Visiting Kasugai Gardens

Did you know there is a beautiful Japanese garden in the heart of Downtown Kelowna? Better yet, it is a public park and completely free to enter. Hidden from casual view behind a wall, the garden is the ideal place to take a reflective break from an otherwise busy life, a place to relax and have a perfect moment.

Whether you are a visitor or a resident of Kelowna, if you are thinking of visiting Kasugai Gardens, read on to find out more.

Features

A symbol of Kelowna’s connection to her sister-city, Kasugai, Japan, the gardens are designed with traditional Japanese principles in mind. The paths are laid and the plants are pruned with meticulous forethought.

In the centre of the garden, a bridge travels over a pond that is home to many colourful koi. Birds also are frequent visitors to the park, including native dippers and flickers.

A couple of shelters provide a covered place to sit and contemplate, and in one corner of the garden, a well-positioned bench offers a view of a traditional zen rock garden.

If it is your first visit (or if you have decided to take a closer look at a familiar friend), be sure to take a copy of the guided tour pamphlet from the stand just inside the gates. It will help you appreciate the care that went into choosing the intricate plantings.

Please note, there are no public washrooms or water fountains in the gardens; however, both can be found in Stuart Park, which is located on the opposite side of City Hall, by the lake. They are located under the bear statue, on the Waterfront Walkway side.

History

Kasugai Gardens occupies part of the Kelowna Civic Precinct. This land, which today also hosts Kelowna City Hall, Memorial Arena, the Okanagan Heritage Museum and other public amenities, was formerly the site of the Kelowna Sawmill.

At the end of the 1940s, S.M. Simpson, who owned both sawmills in town, donated the land of the downtown sawmill to the city on the condition that that land only be used for public amenities from that time forward. The site of Kasugai Gardens saw various uses from the fifties to the eighties, but in 1984 it was designated as the ideal site for a public garden that would memorialize the recently-formed sister-city relationship between Kelowna and Kasugai, Japan. In 1987, the construction of the Japanese garden was completed and the gates were opened to visitors.

Location

The two entrances to Kasugai Gardens are both on the west side of the park, across from Kelowna City Hall. None of the four sides of the park are on a street, rather it has City Hall to the west, Memorial Arena to the north, Memorial Parkade and the Okanagan Heritage Museum to the east, and the WAC Bennett Memorial Clock to the south.

If you are coming by car, the parkade is a convenient place to park. Its entrance is on Ellis Street. If you are coming by bus, the garden is only a few metres north of the Queensway bus loop, which is visited by most of the bus routes in town.

If you are coming on a bicycle, there are bike racks in front of all the nearby attractions, such as the museum, the arena, and the clock, but the most convenient is located a few metres from the gardens’ main entrance, towards City Hall.

Hours

Kasugai Gardens has hours that vary throughout the year. It closes at night and in the winter. The exact dates of closure in the fall and opening in the spring vary and are weather-dependent.

Spring and Autumn Hours: 9am to 5pm

Summer Hours (Victoria Day to Labour Day): 9am to 8pm

Winter Hours (Oct/Nov to Mar): Closed

Park Rules

Be sure to observe the following rules when visiting Kasugai Gardens. They are for the protection of the garden and the visitor experience.

• No dogs are allowed in this park
• No bicycles or skateboards are allowed in this park

Additional Information

• The international relationship that led to the creation of Kasugai Gardens is managed by the Kelowna-Kasugai Sister City Association.
• I visited Kasugai Gardens as part of my Kelowna Parks Challenge. Read about my impressions here.