Image Credit: CFJC Today / Kent Simmonds

By Jill Sperling

BC Wildlife Park

Environmental, accessibility improvements coming to the BC Wildlife Park

May 13, 2021 | 4:45 PM

KAMLOOPS — The BC Wildlife Park is upgrading for accessibility and conservation.

Every public pathway at the BC Wildlife Park will soon be paved.

“Most of our pathways are gravel, don’t hold up well in the winter and don’t hold up well for anybody with mobility concerns,” said Executive Director Glenn Grant.

The paving work is among a series of improvements the park is implementing to improve accessibility.

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“Both outdoor washrooms will be fully accessible,” Grant said. “We’re just finishing up right now, today and tomorrow, with the one by the splash park. It’s getting new siding, new automated doors so that no one has to touch the door.”

Along with increased accessibility at the park, Grant says there is a push to be more environmentally conscious.

“We’re eliminating the sale of bottled water at the park and we’re giving people an opportunity to have water bottle refilling stations in four different locations around the park.” Grant says it’s been a long time since improvements of this magnitude were undertaken at the park.

“This is the most work we’ve done for public access and public usability in a long, long time,” he said. “It’s been long overdue, much needed and I know it’s an inconvenience, for this upcoming weekend to be restricted in what parts of the park you can use, but in the long run it’s going to be a huge benefit to everybody.”

The work will cost around $160,000, but much of the funding for these projects has been provided through provincial grants.

“$149,000 came in a grant from the provincial government, for the COVID relief and infrastructure programs — economic recovery program,” Grant explained. “That’s where the bulk of the money came from for exactly what’s going on right now, but we also have had some other donations that we have received that compliment.”

The paving will be complete within a matter of days, while the washroom construction is expected to take a bit longer.

All of the work is expected to be finished at the end of June.