City council grants LocoLanding owner 10-year lease extension

Penticton can expect some upgrades to a community landmark and amusement park after council extended the lease of public land under it for 10 years.

City council approved the add-on for LocoLanding Adventure Park at Tuesday’s meeting.

The park operators have promised a major investment of nearly $2 million over 12 years that was contingent on extending the existing lease through 2038.

“I’ve lived in this community 30 years and through that course of time all three of my children, and now my five grandchildren, can’t imagine coming to Penticton and not going to LocoLanding,” said Coun. Judy Sentes.

The amusement park opened in 2001 and has added six new attractions since then. It was founded by the parents of the current owner, Diana Stirling, and is one of the largest youth employers in the city.

“You’ve invested not only your dollars, but you’ve invested yourselves,” Sentes said, complementing Stirling’s involvement in the community.

During her pitch for the extension at the April 17 council meeting, Stirling indicated she is planning two major upgrades.

The first would be a four-year overhaul of the minigolf course to give it a mining theme as a nod to a historical underwater gold mine in Penticton.

The second project, involving a canopy of some sort, would be the first in Canada, the second ever in North America and “brand new to our industry,” said Stirling, who declined to provide any other details.

The topic of the lease extension arose as the parks and recreation master plan steering committee is still working through its recommendations to council, including reworking the process for lengthy leases on public parkland.

City manager Peter Weeber said at the committee’s May 1 meeting that council will continue to make decisions prior to the establishment of an advisory committee or adoption of any bylaw or policy recommendations.

“The city must continue to do business. If we stopped doing business 2 1/2 years ago, we’d have a bunch of angry customers,” Weeber said.

Herald file photo City council has agreed to a lease extension for LocoLanding that runs through 2038.