City to clear out Esplanade
by Colin Dacre
The City of Penticton says it will be moving to clear out Esplanade Park, a popular camping spot for the homeless, on Monday morning.
The city says its clean team and bylaw officers will start work at 7 a.m. to remove debris and discarded materials from the area.
“Parks and Bylaw staff have received numerous public complaints around activities and material in Esplanade Park, including entrenched sites, unsafe fires, old propane tanks, discarded garbage and sharps,” said bylaw supervisor, Tina Siebert.
“Monday’s efforts will focus on clearing out material recently abandoned by individuals who now live in permanent housing.”
It’s not clear how many people are still living in the wooded area. At the time of the last sweep in April, the city reported about 20.
More clean-up work is planned for the Esplanade area for wildfire mitigation efforts. A cold-weather shelter is operating at the Compass Court development at 1706 Main Street.