As this year’s boating season approaches, mariners can expect some challenges in getting their vessels into the rivers via the municipal boat launches in Kamloops.
Construction work began in mid-March at the boat launch and parking lot at Pioneer Park in downtown Kamloops.
Parks Manager Jeff Putnam says this involves two phases, including some underground construction of utilities under 7th avenue leading into the Park, as well as the repaving of the parking lots at Pioneer.
“Redoing the asphalt there [the vehicle parking lot], improving drainage,” noted Putnam. “As well, the boat launch trailer parking, which has always been gravel, is going to be repaved and the parking lot will be reconfigured to allow more boat trailers.”
Meanwhile, Putnam says the City has also identified upgrades needed at the Valleyview and McArthur Island boat launches, including the need to do some much-needed dredging on the Mac Island slip.
However, Putnam says the work at McArthur Island will not be taking place anytime soon.
“We all know the sedimentation issues there in terms of access in low water times,” noted Putnam. “We’re investigating the cost to re-dredge that boat launch into the future. But likely those costs are at the point where we believe we’ll have to go back to council in future years.”
Putnam suggests the challenges facing the McArthur Island boat launch will require multiple reviews.
“I’ll probably have to come back to council, and kind of dust off our original business case and update the numbers,” conceded Putnam. “There’s significantly more environmental assessments that’s required now.”
Putnam says planned upgrades to the Valleyview boat launch have also been shelved for this year as well, noting their focus this year is on the work underway at Pioneer Park.