Castlegar opens revitalized Brandson Park

The park has new playground equipment, benches and tables

Castlegar opens revitalized Brandson Park Published 3:45 pm Thursday, July 16, 2026 The City of Castlegar opened the gates to the revitalized Brandson Neighbourhood Park on July 16. The park at 2400 6th Ave. was once again filled with laughter as about 60 people gathered to celebrate the occasion and enjoy the park’s new amenities.

The park had been closed since construction began on the adjacent Park Place residential/commercial development in 2022. When the city sold a portion of the park land to the development, it was controversial. Some local residents did not want to see a loss of park land and wanted to ensure the legacy of the site of the former Brandson Pool remained intact.

But the revitalized park appeared to be a hit at its official opening. Neighbourhood children attending the event said the new park was “way better” than the old park. The city underwent a multi-year public engagement process that involved multiple rounds of surveys and on-site discussions.

“It showed a new way of doing park development in the city,” said project manager Anne Simonen. “It really shows how we listened to the neighbourhood and produced a park that will suit what people said they wanted. That feedback consistently identified the community’s top priorities to be play opportunities for all ages, a green and lush environment, and places to sit and connect.

The new park delivers on those priorities through new playground equipment, accessible pathways, benches, picnic tables, historical signage, new trees and keeping many of the on-site mature trees in place. Another key aspect was honouring the legacy a Bob Brandson, a Kinnaird resident who drowned in the Columbia River in 1958 at the age of 21. At the time of his death, the Brandson family asked that in lieu of flowers, donations be made toward a swimming pool fund.

This action boosted efforts that led to the development of an outdoor pool for Castlegar, and it was eventually named after Brandson. The story, compiled by local historian Greg Nesteroff, is now told on permanent signs in the park and can be listened to by using a QR code posted at the park. It can also be found at castlegar.ca/brandsonpark.

The total project budget was approximately $382,000, which includes the proceeds of the land sale and funds from the city’s Game Host Agreement Reserves.