PETERS: There are no sacred public spaces in Kamloops — and that includes Riverside Park

Dec 21, 2018 | 4:00 AM

IF YOU HEAD DOWN TO RIVERSIDE PARK on any given summer day, you’re likely to see members of the Kamloops Society for Creative Anachronism, also known as the Shire of Ramsgaard, re-enacting classic swordplay and battle scenes of the 17th Century.

By the sounds of the rhetoric around the future of the park, the Shire may soon be employed to defend the honour of the park itself.

A pair of proposals for Riverside had its defenders threatening to take up swords and shields this week.

First, the group proposing to build a public market facility in the parking lot along Lorne Street launched a community feedback survey to determine what people think of the idea.

Second, Kamloops council voted to create a recreation and revitalization project for the park, a means by which to apply for a grant to fund an outdoor skating rink.

The outcry from a not-small segment of the community was unanimous: “Don’t touch our park!”

Some in the CFJC Facebook comment section even took to repeated, all-caps typing of the word “NO!”

One can imagine them stomping their feet as they typed.

We all love Riverside Park.

It’s the gem of our downtown, and it is enjoyed by people of all ages, income levels and political leanings.

Having said that, it is not above the potential for improvement.

There are no sacred, untouchable public spaces in any city.

Instead of a knee-jerk, reflexive “NO!” to the suggestion of a change in the park, each proposal should be judged on its individual merits.

Will it bring a more efficient use of the space?

Will it take away from what we enjoy about the space?

In the case of the public market, there is significant cause for excitement that a large parking lot could be put to better use, and could bring some added shine to the jewel of Kamloops.

In the case of the skating rink, very few people disagree with the concept in general, but there are legitimate questions as to how its presence will change the use of the park.

Regardless, neither proposal is worth dismissing out of hand.

Riverside Park may be the jewel of the Kamloops downtown, but it will lose its shine if it goes untouched for too long.