Concerns are growing over the future of the live-in caretaker position at Knox Mountain Park in Kelowna, B.C.
The city is reviewing the position as longtime caretaker Mark Goddard prepares to retire later this year.
Among the considerations is no longer having a caretaker living on the mountain, which is troubling news to many people who use the park or live near it.
“I think it’s very important that somebody is up here, ultimately important,” said Nancy Spencer, who hikes in the park almost daily.
The on-site caretaking position was established more than 20 years ago.
The city-owned cabin at the summit has been home to the park’s caretaker for more than two decades, when the on-site caretaking position was first established.
The caretaker helps oversee the popular park and monitor it around the clock.
Spencer believes having someone living in the park provides an important layer of oversight, particularly when it comes to responding quickly to fires or suspicious activity.
Residents living near the 385-hectare park share those concerns, pointing to things like security and fire watch as reasons for keeping an on-site caretaker.
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“People are in there with motorbikes, homeless population, encampments, those types of things,” said Dan Brown, president of the Clifton Magic Neighbourhood Association.
“So the community overall, in general, is concerned that without having somebody present, those things will kind of go unchecked.”
The City of Kelowna says it is not eliminating oversight of the park but is instead reviewing how those services should be delivered in the future.
“We’re not reducing services to Knox Mountain Park,” said Thomas Martin, urban forester with the City of Kelowna. “We are actively trying to increase services.”
Martin said the review is focused on determining whether a live-in caretaker remains the most effective model.
“We have to look at that. Is it a position that is needed to be in the park full time, or is it a position that is off site? So that’s something that’s under review,” Martin said.
According to the city, Knox Mountain Park has expanded significantly over the years, both in size and in the number of visitors it receives. Officials say the park has outgrown the caretaking model established more than two decades ago.
“What historically might have been one person’s capability of looking after a small trail network in a smaller park is now quite a large trail network across a larger park,” Martin said.
Despite the city’s review, some park users argue that no alternative can replace the security and reassurance provided by an on-site presence.
“People really do like using that park and so I think it’s just a big shock, a big change to kind of contemplate the park manager won’t be there,” Brown said.
The current caretaker is expected to remain in the role until the end of October while the city continues its review.
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