Nude beach, Penticton: posted "No Trespassing"

[fluffy]

His land does not extend below the high water mark. Anyone coming above that is definitely trespassing. Below that and there is little he can do other than perhaps file a complaint of public nudity on crown or city land.

I understood that his complaint centered on beach users actually trespassing on his land. How much distance is there between the high water mark and the lake ?

[pentona]

I understood that his complaint centered on beach users actually trespassing on his land. How much distance is there between the high water mark and the lake ?

I honestly don't know. This time of year, likely not much but in Summertime there could be a fair bit of beach that is and will always be public property.

[Atomoa]

Very articulate. You should lead the legal challenge to halt this travesty.

It's a quote from a movie. Do you get nosebleeds up there?

I just find it amusing how whoreish everyone is. Mr Gold-bag's comes to town and poof! Suddenly a security guard with sand in his boots, fences and problems.

[fluffy]

Do you get nosebleeds up there?

Is that what it looks like from down there? Maybe you're just not used to the daylight yet. ;)

I just find it amusing how whoreish everyone is. Mr Gold-bag's comes to town and poof! Suddenly a security guard with sand in his boots, fences and problems.

Well this certainly wouldn't be the first time someone thought "lakefront" meant they owned the property right down to the waterline. On the same token, the "we were here first" strategy has been trotted out for few laps plenty of times as well.

I get the feeling this fight may already be lost. A lot of people who frequent the beach, I dare say most, are quiet, gentle souls just looking for a peaceful corner to soak up a few rays, and it occurs to me that the publicity this issue has already received could be enough to shy them away. If development of any sort begins in earnest the place will loose its attraction pretty quick. The only sure-win strategy I can see for the beach proponents would be to buy the property, but where are they going to find three million bucks if they can't even afford a bathing suit?

[Fancy]

It seems the security guard was hired after the incident with the trespassers.

[LANDM]

It's a quote from a movie. Do you get nosebleeds up there?

I just find it amusing how whoreish everyone is. Mr Gold-bag's comes to town and poof! Suddenly a security guard with sand in his boots, fences and problems.

I find it amazing when the politics of jealousy rears it's ugly head.

There is always going to be someone with more or less money. "Mr Gold-bags" is just another property owner. He bought and paid for the property. While there is discussion on the property owner being misguided on thinking he owns to the water (which he does as a certain time of year, typically), the reality is the concern over the use of his private property above the high water point.
There is no "poof" unless you consider trespassing to be the "poof". Take a look at the picture.....the land below the high water mark at this point of the year is tiny. The people were using private property. Period.
A couple of solutions would be to buy the land, or another piece of land, to create a privately funded sanctuary.

Or, better yet, you can be your own Mr Gold-bags and donate your home and property. How does that feel? To someone who has less than you, you are Mr. Gold-Bags. Put your money and property where your mouth is.

It's the high and mighty attitude of the people who think they have rights simply through use that are getting the "nosebleeds up there" that you refer to.

One read of the person (coolworx) who posted the hyperaggressive "effing" post that was deleted a few posts back shows exactly the type of scenario that the landowner has to deal with. It's not the peaceful respectful sunbathers that are the problem. It's the few who think someone else must give up their rights and go about that thought process in an aggressive, damaging, or violent way.

[Anonymous123]

A couple of questions come to mind. Is there enough usable and/or aaccessible beach below the high water mark to make using the beach practical without trespassing on private land ?

Is public nudity actually legal in a case like this?

This beach attracts a lot of out of town visitors and because we couldn't get the story out into the media till Saturday many people already had their weekend beach plans made. There is no organization behind three mile beach - it's simply an organic effort to clean up the environment around a usage. I'm not a spokesperson or the face of the beach - although I will readily admit to enjoying the area and seeing many beneficial aspects to it's use. After the media scrum ended a small group of us remained behind to diffuse any situations and ask the beach visitors to respect the line and give us some time to address the situation within due process. A number of people showed up, most of them from out of town and a small group enjoyed the weekend on the city beach networking and formulating an action plan. We all wore our standard beach going attire.

Unfortunately, a user unknown to any of us, snuck down into the private property from above and started to remove the no trespassing signs. This became a security incident and escalated to a police incident.

