Don’t plan on eating lunch in the middle of this downtown Kelowna street just yet

Today marks the official closing of Bernard Avenue in downtown Kelowna in order for local businesses to expand their offerings into the street.

But as of 8:30 a.m. today, June 29, only the first block near Okanagan Lake and The Sails was closed. There was still enough room past the concrete barrier at Water Street for three motorcyclists to ride in and park halfway down the block.

“We need time to shut it down,” said a worker from Modu-Loc as fences were being set up at Mill Street.

He’s been given two days to shut the street down from St. Paul Street to the lake, along with short stretches of Mill and Abbott streets. The plan is to open fully on July 1 for Canada Day.

Kelowna city council arranged for the closure to help restaurants expand their patios as they try to recover from the COVID-19 shutdown and have had to give up much of their seating space in order to practice safe distancing.

At least 22 businesses have applied to the City to expand onto the street. Retailers will also be able to move their products onto the street.

The closure is scheduled to run through to the Labour Day weekend in September.

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