The ice is not even off the lake and council is gearing up to address some of the concerns brought forward by members of the local sailing club.
Council will be putting up signs at the marina to announce the ‘no wake zone’ and will distribute information regarding the ‘no wake zone’ to boaters who register with the marina.
They will also be contacting the RCMP so that they can enforce it out on the water.
They also plan to ensure the information is posted at Pitka Bay.
Henner Grimm spoke at a recent council meeting, along with other sailing club members, and raised issues around the enforcement and education of boaters on Stuart Lake around a ‘no wake zone’ at the marina docks.
The sailing club is concerned that boaters sometimes come in to the marina too fast or even waterski too close to the marina, creating large waves which dash the moored boats against the docks.
There were also problems around security last year, and Grimm said in an interview he knew of three different incidents, one in which all of a couple’s fuel was siphoned off.
Grimm said that the club would also like to see signs at Cottonwood for people launching their boats there and for the district to hire a more experienced wharf manager this year, someone more familiar with boats and perhaps a watch dog for further security.
The wharf manager position is a contract position from May to the end of September and is hired through the district office.
The club was also asking for a replacement hose for the sewage pump tank, as the previous one had been cut or lost, and council agreed this would be dealt with.
Grimm said also the club would like the wharf manager to have a VHF radio so they could monitor the station boats would use to call for help if they had problems up the lake.
The Fort St. James Sailing Club is located at Stone’s Bay and has been around for over 28 years, according to Grimm.
The club is hoping to educate young sailors about the rules of the water and hopefully inspire them to join the club this summer by sponsoring a Mobile Opitimus Sailing School in July at Cottonwood Park.
Grimm said courtesy on the water is the key to solving a lot of the problems around the marina.
