Grand Opening of the Pier – Summerland Mayor Doug Holmes and Council are joined by M.L.A Dan Ashton, Penticton Indian Band Councillor Dolly Kruger, District of Summerland staff, Summerland RCMP, Pier Project Engineers: Associated Engineering, Pier Contractors: Burton Marine Pile Driving Inc., Environmental Consultant: Aarde Environmental Ltd.
SUMMERLAND – The iconic Summerland Pier has been rebuilt and is now officially open for the enjoyment of residents and the visiting public for generations to come.
The $800,000 project was completed on time, below budget and followed the highest levels of environmental conditions with continuous oversight of a qualified professional. Core funding for the project came from the $4.53 million that the District of Summerland received from the Provincial Government’s Growing Communities Fund. The Summerland Rotary Club is further fundraising for additional features to enhance the use and function of the pier, such as shading structures and seating.
The old pier’s wood pilings, which were rotting and decaying, have been replaced with a more durable steel substructure while the old platform design has been retained to maintain the nostalgia of the original landmark. While the old pier itself wasn’t a historical structure, it did provide a connection to the community’s past due to its location at the site of the original CPR slip built in 1910 and used by railway cars until 1973.
“The pier is part of Summerland’s identity. Everybody has a memory of it – as a kid jumping into the lake, as the site for graduation and wedding photos, as a spot for fishing, or just as a place to sit and take in the vistas. All these things together make the pier something special, and worth rebuilding for the next generation,” said Doug Holmes, Mayor of Summerland.
The pier replacement was a key project in Council’s published strategic priorities and is part of a larger vision to revitalize the Summerland waterfront. In tandem with the rebuilding of the pier, the District has also opened new year-round public washrooms at Peach Orchard Beach Park – the first all-season facilities of this kind on the lakeshore.
The washrooms were funded in part through a $280,000 grant from the Provincial Ministry of Tourism, Arts, Culture and Sport’s Community Economic Recovery Infrastructure Program. They will provide year-round convenience to all park visitors including users of the adjacent dog park that will soon be turned into a permanent recreation option for the community.
Through a partnership with the Summerland Community Arts Council, the washroom building includes an expanded mural design painted by Okanagan artist Larry Hunter, maintaining the look-and-feel and adding to the original time-honoured work of the late Angela Hook. The mural was funded through the District of Summerland’s capital works reserve.
The Pier Project engineers were Associated Engineering, Contractors were Burton Marine Driving Inc and Environmental Consultant were Aarde Environmental Ltd.
Business Examiner Staff & District of Summerland