Kelowna park closing for upgrades

Improvements to a popular park in Kelowna’s Glenmore area will get underway on Monday, June 13.

Ballou Park on Moubray Road is undergoing construction and will be completely closed with limited access to Knox Mountain, from June until approximately November 2022. There will be a secured pathway created during construction so community garden members can access their plots during construction.

Engagement took place last summer to ask residents what they would like to see in the new and improved park.

“Engagement helped shape the final design of Ballou after respondents indicated a need for a range of play opportunities for children, as well as identifying that the tobogganing hill was highly valued,” said Amy Nyhof, Project Technician. “The adventure playground includes components for the younger kids such as spring toys, spinners and baby swings, with a zipline and swings for older kids and lots of other play features for those in between.”

The tobogganing hill will not only remain but is being enhanced to make it an even more enjoyable experience. Other work includes the construction of a perimeter pathway, entry plaza, site furnishings, plantings and modifications to the layout of the Community Garden.

Construction hours are typically scheduled for Monday to Friday, 7 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. Work may occur outside of regular construction hours, including evenings and weekends, to minimize impacts on residents and limit the time of active construction in the area.

Ballou Park is one of the first parks being completed with funding from the Parks Development Strategy. This was adopted in 2019 and established a new Parkland Development DCC paid by developers to offset some of the infrastructure expenditures incurred to service new growth.