Lacombe County is searching for financial help to build a new boat launch on Sylvan Lake to take pressure off existing sites.
Council directed administration Thursday to pursue funding from the provincial and federal governments and other stakeholders around the lake, said Terry Hager, county commissioner.
The need for another access point for boaters has been an ongoing issue on the lake, which is becoming an increasingly popular destination.
A search for suitable sites has short-listed three, all on the west side of the lake. The exact locations have not yet been revealed.
“I’m reluctant to identify them because if we have to do any property acquisitions our preference is we get an opportunity to do that before it’s out in the public,” he said.
In the past, Kuusamo Krest has been suggested as one possibility and residents have expressed some reservation to encouraging more traffic in the area, both on the water and on local roads.
The county is not expecting to pick a preferred site for another six months to a year. “This is a long-term project for us.
“We feel it’s primarily a provincial responsibility as well,” he said. “We’re going to be going to be contacting our local MLAs and the appropriate ministers to see if we can’t get them to look at the merits of helping us out.”
Meanwhile, a roughly $230,000 proposal to expand the Sunbreaker Cove boat launch was to be floated by summer village representatives Friday afternoon.
Consultants have recommended adding a second ramp at the popular boat launch to help alleviate the log jams that have developed on busy summer days. The county and summer village have been working on improving the boat launch for three years. Parking problems were tackled first with a $200,000 project completed last year to add more parking spaces and make other improvements.
“We’re hopeful the project will move forward this summer, probably sometime in August. But it’s subject to the final arrangements and discussions (with the summer village).”
The county does not need summer village approval to proceed, but the boat launch issue has always been handled as a partnership. “We will continue in that vein.”
pcowley@www.reddeeradvocate.com