ZipZone Peachland gears up in hopes of reopening May 16

ZipZone Peachland is gearing up to finally open its doors this weekend, in hopes it will have the go ahead from the B.C. Government to reopen on Saturday, May 16. 

The outdoor adventure park announced its intention to reopen mid-April with extra safety procedures in place, but soon reversed course and decided to wait it out.

"We really want to do our bit for the community, and I’m so proud of my staff for pulling out all the stops to get our park up and running, but we have to obey the quarantine orders," said company president Kevin Bennett on Apr. 16, speaking from the Philippines where he has been living for the past five months. 

"We just won’t open until the quarantine ends, and, even though they will be disappointed, I think our guests will understand that."

Now they're hoping May 16 will be that day, and Bennett's team has already started putting the wheels in motion to train new hires this week in preparation.

"People are going to be wanting to burn off some lockdown and so we want to be there for people to be able to come, and they can just come and have a good time with us. Get rid of some of that stress, get rid of some of that anxiety and I’m hoping that all the various zipline parks and all the outdoor activities are going to follow suit. People need to get outside and have some fun. If you’re cooped up in your house all the time it drives you crazy."

New safety measures to protect against COVID-19 include mandatory hand-washing before tours begin, having people wear sneeze guards such as a mask, scarf or bandana and only greeting with the ZipZone Wai - a new distance greeting. 

Staff and guests will have their temperature checked upon arrival by an employee, hand sanitizer stations will be set up throughout the park, and social distancing will be promoted from the guest's time of arrival. 

Harnesses will be washed in a detergent solution at the end of each tour, keeping in line with the recommendations of the harness manufacturers.

Interior Health officials have granted a conditional approval of the proposal, says Bennett, so it's very likely the park will be able to reopen on Saturday if Dr. Bonnie Henry gives the go-ahead to open businesses. 

"We had long conversations with WorkSafeBC, long conversations with various people actually ... I’ve spoken all the way up to the Director of Population Health at IH. They’re very happy with the proposals that we’ve come up with."

He says achieving social distancing in a wide-open outdoor space is easy to do, but there will be moments when it is necessary for guests and staff to be standing in closer proximity, such as checking safety harnesses. 

"The only issue that we really face is guides can’t always maintain 100 per cent social distancing, because for about 15 seconds they need to be close to the guests. They don’t need to touch the guests, but they do need to touch the equipment and of course they do need to take the trolley and put it onto the line, so at that point in time they’re going to be within a foot or two of the guests. That was our primary concern and so we’re resolving that by using masks. It’s not a medical mask. It doesn’t need to be. The idea is it’s just containing any sneezes and so they’re fine with that. Now they’re just waiting for the final word from the B.C. Government that it’s good to go." 

To stay updated on the park's opening, visit the website or the Facebook page.