New vandalized sink
Rob Gibson – May 27, 2022 / 15:09 | History: 370198
Photo: Rob Gibson
The new toilet at Rutland Centennial Park was only open one day before it had to be closed due to vandalism.
Geert Bos, Kelowna City Council’s public works manager, told Castanet that the toilet will be closed indefinitely after the sinks were vandalized.
“On Tuesday, during normal business hours, the sink was vandalized and there is some equipment such as porcelain sinks, which have sharp edges, which makes it unsafe for the sink to remain open,” Bos says.
Work on Rutland’s Centennial Park began in 2017 and was completed in four phases at a total cost of $ 1.2 million. Bos could not say how much the construction of the same toilet was, but the newly built toilet at Gyro Beach in Kelowna cost $ 674,000.
“It’s very unfortunate, especially because it’s such a beautiful park, it’s really a little gem and it’s a shame to see so many acts of vandalism on these public properties, but it’s something we have to deal with,” Bos says.
This latest incident of vandalism took place in Rutland, but Bos says he sees such nonsense in the whole city.
“I think unfortunately they spend a lot of time in the public spaces we have in Kelowna. I mean, don’t forget we have over 250 parks in the city. It’s really unfortunate.”
Spare parts may take some time before they arrive, so the sink will remain closed for the foreseeable future.