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"We need to have an outlet", said one woman enjoying a hike at Knox Mountain Park today, "otherwise people are going to climb the walls."
This after Kelowna Mayor Colin Basran said the city is poised to close Knox and the waterfront promenade if people don't mind their physical distancing.
"We are still receiving concerns about the lack of physical distancing in some of our more popular areas like Knox Mountain Park and the waterfront promenade," said Basran, ahead of Monday's afternoon council meeting.
"If we want to keep these community jewels open," added the mayor, "everyone must practice physical distancing or we will have no choice but to close these areas."
By the "waterfront promenade", the city is referring to the walkway that follows the waterfront from the Bennett Bridge to the bird sanctuary.
City spokesperson Darren Caul said there have been about 15 complaints a day about people flaunting the expectations of physical distancing, and it was with that in mind that the warning has gone out.
From his chair in council chambers, Basran made it clear, the city is prepared to act. "This is not something council wants to do," he said, "but if physical distancing is not adhered to, we will."
"I feel that they shouldn't be closing parks and stuff like that," said another woman at Knox Mountain today. "People need to get out of their houses a little bit."
"I don't think it would make any sense," said one man out for a walk with his wife. "Especially now that they're saying that things are starting to look like their settling down a bit."
KelownaNow did observe groups of friends meeting for walks and getting a lot closer than two metres apart from one another, while others seemed to be keeping that distance.
There is signage at both locations about distancing and the narrow trail up Knox Mountain has been turned into a 'one-way' to make it easier for people to stay apart.
City By-Law Officers only have the power to offer warnings about this kind of thing, but the Mayor said it doesn't necessarily stop there.
"They will report repeated cases of non-compliance to Interior Health for follow-up," he said.
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