.jpg;w=960)
The members of the Lac La Nonne Enhancement and Protection Association (LEPA) hosted a ribbon-cutting ceremony on Aug. 21 for its new dock on the eastern side of the lake.
“This has been an endeavour a few years in the making,” said LEPA treasurer Marc Vermeulen, speaking to a small crowd of boaters assembled for the summer boat rally hosted by LEPA that same afternoon.
The new dock, which is located just south of the Lac La Nonne General Store, took about six days to build and install.
Notably, the reason why it wasn’t put up earlier this year is because members had to wait until some ducks who were nesting at the site hatched their eggs and cleared out.
The reason for the dock’s construction is the relative lack of public boat launches at Lac La Nonne, as most docks and boat launches are privately-owned.
The new dock is already being used by the public, and the general store has reported an increase in traffic as a result, Vermeulen indicated.
While members of LEPA fundraised for and ultimately built the new dock, Vermeulen said the project would not have come to fruition without the contributions of local municipalities, businesses and other groups.
To illustrate that point, he said the total cost for the new dock was just under $20,000, but without the contributions of materials, in-kind labour and money, that total would have been just over $30,000.
The Pembina West Co-op donated half of the material for the project, while the Alberta Conservation Association (ACA) presented LEPA with a sizeable grant to build the dock.
The County of Barrhead is also taking over responsibility for maintaining and insuring the dock, while Lac Ste. Anne County gives LEPA a yearly operating grant to hold their activities.
“All of the contributors have made this a wonderful success,” Vermeulen said.
