The Kelowna Wibit (pictured), like the one in Penticton, is very popular with youngsters or all ages. (Okanagan Wibit photo)
If everything goes as planned, Osoyoos should be home to a new Wibit park before summer begins in 2017.
A Wibit park contains a series of large, interconnected inflatable play areas on the water where children of all ages – and any adults who want to indulge – can climb, jump, bounce and slide for hours on end.
Randy Gallagher, the owner of Okanagan Wibit, and his daughter Brittany, 26, have officially applied to the Town of Osoyoos to bring a Wibit park to Osoyoos before the beginning of next summer.
A similar park that opened in Kelowna three years ago– and is operated by Gallagher’s son Rylie – and another in Penticton that just finished its second year, have proven to be wildly successful.
The Gallagher family has also been given permission to bring a Wibit park to Beach Avenue in Peachland next year.
Brittany Gallagher, who runs the operation in Penticton, said she and her family have been looking to bring a Wibit park to Osoyoos for a very long time.
“I can honestly say we’ve wanted to target the Osoyoos market for many years, before we even opened up in Kelowna and Penticton,” she said. “We really want to be in Osoyoos and we really want to make this happen.
“We know how many tourists come to Osoyoos during the tourist season and we feel adding an attraction like a Wibit park would provide a wonderful option for real family fun.”
The Town of Osoyoos officially put out a request for members of the public to comment on the application by the Gallagher family to own and operate a Wibit park in Osoyoos.
“We just want the people of Osoyoos to know who we are and to address any concerns they may have,” said Brittany. “We also want them to know the Wibit parks we’ve opened in Kelowna and Penticton have been a huge success and we haven’t had any negative feedback whatsoever since opening those two facilities.”
Their preferred choice to operate the Wibit Park would be Gyro Park, but he knows that might not be possible considering that is, by far, the most popular public park in the town.
“Our number one choice is Gyro Park, but we’ve look at other options at Cottonwood Park and Legion Beach and Cottonwood would probably be our choice if it’s made clear Gyro Park isn’t viable.
“We’re willing to work with the town to look at all our options.”
Wibit parks were developed by a German company and there are now thousands of them scattered across Europe and North America, he said.
The beauty of Wibit parks are they provide endless hours of safe fun for children of all ages and don’t have any kind of negative environmental impact, said Brittany.
“The kids can play all day for one price … and they can come and leave as they desire,” she said. “And there is no environmental footprint whatsoever. The park is open from the beginning of summer until late summer, then we pack up everything and we’re gone until the following year.”
The park will also provide two dozen full-time jobs to local students during the summer season, she said.
His family will pick up the entire costs of purchasing the equipment and installation, said Randy.
Recognizing there are still many hurdles to cross before the park is approved by council, Randy said he’s confident Osoyoos will be home to a new Wibit park by next June.
“Our goal is to be open some time in June of 2017 … Hopefully just before the official first day of summer,” he said.
The cost for children to play at the park will be the same in Osoyoos as it is in Penticton and Kelowna, said Brittany
“We currently charge $25 per day, but that gives them access to the park from the time we open at 10 a.m. until closing at 8 p.m.,” she said. “We feel that’s a very reasonable price for a full day of fun.
“We get kids who come back day after day after day and can’t get enough. I’m confident we will get the same kind of response in Osoyoos.”
For more information, go online and visit www.okanaganwibit.com.
KEITH LACEY
Osoyoos Times
