the hashtags #ylwdogs and #dogsofkelowna,” said Mayor Basran.

The green jewel of Rutland now includes a basketball court, ping pong tables, and new landscaping and lighting.

Rutland Centennial Park has continually evolved since construction began in 2017. Through four phases of work, the 2.5 hectare park has added soccer fields, an accessible playground, site furniture, a multi-cultural garden and now a basketball court and ping pong tables. Construction on a park washroom will begin this fall.

Kelowna has close to 250 outdoor parks and 12 off-leash parks in all areas of the City, and new parks, like Pandosy Waterfront Park, are planned for construction this year.

To learn more about this park and others being constructed around the city, visit kelowna.ca/cityprojects.