In May, we were happy to welcome back our peer navigator Parks & Recreation crew. Many of this crew worked this job last year, through some of the hottest days that we saw in the Okanagan. They have a shift typically of 5 hours out in our beautiful Okanagan, taking in the warm sun, the fresh air, the view of the mountains, the trees, the lake, the beaches. People pay a lot of money to come here as a destination and see the same things that this crew sees daily. For this crew, this is not a holiday, however; this is serious work, to keep these areas safe so that others can and will come and continue to come.
That is why this crew is really an important part of Kelowna’s downtown business wellbeing and our positive local tourism view of our prized waterfronts, sidewalks, and parkways in the very busy City Parks areas. Without these amazing peer navigators who take to these parks and paths, willing to clean up what others have left behind, our city may not be so welcoming to the tourists that we rely on in so many ways. These peers are great ambassadors for our city, by keeping it welcoming.
This crew shows up daily with smiles on, positive attitudes, great teamwork, and they are on the lookout for and work hard to find and remove any unwanted and dangerous items that may be left on these very popular and public areas.
You may see them with their safety vests, gloves, buckets and garbage pickers walking along, to ensure your safety and the safety of our incoming tourists. Please give them a wave and a thank you! It is always so nice to be seen and appreciated.
They continue to do this, as the temperatures climb, and conditions become quite unbearable for most of us to remain outdoors. These peer navigators also look out for members of the vulnerable community who may need help in those extreme weather conditions. This crew also recently all took Naloxone training so that they are prepared, if needed, in the unfortunate case that they encounter someone experiencing an opioid overdose.
Like all our peer navigators, our parks and recreation crew are people with lived experience. They have worked hard to get where they are and to overcome difficult challenges. PEOPLE Lived Experience Society provides them with a supportive employment opportunity, and they provide others with support and a non-judgmental person to be able to talk to about resources in the city for others to also find a new start.
