SOMBA K'E/YELLOWKNIFE
A Prosperous Lake cabin owner says it is time for the territorial government to consider expanding the parking lot at the Prosperous Lake boat launch.

Cyril Brenton sits at the wheel of his boat at the Prosperous Lake boat launch at about noon on Monday. Brenton, who has a cabin on the lake, said he was not going to wait until later in the day to pull his boat out because he knows how busy it can get. He is calling on the GNWT to expand the boat launch parking lot and build boat slips as ways to combat congestion. - John McFadden/NNSL photo

Cyril Brenton, who lives in Yellowknife, said what he would really like to see is a marina with boat slips, similar to what is in place at Prelude Lake Territorial Park just down the Ingraham Trail from Prosperous. He said the lake has simply become too busy to handle all of the demand with one boat launch. He called the situation a bit of a free-for-all, especially on a long weekend.

That is why he was pulling his boat out of the water at about noon on holiday Monday - to beat the rush.

"If it is government land then they should use it to expand," Brenton said after pulling his boat out of the water.

"We're usually in early to avoid the traffic. The problem is when people are loading and unloading their boat when the parking lot is full it is difficult to maneuver your boat and trailer around and get it backed down to the water."

Brenton, who has had a cabin on the lake for a couple of summers, said he has watched the lake become increasingly busy with boats. He added it is considered a good fishing lake and also a good lake for pleasure boating - not too rough as Great Slave Lake can be.

Brenton said the way the parking lot is set up right now, there is no accommodation for boats and trailers but there is room to expand the current parking lot to the east where there is currently a patch of swampy, marshy area.

If the GNWT really wants to do it right, Brenton said the government would build a small marina with boat slips.

"Put a gate so that people who want to be on the lake who have cabins can pay a toll, a fee, and the government could make money," he said. "My boat would never come out of the water until the end of the season. They did it on Prelude, so why not do it here?"

Brenton's wife Kelly Brenton said summer is too short for people to line up to launch their boat.

"If cabin owners were able to leave their boats here and not have to trailer them out then you would have a lot less congestion," she said. "You can charge a fee and with the money you could upgrade this area and perhaps expand the parking lot.

Yellowknife North MLA Cory Vanthuyne said that the idea of a marina at Prosperous Lake only makes sense. He said it's a popular lake and is only getting busier.

"The government is doing its part to reach out to people with regards to the recreational land use plan and so it's these kinds of comments that we want to hear," Vanthuyne said. "It's not just Prosperous - there are other areas up and down the Ingraham Trail that need a lot of improvement."

Vanthuyne is encouraging folks who have ideas about how to improve territorial sites on the Ingraham Trail to contact their local MLA and have their voices heard. He added he is all ears when it comes to proposals that would improve recreational use areas and put money in the government's pockets as well.

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