Aug. 7 saw the Grand Opening of the Sulphurous Recreation Site and Trail, an outstandingly successful project.
In the past, Sulphurous Lake residents were very frustrated with their tiny little launch site. Hence, when their volunteer fire department amalgamated with Deka’s, Sulphurous’ fire department donated $10,000 to Deka Lake & District Ratepayers’ Association (DLDRA) to assist them in providing a “decent” launch.
Originally thought to be a Ministry of Transportation access, it was quickly established that the launch was in fact on Crown Land. Therefore it was under Recreation Sites & Trails (RST), a department of the Ministry of Forests, who partnered with DLDRA and negotiated for the land to become a formal recreation site. In a May 2017 storm, 24 trees had come down in there, making the situation quite dangerous.
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Cariboo-Chilcotin MLA Donna Barnett approved a substantial grant, and the Cariboo Regional District and the DLDRA also assisted with financing, to a total of some $40,000.
The partnership built a one-way entrance and one-way exit to the park/launch with angle parking at the bottom, and overflow parking at the top on Mahood Lake Road. Permits were procured to dredge the lake to accommodate boat launching.
RST brought in an outhouse, two picnic tables in the grassy area, one picnic table on the trail and a bench on the point, as well as repairing and gravelling the trail. The view from the point, which is now a quiet trail walk from the launch, is quite simply stunning.
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DLDRA put in buoys to keep kids safe when they swim at the park. Young folk, who were employed by the BC Wildfire Service to fight wildfires and needed chainsaw experience, came in and cleaned up the fallen trees, opening the trail back up. Eight dump truck loads of stumps were then removed.
Over 100 loads of fill and gravel were brought in.
After hundreds of volunteer hours, and “amazing support” from government, Levick Enterprises and Barlow Trucking, the project, which had taken three years, was finally finished.
A dry hydrant for the fire department is planned, and a site has already been dedicated for when they are ready to put it in.
While it is a RST park, DLDRA will maintain it with local volunteers.
Attendees included MLA Donna Barnett; Cariboo Regional District Area L Director, Brian Coakley; Recreation Sites & Trails Bruce Petch and Curtis Ofstie; Deka Lake & District Volunteer Fire Department’s Ted Weight, and members of Deka Lake & District Ratepayers’ Association. The site’s history was explained before dignitaries voiced their thanks and congratulations.
