The playground at Summerland Middle School is closed in an effort to slow the spread of the COVID-19 pandemic. School boards, municipal governments and the Regional District of Okanagan Similkameen have all closed playgrounds and other facilities during the pandemic. (John Arendt - Summerland Review)

The playground at Summerland Middle School is closed in an effort to slow the spread of the COVID-19 pandemic. School boards, municipal governments and the Regional District of Okanagan Similkameen have all closed playgrounds and other facilities during the pandemic. (John Arendt - Summerland Review)

Playgrounds remain closed in South Okanagan and Similkameen

Communities, school districts and Regional District of Okanagan Similkameen have all shut facilities

Playgrounds around the South Okanagan and Similkameen remain closed in an effort to slow the spread of the COVID-19 pandemic.

The municipality of Summerland, the Okanagan Skaha School District and the Regional District of Okanagan Similkameen have all moved to close their playgrounds.

The Village of Keremeos also made a similar closure of all playgrounds and outdoor exercise equipment.

READ ALSO: Regional District of Okanagan Similkameen closes playgrounds, outdoor courts

READ ALSO: Princeton closes parks and mayor launches ‘virtual walk’ Facebook group

Summerland mayor Toni Boot said her community has accepted the closures.

“We are loathe to see the closing of our outdoor recreational facilities because outdoor activity is important to both physical and mental wellness,” she said. “It is unfortunate that the lack of compliance by some means the loss of the use of municipal facilities for the majority who are adhering to the provincial social distancing mandate.”

In Princeton, the Town of Princeton and School District 58 shut down all parks.

Princeton mayor Spencer Coyne also created a Facebook group called Walk With The Mayor, where residents of that community can share pictures of their responsible outdoor adventures, while maintaining a minimum distance of two metres from each other.

“I want to challenge everyone to do this. Let’s all go outside and have some fun,” he said.

Other municipalities and school districts throughout the province have made similar decisions to close playground facilities as the pandemic continues.

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