By Mark Dreger

Being confined to a wheelchair has its challenges, but for Peachland resident Rob Roseberry, spending time at the lake will become much easier.

The Peachland Pier Group broke ground Saturday to announce the building of the Peachland Heritage Pier, a 400-foot long pier that will allow wheelchair access for the physically disabled to fish and enjoy the lakeshore.

香蕉视频直播淚t香蕉视频直播檚 beyond belief,香蕉视频直播� Roseberry said, sitting in his wheelchair near where the pier will be built. 香蕉视频直播淚t was a dream to us when we first sat down and had coffee and talked about it. And now, yes.香蕉视频直播�

The Peachland Heritage Pier is a joint project between the Peachland Rotary Club, the Lions Club, and the Peachland Sportsman香蕉视频直播檚 Association to create an accessible place where handicapped people can go out onto the lake to fish, birdwatch, and enjoy the lake view.

香蕉视频直播淭he project is going to be about 400 some odd feet long right along the foreshore, and it will be a boon to Peachland economically and every other way,香蕉视频直播� said Chris Boyle, Vice President of the Peachland Pier Society. 香蕉视频直播淭his enables [people with disabilities] to go out over the water and to fish, which is where the original idea came from.香蕉视频直播�

Roseberry, along with the Sportsman香蕉视频直播檚 Association and other volunteers, helps Al Springer, the original concept-maker for the Pier Project, in getting people who are less-abled to participate in Peachland香蕉视频直播檚 annual Fishing Forever event where fishers take to the lake to try to catch the biggest fish.

香蕉视频直播淚t香蕉视频直播檚 great seeing them out when they catch a fish. Seriously,香蕉视频直播� Roseberry said. 香蕉视频直播淚t doesn香蕉视频直播檛 make their day, their week, it makes their month. It香蕉视频直播檚 something that so many people look forward to here.香蕉视频直播�

For people like Roseberry, this new wheelchair-accessible pier is a dream come true for the disabled community.

香蕉视频直播淚t香蕉视频直播檚 outstanding that so many people could come together and put something like this together for such a selfless act,香蕉视频直播� Roseberry said. 香蕉视频直播淲hat can I say? I am in awe.香蕉视频直播�

According to the Peachland Pier Project website, $343,454 of the $440,000 goal has been raised. MLA Dan Ashton presented a $200,000 cheque from the Province of British Columbia to help the funding of the project in addition to $10,000 seeded from the three founding groups.

Other donors for the project include Shoreline Pile Driving & Boat Lifts, Freshwater Fisheries Society of BC, The Rick Hansen Foundation, Central Okanagan Foundation, Gorman Bros Lumber LTD, Structurlam, and Tolko Log Haulers. The group is still taking donations in hopes of fulfilling their goal.

香蕉视频直播淚 doubt you will see a day in the upcoming years where there isn香蕉视频直播檛 at least ten people on it fishing or taking part in ornithology, just taking in the beautiful place that we have. It香蕉视频直播檚 sacred to so many people, those that actually have the pleasure to call this home. It is truly an outstanding place.香蕉视频直播�

According to the sign in Heritage Park, the Pier will have nine bays and three wheelchair accessible ramps with some 27 stainless steel plaques telling some of the many stories of the Okanagan, like the lake, the First Nations, early settlers, the orchards, and the wineries that followed.

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