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Boater frustration at Prelude Lake Tourism department putting $150,000 into parking lot
Daniel Campbell
Northern News Services
Published Tuesday, July 9, 2013
SOMBA K'E/YELLOWKNIFE
Prelude Lake Territorial Park is set to expand its parking lot by late August, but in the meantime the lack of space is causing congestion and frustration within the park.
Robert Parisella, a worker at the Prelude Lake Marina, said the parking lot at the boat launch has been getting pushed to capacity on weekends. - Daniel Campbell/NNSL photo
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"When I have to ask them to leave they don't like it too much," said Jennifer Barry, marina manager at Prelude Lake Marina. She's had to direct traffic away from the marina parking lot this summer because of the high volume of visitors on weekends.
"They've been parking along the sides of the road going up the hill, or wherever they can find really," Barry said.
The volume of visitors to Prelude Lake Territorial Park has been increasing since 2009, according to the park's 2013 management plan. Last year the park's average daily occupancy rate was 60 per cent, the highest of any territorial park and an 89 per cent increase from 2009's average.
Tracy St. Denis, regional superintendent for Industry, Tourism and Investment, said the department is working on the issue. It's putting $150,000 into expanding the parking lot, which will roughly double its size. St. Denis said the expansion will push into undeveloped land adjacent to the lot.
The construction of the lot will begin later this month and St. Denis said the department plans on having the work complete by late August, which means boaters and campers at Prelude Lake will have to make do with the crowded space for most of the busy summer season.
"I don't know if it's so much affecting my businesses, I know it's hard for the boaters to get out there and try and find a spot to get on the water by the time their booking time starts," Barry said. "So yes, they're not very happy with me."
St. Denis said park staff haven't had to turn anyone away from the park or marina because of congestion, but they've had to direct some people to an overflow lot in another area of the park. Once construction begins, St. Denis wants it to have as little effect on park users as possible.
"We'll only be doing development during the week, during specific times of the day, so people can still experience and enjoy the park and marina," St. Denis said.
The Department of Industry, Tourism and Investment is putting $900,000 into Prelude Lake Territorial Park upgrades over the next three years. In addition to the parking lot, a new camping loop will be added with 15 campsites and the boat launch docks and park fences will be replaced.
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