(CFJC Today/File Photo).

By Mel Rothenburger

ARMCHAIR MAYOR

ROTHENBURGER: A few yoga classes won’t ‘commercialize’ Riverside Park

May 8, 2021 | 6:30 AM

ALLOWING THE ALMIGHTY DOLLAR into Riverside Park has long been a worry for the denizens of Kamloops. Commercialization of the city’s gem must be avoided at all costs, according to one way of thinking.

There’s validity to those concerns and they’ve been expressed any time there’s a plan for a hotel tower, a multi-story parkade, a big farmer’s market complex or even a river tube concession. None of them has gotten traction.

But those kinds of enterprises are a world apart from allowing fitness studios and gyms to hold outdoor classes in the park during the pandemic. Yet Mayor Ken Christian has already noted concerns that such a move would open the doors to the dreaded commercialization of that revered space.

Christian also says the City must not be perceived to be offering businesses a direct benefit by giving them a special rate.

Neither of those two points stands up to scrutiny.

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Councillors Kathy Sinclair and Sadie Hunter borrowed from an earlier proposal by Coun. Arjun Singh and have submitted a notice of motion that would free up Riverside and several other parks for use as venues for fitness classes.

Singh broached the notion at an earlier meeting but quickly backed off when other councillors appeared unenthusiastic. The Sinclair-Hunter plan would immediately launch a one-year pilot program that may or may not be renewed.

Opposition to allowing any sort of commercial activity into Kamloops parks is based on the belief it would destroy the tranquility and unsullied atmosphere of those parks. There’s no question that some projects would be disruptive to their carefully manicured beauty.

But carte blanche objections fail to consider the merits of individual proposals that might make Riverside, as the prime example, even more enjoyable than now. Some would say food concessions and food trucks should be banned but they’ve been there and have added to the enjoyment of the park, especially when events are on.

As for the mayor’s concerns about benefitting businesses, the City already provides a substantial benefit to restaurants with the outdoor patio program. That, in fact, is the sort of thing that can bug fitness facility owners, at least some of whom feel they’ve been left behind.

COVID-19 has thrown the local economy for a loop. Many businesses have closed and re-opened several times only to ultimately fail. It’s been particularly hard on those that rely on close-contact services like gyms and personal grooming salons.

The Yoga Loft, which has announced it will permanently close in a few weeks when its lease runs out, is just one of them. Without space to hold classes, it and other fitness facilities have suffered badly.

Space at Riverside can be rented for steep fees — $20 a day — that are a deterrent. Opening up parks for some of these businesses during the pandemic would involve either eliminating current fees or reducing them to moderate levels.

Kelowna makes its parks and green spaces available for yoga classes, boot camps and that sort of thing as long as what it calls an outdoor fitness permit is taken out. Permittees can pay $84.90 plus GST monthly between April 1 and Oct. 31, or $424.48 plus GST (a 20 per cent discount) for the full season.

Sixteen parks are included in the policy, and there are strict rules about parking, food, safety and off-limit areas.

Throwing fitness studios a lifeline would benefit not only the affected businesses but also their clients. We’re being told to get outside and breathe fresh air and stay fit during this pandemic. The notice of motion that will come in front of council a week and a half from now fits perfectly with that advice as well as the mayor’s task force that was supposed to find ways to get the economy through the pandemic.

Though the Sinclair-Hunter motion leaves open the possibility that the time period for fitness in the parks could be extended, once the pandemic is under control, fitness businesses will be able to start using their own indoor facilities again. If Dr. Bonnie Henry’s reset ends after the May long weekend, they can start up sooner, but the park proposal gives them some security.

A few people on yoga mats doing downward dogs present no risk to the parks being opened to jewelry hawkers or souvenir vendors. It doesn’t mean parkades, a 35,000 square foot farmers market or 15-story hotels will suddenly rise on picnic areas, parking lots and beaches. Views can be protected. The sanctity of the parks will be maintained.

Mel Rothenburger is a former mayor of Kamloops and a retired newspaper editor. He is a regular contributor to CFJC, publishes the ArmchairMayor.ca opinion website, and is a director on the Thompson-Nicola Regional District board. He can be reached at mrothenburger@armchairmayor.ca.

Editor’s Note: This opinion piece reflects the views of its author, and does not necessarily represent the views of CFJC Today or Pattison Media.