Penticton City Council has rejected a plan that would have seen a spruce tree, fountain, and concrete surround removed from Nanaimo Square. Staff recommended moving forward with the changes in response to ongoing public safety concerns in the area, but municipal politicians instead unanimously voted on April 1 to further investigate how to address those issues without removing the enhancements currently in place. "This isn't going to work," Coun.
Helena Konanz said of the plan that would have cost $10,000. "Nanaimo Square is an integral part of the downtown," added Mayor Julius Bloomfield. "It's a pity to see that potentially disappear because of a small percentage of the population that creates a problem.
" Julie Czeck, the city's general manager of public safety and partnerships, said there have been a total of 408 calls to bylaw and 1,318 to police in the area since 2021. In 2024 alone, Penticton RCMP responded to the area 365 times. "It's increasingly become an area for problematic behaviours, including overnight sheltering, public defecation, bathing in the fountain water, drug use, and loitering," Czeck said.
She added that city staff conducted a crime prevention assessment "rooted in psychology and urban planning" when developing the recommendations. Other proposed changes the city council opted not to move forward with included repairing the paving stone areas and activating the space through the the city’s mobile vendor program. Michael Magnusson, executive director.
