Amy Kerpel filed a lawsuit against the City of Kelowna on March 21, 2022, claiming that she had suffered a fall on the Okanagan Rail Trail while running. According to Kerpel’s notice of claim, she had been running along Beaver Lake Road when she turned south onto the rail trail and almost immediately tripped over an object which was difficult to spot. As a result, Kerpel sustained fractures to two fingers on her left hand, as well as bruises and cuts to her knee and shoulder.
Kerpel says that due to her injuries, she has had difficulty doing everyday tasks such as laundry and food preparation. Furthermore, she claims that it has been fifteen weeks since she last properly exercised or weight trained, and is scared of falling again if she were to resume running.
Kerpel is seeking damages of more than $56,000; however, the maximum amount allowed in small claim courts is $35,000. The area where Kerpel fell is part of a 6.4 kilometer closed section of the trail from Old Vernon Road to 500 meters north of Beaver Lake Road. Even though the City has opened bidding for a contractor to finish work on this section, it is expected that it will eventually go from federal ownership to the OKIB (Okanagan Indian Band).