To answer your question indirectly - we received a very stern, albeit friendly warning from the RCMP officer...

"Be careful in this sun - it's too early in the year to get a burn."

I'm not a lawyer and I believe it to be fluid and open to interpretation, however, my understanding is indecent exposure happens when there is intent to offend another person or persons.

The Officer may have been complacent while you were on private property hidden from public view. That may all change when you are forced out into the open on land that is below the high water mark.

[Drip_Torch]

Truth and lie seem to enjoy skinny dipping out at three mile quite often. Seems like lie likes to abruptly steal truth's clothes and run up the hill. It always seems to end with the same situation ... a well dressed lie, being chased by a naked truth straight towards city hall.

[Jo]

Let's drop the back-and-forth hissy-fit and stick to the topic. Don't make it personal, people.

[Atomoa]

I find it amazing when the politics of jealousy rears it's ugly head.

There is always going to be someone with more or less money. "Mr Gold-bags" is just another property owner.

The article said "extremely wealthy".

Jealously? Maybe for the person trying to sell his land to the extremely wealthy guy. The whole world falling over themselves to please a handful of people. I find it amusing watching everyone scramble and sell themselves out for gold, that's all.

A security guard guarding 3 feet of high water beach mark access? In shiny boots?

The "extremely wealthy man from Alberta walking away with his hands raised"...because of some nude people on a beach he knows he can't own? Oh boy, lol. I can only imagine the "BC hippies/makes a pot smoking motion with his hand" comments.

Ever been to Hawaii? I hung out on Julia Roberts beach infront of her house. No security. "Nobody owns the water, man".

[cv23]

Okanagan lake usually reaches full pool about now and remains very close to that level until early/mid August so if swimming is your goal then you have the most amount of lake to do it in. On the other hand if sunbathing is your goal then summer is not such a great time as the amount of "public beach" to lay on, or even walk on, is almost nonexistent from now until closer to Labor Day as the edge of the water is right at the traditional high water mark.

[Atomoa]

Family member visited the Great Lakes (Canadian side) last summer. I believe he was speaking specifically about Lake Ontario/Erie.

Huge parcels (100's of km's) of inaccessible, private waterfront. The ownership extends 200 meters into the water. You literally cannot walk the shores of the great lakes.

The owners? Mostly Amercian's.

[fluffy]

Okanagan lake usually reaches full pool about now and remains very close to that level until early/mid August so if swimming is your goal then you have the most amount of lake to do it in. On the other hand if sunbathing is your goal then summer is not such a great time as the amount of "public beach" to lay on, or even walk on, is almost nonexistent from now until closer to Labor Day as the edge of the water is right at the traditional high water mark.

That's kind of what I was thinking, that without access to the privately owned portion there isn't much of a beach left.

[Anonymous123]

while you were on private property hidden from public view.

Almost libelous. You have nothing to support your statement and I know that to be a fact because I have never hidden on private property. You are characterizing me as a trespasser while I stand behind the record on this matter.

Public access to crown land - my issue.

Truth and lie seem to enjoy skinny dipping out at three mile quite often. Seems like lie likes to abruptly steal truth's clothes and run up the hill. It always seems to end with the same situation ... a well dressed lie, being chased by a naked truth straight towards city hall.

Don't get your panties in a knot, I'm only saying that the "public foreshore" is out in the open. Most people don't "hang out" there when they are sunbathing. They tend to go further in land, which apparently is private property.

[Dawnland]

Most people don't "hang out" there when they are sunbathing.They tend to go further in land, which apparently is private property.

Anonymous 123, I wonder if you have ever actually sunbathed there or even gone there?
The only time 'most' venture away from the foreshore is when there is no room left because it is so busy.
One bather who showed up in the afternoon walked to the waters edge and said,"look at all of you, packed in here like corduroy" because we enjoy every bit of beach we can access.

It seems like there are a number of people expressing opinions based on preconceived notions of what the clothing optional beach environment is actually like. Just because you look at a map or know someone who knows someone who went there once, doesn't mean you know about the beach or the people who actually care for and respect the area. And when I say respecting the area I do not mean the property boundaries, I mean the riparian swamp area, the blue-tailed skink, frogs, ducks and natural inhabitants of the land.