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The City of Kelowna is putting the future of its biggest recreation facility up for competition — and that's exactly how public assets should be handled.

The City has launched a competitive process for the future operation of the H2O Adventure + Fitness Centre on Gordon Drive.

The request for proposals closes November 6 at 2 p.m., and the incumbent operator — the YMCA of Southern Interior BC — is eligible to bid to keep the contract.

H2O is no small asset.

The City-owned facility packs an Olympic-size pool, a wave pool, waterslides, a FlowRider surf simulator, and a 12,000-square-foot fitness floor into one of the busiest family recreation spots in the Central Okanagan.

The current agreement began in January 2024 and runs through 2028.

The City says it wants an operator that can keep operations safe, accessible, and affordable — and it specifically calls for "financially responsible operations."

Proposals will be judged on community benefit, relevant experience, sustainability practices, and financial and operational considerations.

Here's the conservative read: competition is the point.

Taxpayers built and own the building.

The operator should earn the contract on merit — on who can run it best for the lowest cost — not hold it by incumbency.

The watch item is the scoring.

"Community benefit" and "sustainability practices" are worthy goals, but they're also vague enough to let a politically preferred bidder edge out a better-run one.

The criteria the City weights most heavily will tell us whether this is a real competition or a ritual.

For now, families who swim, slide, surf, and work out at H2O see no change: programs, fees, staffing, and access continue under the existing agreement while the longer-term arrangement gets sorted.

Good.

But when the winning bid is announced, Kelowna deserves to see the scorecard — who won, why they won, and what it costs.

An open bid with a closed evaluation is only half the job.