File Photo (Image Credit: CFJC Today / Kent Simmonds)

By James Peters

Riverside Park

Kamloops council okays plan to allow food trucks, rental vendors in Riverside Park this summer

May 30, 2023 | 5:07 PM

KAMLOOPS — Kamloops council is opening up Riverside Park for business.

At its regular meeting Tuesday (May 30), council put its support behind a temporary exemption to the city’s Parks and Public Lands Bylaw that will allow businesses such as food trucks or equipment rental vendors inside the park during the summer.

The most robust debate took place around whether to allow the exemption for only one year — a slow, cautious approach — or longer, giving more certainty to potential business operators.

Councillor Nancy Bepple argued for the former, noting many residents are very wary about commercial activity in the park.

“We’re balancing off the contractors but we also have to think about what the community wants are,” said Bepple. “I think doing it for one year, we can come back and staff will be able to bring back a report and then think about changing the bylaw permanently.”

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Councillor Katie Neustaeter argued that the plan was almost certain to be a success and the bylaw should be amended as soon as possible.

“We tend to box ourselves in with these kinds of things and say, ‘Ooo, we’re too scared to actually do it.’ No performing arts centre. Smaller arena than we need. No amenities developed or large infrastructure — and this feels like that. Why would we limit ourselves instead of building a really comprehensive plan that would allow expansion and re-evaluation?”

Council settled on a two-year exemption to the bylaw, with a full city review after one year.

Tourism Kamloops will be responsible for contracting the businesses who will be allowed to operate in the park.

This is not the first time such businesses have been allowed in Riverside Park. A similar pilot project was approved in 2021. At that time, opponents of the planned decried a lack of public consultation.