The program has been set up for Kamloops fitness being able to hold outdoor classes.

Council has approved the use of Westsyde Centennial Park, McDonald Park, Parkcrest Park, Peterson Creek Park, Valleyview Centennial Park and Pineview Valley Park for fitness companies to use.

Recreation manager Barbara Berger says companies can have up to 20 participants in their classes, between now and Oct. 31. The parks can be used any time between 6 a.m. and 8 p.m. daily, on a first-come, first serve basis for licensed businesses.

“We did not go to our kind of key, principal parks, like Riverside, MacArthur Island, or competitive sports fields or what not. But we really tried to ensure that we also identified parks all over the city, so geographically, they were not all located in one sort of pocket,” Berger says.

The permit fees for using parks will be $79.20 per month or $443.52 for the season, plus GST.

The new program comes after a motion was made by councillors Sadie Hunter and Kathy Sinclair suggesting these changes. Preceding that, at an earlier council meeting, councillor Arjun Singh had called for supports for fitness companies that were being impacted by COVID-19 “circuit-breaker” restrictions, which banned indoor fitness classes in B.C.

The program passed by a unanimous 8-0 vote at council. Councillor Denis Walsh declared a conflict of interest and did not vote.