Sports teams from across BC looking to make Peachland their home club to train and play at will have to look around, especially during the pandemic.
The Peachland District Council voted on February 23 to allow youth sports teams from West Kelowna to only come to the district for dry land exercises and to use the facilities, as children from Peachland already attend schools in West Kelowna and are already housed in cohorts with them other West Kelowna children.
The decision is part of Peachland’s COVID-19 response policy designed to keep the city’s residents safe.
District officials brought the issue to the council, saying that current public health regulations allow teams to designate a British Columbia community as their home club even if it is not in their immediate community.
This means teams can travel to another community for exercises and games if they designate a different city as their home club.
“We were approached by a number of regional teams, including partner clubs from Penticton and Enderby,” said Cheryl Wiebe, director of community services.
“These teams attract young people from the region and outside of school district 23. Since spectators are not allowed to see the activities or even be in the community center, they can spend their time in Peachland.”
She added that people outside of the city can have a positive impact on tourism and the district’s economy, but staff and residents fear the influx of people could increase the risk of spreading the COVID-19 community.
For this reason, the staff recommended that only West Kelowna sports teams be allowed to designate Peachland as their home club.
After much deliberation, the council decided to support the staff’s recommendation, which means that teams from outside Peachland and West Kelowna who wish to hire facilities in the district for practices and events cannot.
“This is not forever,” said Mayor Cindy Fortin.
“We need to protect the citizens of the community, the entire community. And right now, I think it’s just too risky for the citizens of Peachland that all of these extra teams that we don’t really have much control over might come into our community. “
READ: COVID-19 vaccination is slated to begin for BC seniors aged 80 and over
Twila Amato
Video journalist, Black Press Okanagan
Local sports
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