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SOMBA K'E/YELLOWKNIFE
A draft plan unveiled by the territorial government aims to alleviate congestion and overcrowding at one of the most popular recreational destinations around Yellowknife.

The Department of Industry, Tourism and Investment is seeking public input on a new management plan for Prelude Lake Territorial Park. The park, seen here in this undated photo, has has become overcrowded in recent years and the government is looking for advice on what facilities should be expanded. - photo courtesy of the Department of Industry, Tourism and Investment

The Prelude Lake draft management plan, released late last month, proposes expansions at parking facilities, the boat launch and marina, and campground.

"Prelude Lake territorial park is one of our most popular parks in the Northwest Territories," said Tracy St-Denis, regional superintendent for the North Slave region with the Department of Industry, Tourism and Investment.

"We've noticed over the last several years there has definitely been an increase in the use of the park and that demand has been highlighting some of the things we need to review moving forward."

The main areas of concern are a lack of parking and congestion in the 50-boat-capacity marina, said St-Denis.

"We're also seeing that the park itself is heavily used by campers, so we're looking at the need for additional campsites," she said. "The park itself would not expand. The parameters of the park are set, but how they utilize the area within the park is what we're looking at."

Before finalizing the management plan, the department is looking for public feedback to ensure it is on the right track, said St-Denis. A public meeting is scheduled for Jan. 13 at the Tree of Peace on 52 Street and those who cannot attend the meeting are welcome to look at the draft plan on the NWT Parks website and provide feedback by e-mail or by filling out a brief survey on the website. Feedback should be submitted by the end of February, as the final management plan is due to be released this coming summer.

"Maybe there are some things out there that we haven't identified and we need to, so I think it's always a good opportunity to have that discussion, especially before we get into parks season," said St-Denis.

"Even though it's – 35 C outside, the planning for parks never stops."

For now, the department has secured $150,000 in funding through the GNWT's capital investment budget to expand the boat launch parking lot this summer. Other changes to the park will depend on what the final plan includes and how much funding will be approved in the coming years, said St-Denis.

Three regional parks

Prelude Lake Territorial Park is one of three camping parks in the North Slave region. Camping is also permitted at Fred Henne Territorial Park and Reid Lake. Five other parks in the area are for day-use only.

On top of congestion at the campground, day-use area and boat launch, many year-round homes and cabins exist along Prelude Lake.

Kevin Stapleton has lived year-round at Prelude Lake for more than three years. He said he is happy to hear the GNWT is planning improvements to the park, adding the marina is often overcrowded and some of the docks are in need of repair.

However, Stapleton questioned whether adding more campsites at the park would be prudent, voicing concerns of overcrowding in the area.

"I agree with almost everything they've put on their plate, I just think expanding at Prelude (campground) is not necessarily the answer," he said. "It's going to make it more congested as opposed to relieving the congestion."

Stapleton suggested adding a new campground to an existing park on a nearby lake, such as Pontoon Lake or Prosperous Lake, would benefit the area more and take some of the burden off of Prelude Lake.

He also raised concerns about enforcement in the area, especially on summertime weekends when the campground is crowded.

"I can't speak for everyone, but the biggest issue is the lack of enforcing the rules," he said, adding that late-night partying and ATVs driven off the marked trails are the biggest issues he has encountered.

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