British Columbia buys land to expand Okanagan Lake Park

British Columbia has bought more waterfront property on Okanagan Lake to add to its parks reserve.  British Columbia and BC Parks Foundation have invested $10.5 million in the acquisition of 11.4 hectares of land that will be added to Okanagan Lake Park for the use of beach goers. The land is under permanent protection.  “We are always looking for opportunities to expand our parks and protected areas for people to enjoy and for conservation purposes,” George Heyman, Minister of Environment and Climate Change Strategy said in a release. “If we didn’t act to protect this area for people’s enjoyment and its ecological value, it could be ripe for development and a lost opportunity. Acquiring this land will ensure many more people will enjoy Okanagan Lake Park and protect this area for years to come." The BC Parks foundation supported the purchase with $2.4 million while the remainder of the funding comes from the BC Parks Recreation Expansion Program. Before future uses of the land and legal additions to the park are determined, consultation with First Nations and other stakeholders will be necessary. The expansion of the protected area includes 436 metres of shoreline on the North side of Okanagan Lake Park. This area is a habitat for at risk species including the freshwater mussel, Lewis’ woodpecker and the Western screech owl, meaning they will be better preserved. Since 2017, British Columbia has invested $45.5 million and has added 1,320 hectares of land to 41 parks in the province. To contact a reporter for this story, email Bailey Zimmer mailto:bzimmer@infonews.ca  or call 250-808-0143 or email the editor mailto:news@infonews.ca . You can also submit photos, videos or news tips to the newsroom mailto:tips@infonews.ca  and be entered to win a monthly prize draw. We welcome your comments and opinions on our stories but play nice. We won't censor or delete comments unless they contain off-topic statements or links, unnecessary vulgarity, false facts, spam or obviously fake profiles. If you have any concerns about what you see in comments, email the editor in the link above. SUBSCRIBE to our awesome newsletter here https://infotel.ca/newsletter .