Alberta Parks pauses removal plans for Elkwater marina

By COLLIN GALLANT on May 9, 2023.

cgallant@medicinehatnews.com

@CollinGallant

Alberta Parks has temporarily paused plans to remove of the Elkwater marina while talks with boat owners continue this summer.

That comes after residents of the town site others who rent annual slips objected to an end to overnight docking in a plans of a major refurbishment announced last month.

They said the quickly progressing project would create havoc at the lake located southeast of Medicine Hat, and that proposal that renters take over operations was occurring too quickly.

“Alberta Parks will be delaying construction to allow time for further engagement with local boating and Elkwater community members,” reads a letter to marina renters sent in late April. “Our key focus will be to explore options for community involvement in the marina’s design and operation to meet the needs of park users.”

It further states that work was underway for operation this summer and some minor repair work would move ahead. The News has been told a lottery draw will proceed soon.

“I think we have to give them some credit for stepping back and allowing us some time to have our say,” said Keith Fisher, a spokesman for a large number of marina renters. “I feel there could be some advantages (to the plan).”

Local parks officials told a meeting of residents in April that the wooden walkway around the marina was failing and beyond repair. Considering environmental restrictions of in-water work, a tender accepted in mid-March would get underway very soon.

As well, Elkwater stood as the only provincially run marina in the province and they goal was to have a new operators, potentially a group of marina users, take it over.

Physical changes would include installing a permanent berm to replace a wooden breakwater stretching into the lake to divert silt from the boat launch, which would be widened.

The man made cove would also be dredged and the banks armoured it stones, but the middle section of slips would be removed rather than replaced with expensive pilings.

A section of the boardwalk would be left ready to accept a floating dock system, which would cost about $250,000 to install and apparently be the responsibility of the new operator.

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