The City of Penticton is reminding residents, visitors and evacuees of several facilities that provide free indoor clean air options and have added extra programming at the Community Centre.
“Penticton has been fortunate, so far, not to have had to deal with wildfires in our jurisdiction and that has allowed us to provide support to neighbouring communities,” says Emergency Operations Centre director Kristen Dixon. “We are, however, experiencing the impact of the wildfires through deteriorating air quality that can have significant health effects. We want people to know these facilities are open and can provide some respite for them.”
The following is a list of City facilities and hours of operation for this week, that are open to everyone:
Penticton Community Centre (note the pool is closed for maintenance)
Monday to Friday – 6 a.m. to 7 p.m.
Saturday and Sunday – 8:30 a.m. to 12 p.m.
SOEC Walking Track
Monday to Friday – 10 a.m. to 8 p.m.
Escape the smoke and get those steps in, free of cost.
Please note:
- Walkers are required to sign-in and sign-out at the Nor-Val Guest Services booth located at the top of the stairs on the main concourse.
- Jogging and/or running is not permitted on the walking track.
- Due to the smoky conditions, on-leash* and well-mannered dogs are allowed to join walkers this week between 4:00 pm to 8:00 pm only. If an accident (?) happens, please be sure to clean up after your pup!
- Registered service dogs/animals are welcome at any time.
- Dog-free times, excluding service dogs, will be between 10am to 4pm.
*Retractable and long-lead leashes are not permitted. Please use a standard leash up to 6ft in length.
Library
Monday, Wednesday and Friday – 9:30 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Tuesday and Thursday – 9:30 a.m. to 8:30 p.m.
Museum
Tuesday to Saturday – 10:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.
Penticton Seniors Drop-in Centre
Monday to Friday – 9:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m.
“We know people are going to want to get some exercise and that parents are looking for ways to burn off some of their children’s energy, so we’ve extended hours at the SOEC walking track and added extra programming to meet the needs of everyone,” says Kelsey Johnson, the City’s manager of recreation, arts and culture. “We want people to stay as healthy and active as they can during this challenging time.”
Additional free drop-in activities this week include:
Free Recreation Activities Aug. 22-25, 2023
| Tuesday | Wednesday | Thursday | Friday |
| Tumblebees 9:30-11:30am | Tumblebees 9:30-11:30am | Tumblebees 9:30-11:30am | |
| Family Open Gym 2-4pm | Public Skating 3:15-4:30pm | Public Skating 12:30-2:30pm | |
| Family Open Gym 3-5pm | Family Open Gym 3-5pm | ||
| Drop-in Basketball 5-7pm | Family Open Gym 4-7pm | Drop-in Basketball 5-7 |
Program information:
Tumblebees (ages: 12 months to 5 years)
Community Centre –Dance Studio
Parent Participation Required
Family Open Gym (ages: 5+)
Community Centre - Gymnasium
Drop-In Basketball (ages: 16+)
Community Centre – Gymnasium
Public Skating (all ages)
McLaren Arena
Skate rentals available
For a complete list of programming at the community centre, visit www.penticton.ca/recreation
The City’s Community Safety Officers will also be providing water and masks to those in need.