Athabasca County will be on the hunt for a new manager for the Jackfish Lake campground next year.
County council voted to reject a recommendation from the Athabasca County Recreation Board to do away with the position at their Sept. 28 meeting.
The campground manager stays at the lake on summer weekends to collect fees, sell firewood, take bookings and maintain the site.
County manager Ryan Maier said this has been discussed since last year, and the campground has gone without a manager for “the last little bit.” The manager’s responsibilities now fall on county employees who check in on the site regularly.
“The way the contract worked it was, in my opinion, a really, really good deal for the person working out there,” he said. “I don’t know that it was in the best interests of the county, though.”
According to a report written to council by director of infrastructure services Travis Wierenga and recreation foreman Roland Lux, the campground racked up a nearly $5,000 deficit in 2017.
The report attributes this to a “dramatic drop in usage by the public,” caused by high numbers of leeches and the lake no longer holding fish.
It warns that a new manager may be difficult to find, as they must provide their own RV, and costs could rise if the position is put out to tender.
Coun. Kevin Haines opposed the proposal and noted that Jackfish Lake is in his district.
“I know how busy that lake can potentially be, and I think it does need some type of management or oversight,” he said. “Maybe it hasn’t done very well last year, but I think the potential is definitely still there.”
“I know there’s been a lot of issues this year, because I’ve received many phone calls about it,” he said. “People have been out there not able to get firewood, and I really don’t want to see that lake deteriorate into just a party spot.”
Coun. Dennis Willcott agreed with Haines and said he would rather see the grounds shut down or given to a private owner than deteriorate into a party zone.
Coun. Paul Ponich supported the proposal.
“It’s costing us, and it’s not much use there anymore,” he said. “We have other campsites that are not that large that we don’t seem to have problems there … It’s by trial basis only for the summer, and if it doesn’t work you can always hire a caretaker for the summer.”
Coun. Larry Armfelt said the grounds are worth losing money on.
“It brings tourism,” he said. “I don’t want the place shut down because we lose a few dollars, because then we’d have to shut the Multiplex down. The dollar figure doesn’t raise a red flag for me. If it’s poor management, hey, let’s work on that.”
Coun. Christine Bilsky suggested council agree to change the contract and do a year-long trial with new management. She said the county’s other self-managed campgrounds have fewer sites than Jackfish Lake campground does.
Haines moved to hire a new manager in 2018 with a revised contract. Council passed the motion, with only Ponich opposed. Coun. Jack Dowhaluk did not attend the meeting.
