Kelowna Parks Challenge – Trip #41
This week, as part of my Kelowna Parks Challenge, I explored three major parks near the middle of Kelowna: Memorial Park Cemetery, Enterprise Park, and Ben Lee Park. All three are parks that didn’t get included on any of my other Midtown or Rutland adventures. It was fun to come back to those neighbourhoods in the summer, near the end of the challenge, when most of the remaining parks are up in the hills.
Read on for my impressions and reflections.
The Trip
Very roughly, this week’s parks make a line from west to east, along Mill Creek, below the south slopes of Dilworth Mountain. On the west, Memorial Park Cemetery occupies a small riverside terrace below the cliffs that make up Dilworth’s southwest corner. Immediately to its north is the Kelowna Golf & Country Club and the south end of the Glenmore Valley. To its south, at the bottom of a bluff, runs Mill Creek. The Cemetery was started in 1892, which is earlier than the incorporation of Kelowna in 1905. The City took over management in 1911 and since then many mayors and other prominent citizens have been buried there. For most of the twentieth century, its location east of Gordon Road put it outside the city limits, but now it is right in the middle of town.
A short way to the east, further up the creek, across Dilworth Road, is Enterprise Park. Located along the left bank of Mill Creek, this park was built twenty years ago or so as part of the redevelopment of a golf course. Much of the land was turned into light industrial and commercial lots, but the land along the creek was naturalized and rehabilitated. Today, the creek winds and turns through a woodland of native vegetation. A stormwater retention pond occupies the southern half of the park, helping to reduce flooding from the creek, and on its south bank, there is a scenic off-leash dog park.
East of Mill Creek and the Midtown Urban Centre is the Urban Centre of Rutland. As I’ve described before, Rutland can be visualized in quadrants and the dominating feature of the northwest quadrant is Ben Lee Park. The largest park in Rutland, except for the Rutland Recreation Park, its twenty acres were an orchard for most of the twentieth century. At the end of the century, the city developed the well-manicured grounds we see today. The park was opened in 2001 and named in honour of one of Rutland’s most prominent citizens. Over the next few years a skate park, a water park, a lacrosse box, and a playground were added. Today, the park is well-beloved and well-used.
Kelowna Memorial Park Cemetery
This park is bigger than I expected and its trails make for a good walk or bike ride. Many prominent citizens are buried here, especially in the Pioneer Cemetery, the oldest part of the park.
In addition to the expected rows of burial plots, this cemetery has some special features, including a Scattering Trail along the edge of Dilworth Mountain and a Legacy Garden, which includes a recently built columbarium and which is dominated by a memorial plaza dedicated to W.A.C. Bennett.
Washrooms and Drinking Fountains: There is no drinking fountain in this park. There is no washroom in this park.
Dog Rules: Dogs are allowed in this park, but they must be on-leash.
Enterprise Park
This nature park has a mid-sized but scenic off-leash dog park as well as a stormwater retention pond that promises excellent birdwatching.
It also features a small network of paths that connect to both the Mill Creek Linear Park and the Okanagan Rail Trail.
Washrooms and Drinking Fountains: There is no drinking fountain in this park. There is a portable washroom at the parking lot entrance to the dog off-leash area.
Dog Rules: Dogs are allowed in this park. They must be on-leash, except for in the fenced-in off-leash area.
Ben Lee Park
This huge and manicured park is located close to the centre of Rutland and is well-used by local residents.
In addition to large lawns and plentiful shade trees, this park features a water park, a skate park, a lacrosse box, and a playground.
Washrooms and Drinking Fountains: There is a drinking fountain in this park by the skate park. There is are permanent and portable washrooms at the water park.
Dog Rules: Dogs are allowed in this park. They must be on-leash and on the trails, and they can’t go near the playground or water park.
Reflections
All three of this week’s parks seemed special and much more than average. Each was located a little away from other parks but provided a worthwhile destination.
Obviously, the cemetery performs an important civic function, but it is also a valid place to get some exercise. Nothing too rambunctious, however. There are frequent signs reminding visitors of the need to let other visitors mourn and reflect, and notifying them on the ban on field games there. Not only is this park a fine destination in itself, but at its east end it connects to a path that leads the adventurer on into the subdivisions on Dilworth Mountain.
I found Enterprise Park a bit rough around the edges for a couple of reasons. Firstly, it wasn’t very easy for me to find. Tucked away, as it is, behind car dealerships and other light industrial lots, it is not visible from the road, and I confess I drove past the driveway to it a couple of times before I saw the small sign indicating its location. Secondly, I’m still not sure where this park an the Mill Creek Linear Park begin and end. It is possible that the only part of the park that is technically “Enterprise Park” is the dog off-leash zone. I explored further, of course, just in case, and was amply rewarded. I suppose the blurring of the edges of these parks gives a naturalistic charm.
Ben Lee Park has got to be one of the most popular parks in Rutland. I made sure to get there early, but already the shady spaces between the trees were filling up with gatherings of seniors in lawn chairs, and families with young children were camped out around the waterpark, waiting for it to open. I definitely didn’t see the same presence of people when I visited other prominent Rutland Parks, such as Lions Park and Centennial Park.
Conclusions
With this week’s three parks, I have now seen one hundred seventy-six of the two hundred and three parks on the Official List in three hundred and twenty days, or 86.6% of the parks in 87.6% of the days. That means I’m behind for the first time in a while. I’m not worried, because I have a plan, but I feel a little anxious. I suppose that’s part of the point of making it a challenge.
It feels good to fill in some missing spaces in the middle of my map. I have now seen all the parks in Rutland and Midtown. The largest remaining patch of parks near the middle of Kelowna that I haven’t seen is Dilworth Mountain. I’ll definitely visit there soon, since there isn’t much other time left.
Thanks for reading my travelogue this week. I hope you learned something about the three parks I explored and about Kelowna parks in general. Remember, walking alone or with members of your bubble is a great, safe way to get exercise during this pandemic. I hope to see you next week.
