Handrails needed at Prospera Place
Dear editor: We are writing this in response to the letter by Anita Clausen (Daily Courier, April 2).
Our mother took a bad fall backwards down the cement stairs in the stands at the Kelowna Rockets game on Saturday, March 24, at Prospera Place. Our very spry mother had been laid up with a concussion and severe soft tissue injury since her fall.
There are many patrons (yes, seniors) who attend hockey games as well as other events, concerts and shows at this venue.
We would like to respectfully request that handrails be installed going up the middle of the steps between each section of seats. The pitch is steep enough and there are many rows so we believe this will assist all, not just the elderly when climbing up or down the stairs to have something to hang on to as a supportive measure.
There are such railings at the Kamloops arena, the South Okanagan Events Centre in Penticton and also Rogers Arena in Vancouver... to name a few. The view of the ice is not impeded by any rails at those venues.
Interestingly, we recently attended another event at Prospera Place and overheard many conversations as we sat in our seats and patrons walking past us and were climbing the stairs to their seats complaining, “Wow, how dangerous is this that there are no railings for people to hang on to.” Some of those people were not seniors.
Does someone have to lose their balance, hit their head and possibly have a catastrophic head injury causing death before handrails are finally installed?
It seems simple. Multiple citizens of Kelowna have asked and expressed the need for handrails, yet nothing gets done.
We just don’t want to see another person get hurt like our dear mom, so please, the powers of this facility, get handrails for your loyal patrons of your venue.
In closing, we would like to thank the first aid attendants and security who came to Mom’s aid so quickly. Thank you to the Rockets and Gavin Hamilton for their concern, flowers and well wishes. Sharon Bruckner and Suzanne Ryll
Kelowna