Kelowna Moves to Expropriate Hotel Eldorado Boardwalk to Protect Public Waterfront Access

Lucas Tremblay

7/21/20262 min read

The City of Kelowna says it will begin expropriating a portion of the waterfront boardwalk from Hotel Eldorado after a long-running dispute over public access to the site.

The dispute has been a source of frustration in the community, with the popular waterfront area blocked by chain-link fencing during the height of the summer season.

The city says council has authorized staff to begin the expropriation process in order to protect long-term public access to the waterfront.

City Says Public Access Is Legally Protected

In a release, the city said the boardwalk is located on private property owned by Hotel Eldorado, but public access is protected through a statutory right of way.

That right of way gives the public a legal right to use the boardwalk.

The city said the validity of that right has been confirmed by both the Supreme Court of B.C. and the B.C. Court of Appeal.

“After years of efforts to address access issues through all other reasonable means, the City has determined that expropriation is necessary to secure the future of this section of boardwalk,” the city said.

The city says it believes all other reasonable options have been exhausted.

The expropriation process applies only to the boardwalk area in front of Hotel Eldorado.

Peazzi has reached out to Hotel Eldorado for a response.

Long-Running Legal Dispute Over Access

The current situation follows years of legal conflict over access to the boardwalk.

The dispute dates back to 2020, when current owner Argus Properties locked the gates and the city took the matter to court.

The right of way is governed by an agreement between the city and a previous hotel owner, which guarantees daytime public access.

In 2023, a B.C. Supreme Court judge sided with the city and ordered the hotel to remove the locks and restore public access.

In 2024, the B.C. Court of Appeal dismissed an appeal by the hotel and upheld the earlier decision.

Safety Concerns Led to Closure

Although the legal access issue was settled, a new problem emerged over the condition of the boardwalk.

According to an engineering inspection report obtained by Peazzi, the boardwalk was closed on June 5, 2025, after Argus Properties’ construction director alerted the city to rotting planks along the walkway.

The inspection found structural instability that could cause a “sudden failure” under pedestrian weight.

City crews then blocked off the route with barricades.

City and Hotel Disagree Over Delays

Management for Hotel Eldorado said the city’s contractors arrived without prior consultation and accused municipal officials of giving insufficient and inconsistent direction, which it says stalled progress.

The city, meanwhile, said hotel ownership had denied crews access to the property.

The city has not said when it expects work on the boardwalk to begin.

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