Penticton Marina
Image Credit: HelloBC
August 28, 2014 - 12:16 PM
PENTICTON - The Marina Way Lookout officially opens Thursday evening, revealing the newest view of Okanagan Lake with a celebration and historical tour.
The reconstruction project was part of the city’s waterfront enhancement strategy. The vision was to transform the abandoned peninsula — formally used as a Canadian National Railway loading dock — into a naturalized park area that restores Okanagan Lake habitat, improves urban forest and enhances the environment.
The dock was originally built in 1925 to use in the transportation of goods by the railway. The dock was used until 1975, and the site was then left undeveloped and has since served as an informal parking lot for beach visitors. The Marina Way served as a gateway to the original townsite, just east of Penticton Creek. A section of rail lines have been installed to mark the significance of the area, and interpretive signs will be installed in the coming months.
There are 1,000 square metres of restored habitat in the environmentally sensitive area. The city planted 30 trees and 300 shrubs indigenous to the area, such as cottonwood, aspen, dogwood and wild rose.
There is a gravel path that connects with the Okanagan Lake walkway and leads to the end of the breakwater where a platform and benches have been installed. Visitors now have a clear vantage point of Okanagan Lake.
The official opening will be Thursday, Aug. 28 at 5 p.m. and include speeches and a free historical walking tour by Penticton Museum and Archives curator Peter Ord. The Lookout is east of the Penticton Art Gallery, by the roundabout near Prague Café as you head toward the old Yacht Club.
To contact the reporter for this story, email Meaghan Archer at marcher@infotelnews.ca or call 250-488-3065. To contact the editor, email mjones@infotelnews.ca or call 250-718-2724.
—This story was updated at 1:45 p.m. on Thursday, August 18, 2014 to include directions to the Lookout.
News from © iNFOnews, 2014