Kelowna is the biggest city as far as the tourist orientation is concerned in Okanagan valley. It’s a famous city in the province of BC in Canada. During the summer seasons some activities are very common like boating, biking and hiking. During the winter alpine skiing and Nordic skiing are the commonly practiced activities. The climate in Kelowna is dry with mild temperatures (Bigg, 320). During the summer the atmosphere is always hot and sunny with temperatures of above 35 degrees during the day. The city has several parks and green spaces which are created by the solar powered area lighting.
There are different parks in Kelowna for instance there are marine parks, regional parks, national and provincial parks, and ecological reserves. Parks and green spaces are the key to successful restoration and the people responsible in Kelowna take any available opportunity to ensure the maintenance of the standards of the open spaces (Bigg, 325). Kelowna has a rich diversity and legacy of parks and green spaces throughout the city. It’s the responsibility of the city council to guard the welfare of the parks and the green spaces. Green spaces refer to all landscape features such as the trees along the streets, car parks, paths, and even the deserted cemeteries.
Parks and green spaces are all meant to improve the quality of the city life. Green spaces are a very important aspect to the city’s residents. Majority of people in Kelowna have confirmed satisfaction with the green spaces where they go for leisure and other social issues (Burgess, 210).The number of its users is still increasing which has led to an increased gap between need and provision. This gap can only be bridged by ensuring there is public involvement, investment chances, planning controls, and all the staff are offered the required support and coordinated to maintain a positive development of these valued resources.
Kelowna Park for kids, festivals and entertainments, and even park meant for games. There are wilderness parks where hiking and biking as well as bird watching are done. Through these different parks people of all ages have gotten great outdoor experiences during any time of the year. In the water parks along the lake of Okanogan most people go there to enjoy the sun, water and the sand. The major city parks are mainly heritage sites (Burgess, 230). They are major parks for fun to all types of people. Most people use these city parks as an outdoor relaxation as families or group outings. The main festivals which are held at specific periods of the year are held there. City parks have been a facilitator of the culture through creating a site for different cultural events. These uses of the parkas and green spaces should be developed and managed well in a more sustainable way to meet the increasing needs of the public currently and even in the future.
The natural parks are the ones depended on for major roles like protecting and conserving the wetlands. Mostly the rivers are protected by the natural parks to ensure there is enough and safe water for drinking in the country. In addition, ravines, hillsides and those lands which are bordering the creeks are also offered some protection by the natural parks (Burgess, 237). The new type of park space known as mountain bike parks is currently established for hiking and biking. The local parks provide playing grounds for the children and picnic areas for the families and other senior people for the fulfillment of their joy. In most of these parks there are museums which lead to the attraction of tourist from different places and regions. Through this the ministry of tourism is boosted by the increased income from tourism.
This step forward may be limited by lack of competent personnel to take charge in supporting and coordinating the staffs which means the city council should be very careful when choosing these people. As the population of the people in need of parks and green spaces is increasing, the city council should take into consideration the idea of setting aside an extra land for the use in the future open spaces so as to handle the problem of areas of deficiency (Lets go inc, 126). In case of city council loosing an existing open space there should be a secured compensation whereby it would be replaced or either recovered through contributions in lieu to cover up the loss.
Through these parks a lot of job opportunities have been realized leading to the growth of employment. This has improved the living standards of many people and increased revenue to the nation. The city council should aim at maximizing the available opportunities for recreation, learning, leisure, and ensuring that the quality of people in Kelowna is highly improved (Let go inc, 137). To eliminate the barriers which may hinder the implementation of these improvements some factors should be put into considerations.
Firstly, the wishes of the local community member should be investigated first, the amount of the finances which will be required should be determined in advance so as to know the sources and the order of uses arranged according to their priorities (Let go inc, 267). The professionalism of the skilled staff should also be a major factor to be considered to enhance competent among the staffs. The degree of the need to ensure sustainability should be also determined.
There some specific areas within the parks and the green spaces which may call for some improvements. These areas include the ranges and the quality of the green spaces should be improved to allow for equal provision to the citizens. The safety of the parks due to the increased users should be ensured as well as better supervision. In the sports parks better playing and sports facilities should be provided to ensure the productivity of the young people is increased and to eliminate idleness among themselves (Let go inc, 301). To ensure that there are continued appearances of the green spaces even in the future, the trees, hedges, shrubs, flowers, and the preserved areas for the wildlife should be given quality maintenance. In the management part of it the public should be involved to assist in the development of the parks and green spaces.
If there can be an increased land for parks all the benefits gotten from the parks can be improved. Young people would be in a position to enjoy more paths and trails as well as recreational parks. Development of more parks will lead to increased green spaces which will beautify the city more making both the residents and the visitors to enjoy recreation and leisure facilities (Peevers, 730). When people are provided with high quality recreation facilities, it’s a way of encouraging an active living which is sustainable as well as ensuring that the natural environment is protected. An increased safety of the people through provision of clean and safe drinking water, maintaining a greener environment will ensure a competitive economy in the country and hence the growth of the region.
Most of green spaces in Kelowna surround the reserved parking for the visitors who uses these green spaces for relaxing and socializing. These particular areas should have an improved security measures to control burglary and vehicle crimes lights should be ensured in all areas where appropriate.
Parks and green spaces are used as leisure areas for many people but not all people in Kelowna who have accessibility of these facilities (Peevers, 739). The city council should make an effort of expanding these opportunities for every person in Kelowna to have an easy accessibility to these facilities in the city. The idea of the natural environment should be made aware to even the local people so that they can also contribute in providing the solutions to the challenges affecting these facilities.
Good management will enable the flourishing of the wildlife in the parks which will in return attract as many people as possible to enjoy in the parks (Peevers, 820). Parks and green spaces are areas used by many people in Kelowna for learning and advancing their skills. The city council should take an initiative to improve people’s skills and understanding in relation to parks and green spaces. They should work with other environmental organizations to develop some important in formations on the natural and horticultural environment (Peevers, 860). The major role of the park rangers should be developed so as to educate and be informative to the public. The parks and green spaces should be used as outdoor classrooms for equipping the public with skills for management of parks, green spaces and the whole environment.
The environment of the parks and green spaces sometimes do not favor some groups of people like elderly and the disabled (Bigg, 201). The existing opportunities should be developed by the use of new forums which would increase the recreational and other sporting activities to be used by everyone disregarding their ages or their physical abilities. All the parks green spaces and the grounds meant for sports and playing should be made accessible even to people with mobility difficulties.
Works cited
Bigg, A. and Gardner, M. Western Canada, ISBN1903471567, 9781903471562. Footprint Travel Guides, 2003.
Burgess, C.A. Guide to Western Canada, (7th ed), ISBN0762729872, 9780762729876. Globe Pequot Press, 2005.
Let’s go, inc. Let’s Go Pacific Northwest Adventure, (1st ed), ISBN0312335644, 9780312335649. St. Martin’s Press, 2004.
Peevers, A.S. Canada, (9th ed), ISBN 1740597737, 9781740597739. Lonely Planet, 2003.