Exciting New Parks Bylaw Adopted by Penticton City Council: What You Need to Know About Overnight Shelter Rules!

The City Council has introduced a new Parks Regulation Bylaw, modernizing how we handle our parks, beaches, and trails. The previous rules, from 1974, were outdated and hard to enforce.

Camping in municipal parks is not allowed. If you have access to any form of indoor shelter, either in Penticton or elsewhere, you cannot camp overnight. However, if someone is without shelter, they can temporarily stay in public spaces under certain conditions.

Here’s what you need to know about the updated rules:

• Overnight sheltering is only allowed from 7 p.m. to 9 a.m. It can’t start or continue outside these hours.
• Shelters must keep a distance from specific areas:
  • 15 meters from playgrounds.
  • 4 meters from trails and sports fields.
  • 50 meters from school property.
  • 15 meters from building entrances.
• Shelters should be at least 4 meters apart and can’t take up more than 9 square meters.

Certain popular areas along the lakefront are off-limits for overnight sheltering. These include:

• Okanagan Beach and SS Sicamous Park
• Rotary Park and Gyro Park
• Marina Way Beach and others

To keep everyone informed, city staff will hold a public information session soon. The bylaw will also be reviewed by the Public Safety and Parks and Recreation committees.

This update reflects changes in law around homelessness in British Columbia. Recent court decisions support allowing temporary shelter for those without a home. In 2021, the BC Supreme Court ruled that municipalities must consider the needs of individuals who lack basic shelter.

For more details, including maps and a Q&A, check out penticton.ca/homeless.

This new approach seeks to strike a balance between safety in our parks and compassion for those facing housing challenges.

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