I’d never been to the South Okanagan Events Centre (SOEC) in Penticton before the other night and I was somewhat dreading the venue itself based on my experience at Prospera Place in Kelowna last year. I won’t go into full details about Prospera Place right now except to say that the seating there was even uncomfortable for my thin teenager.
Photo credit: Naomi Kleinschmidt
We were at SOEC to see Cirque Du Soleil’s new ice show, Crystal. I’m a huge fan of CdS and this is the 5th of their different shows that I’ve had the pleasure of seeing. Like all of their shows, this one was packed with fun and talent.
SOEC, like most events centres, is meant to be accessible to people with a variety of mobility needs and the following are some points of note:
- We were charged $10 to use the parking lot at the centre, though I’m not sure there would be a charge for all events. Even with paid parking, spots were scarce and you might find yourself having to walk a distance from your spot to an entrance. For people who aren’t able to walk more than a couple of minutes, if you have the option of being dropped off at the front door that might be your best option.
- Bathrooms are wheelchair accessible.
- Options for navigating different levels of the building include stairs, ramps, and elevators.
- There are designated spots where people in wheelchairs can comfortably view the show.
- Seating charts are available online and seat selection means that you can choose something appropriate for your needs. For example, there were 4 stairs to get to our section but other options ranged from 0 stairs to about 2 dozen.
- The seats are hard plastic and sturdy, and while they do have arms they are higher up so that even people with very large hips and thigh will not find them being pinched.
- If you are taller than about 5’10” you may find the amount of leg room to be uncomfortable.
- There is an onsite restaurant but we didn’t eat there and the concession stand is easily accessible to all types of mobility devices.
- In our walk through the building on two floors and outside and around the venue I did not see anywhere to sit down (aside from the seats in the show area, of course), like benches or other waiting areas.
The SOEC could still make some improvements in terms of meeting the needs of people with varying degrees of mobility but I wouldn’t hesitate to attend an event there in the future.