Last week the Provincial legislature was adjourned while members of the provincial legislature joined local government leaders to participate in the annual Union of British Columbia Municipalities (UBCM) convention that was held this year in Vancouver.

For those of you unfamiliar with the UBCM, it is an annual gathering of local government to meet directly with provincial government to discuss matters of concern and help resolve local issues.

UBCM is a great opportunity to meet with local government to talk about how we can work together to enhance our communities and the quality of life for residents.

One of the exciting new bills before the legislature that will help us reach that goal is bill 10, the Protected Areas of British Columbia Amendment Act.

Bill 10 establishes one new Class A park and one new ecological reserve, as well as adding purchased land to seven Class A provincial parks.

It also enacts nine new conservancies covering more than 111,000 hectares. What is most exciting about the future Class A provincial park is that it is located right here in our riding of Penticton.

The Skaha Bluffs Park is proposed for an initial size of 179 hectares which will protect a world class climbing area and also important wildlife habitat.

Local climbing enthusiasts who have long struggled to gain sufficient access will have an easier time now that phase one of the new parking area and access road are completed.

Nearby the Ministry of Environment, in partnership with several groups including The Land Conservancy of B.C., the Nature Conservancy of Canada and Mountain Equipment Co-op, purchased an adjoining 304 hectares last year that hopefully in the near future will be added to the proposed park giving it a total potential size of close to 500 hectares.

This proposed park truly is good news for our region. Eco tourism is an emerging industry in our area and climbing enthusiasts from around North America have come to Penticton over the years for the opportunity to visit this unique site.

Locally there are several businesses that provide climbing tours and instruction and I know that all climbers have been very supportive of the efforts to create this valuable park.

I would also like to take a moment to recognize the Land Conservancy of British Columbia who have worked diligently to help bring together the various groups and organizations into a partnership that has helped pave the way for the Skaha Bluffs Park designation.

I would also like to mention a different kind of park, the Penticton Youth skate park located on Riverside drive.

This park may not make many headlines, however it is very rewarding to see it so well used by many of our youth on a regular basis.

Parks of all kinds help keep our citizen’s stay healthy, active and engaged. Even 20 minutes a day spent enjoying a walk in the park can help improve your health.

My thanks to many of you who recently passed along your enjoyment of Sun-Oka Beach Park and for taking the time to send in your comments and suggestions.

I would also like to mention that we have moved our constituency office to be more conveniently located for Summerland and Peachland residents with the recent changes to the riding boundaries.

Our new constituency office is located directly off of Highway 97 at the new Riverside Village development at the north entrance to Penticton.

Our phone number remains the same 250-487-4400 and our mailing address is # 210 – 300 Riverside Drive, Penticton, V2A 9C9.

Bill Barisoff is the MLA for Penticton.