The Friends of Knox Mountain Park is a registered, charitable society that was formed in March, 1999 by a number of residents who were concerned about the Park.

The purpose of the Society is to advocate for the Park and to promote stewardship of the Park.

Objectives

Advocate for the Park to the City and possibly other levels of government.

Organize fund-raising to complement anticipated City support for the acquisition of properties for expansion of the Park.

Encourage public involvement in designing an expanded Park.

Promote community involvement in active stewardship of the Park including trail building, maintenance, protection of sensitive environments and habitats, and control of noxious weeds and litter.

Educate Park users in the responsible use of the Park and on Park values.

Main Highlights and Causes

The Council purchased the 119-acre Marshall Uplands, including Kathleen Lake, for addition to Knox Mountain Park in exchange for $ 4 million and approval to develop the 40-acre Marshall Lowlands to the west of Clifton Road at higher than normal density (up to 1300 units) for this neighbourhood.

Several rough roads go through the Uplands that provide good access and could be converted to trails. However, the natural state of some parts was disturbed by logging and the movement of soil, and will require restoration. While there are several spots above Kathleen Lake where picnic tables could be placed, the FKMP believe that the foreshore of Kathleen Lake should be left undisturbed.

Boppart Property

The Council declined to purchase the Boppart property for addition to Knox Mountain Park. It did reject an application to change the extant Official Community Plan designation for this property whereby around 140 units would have been constructed on it. The developer then opted to proceed with the development of 23 large lots (at least one hectare) under the extant OCP designation and zoning for the property. As part of the approval of the latter proposal, a ten meter wide right-of-way along the top of the lakeshore escarpment has been set aside for a trail that will be accessible to the public, and that will extend from Paul's Tomb to the northern boundary of the property, where the trail will be connected to Clifton Road. The areas between the trail and the lake, and for a short distance immediately adjacent to the eastern side of the trail will be subject to a no-disturb covenant, with the exception of an access route to a private marina that will be constructed somewhere on the property, preferably towards the northern end of the property so that the impact on Kokanee salmon spawning beds will be less.

The FKMP made a secondary proposal to the City to purchase the two lots that abut Knox Mountain Park adjacent to Paul's Tomb at the southern end of the property to provide a buffer zone between Paul's Tomb and the houses that will be constructed. The Council considered this proposal but declined to purchase the lots on the grounds that there would be minimal or no impact on Paul's Tomb from the houses that would otherwise be constructed on these lots. An attempt to obtain these lots for the Park through donation was not successful.

2007-08 Directors

Patrons

Mr. Stafford McKergow
CEO, Devco Construction

Ms. Mary Jo Schnepf
Kelowna Flightcraft Ltd.

Ms. Sharron Simpson
Past Regional District Chair and City Councillor

Mr. Hugh Westheuser
President, Central Okanagan Land Trust

Mr. Bob Whitehead
Past Vice President and Plant Manager, Hiram Walker & Sons Ltd.

Dr. John Woodworth
Architect and Conservationist