The City of Kitchener is reviewing its decision to ban recreational activities on Victoria Park Lake.
Signs were recently posted indicating boating, fishing and skating were no longer permitted.
Matt Morris has been taking his homemade canoe to Victoria Park Lake for the last five years and was caught off guard when he found out the signs had been posted.
He was a guest on The Mike Farwell Show, where he explained that there is a wonderful resource in our community that is going underappreciated.
“To think of going for a little paddle in the core of your own city is such an odd idea for many. And yet, it’s just a wonderful experience. I don’t have to hop in a car and drive to Algonquin or somewhere for four hours and book a place and maybe avoid jet skis on a lake or something.”
Victoria Park Lake has a long history of boating. The Boathouse used to be an actual boathouse, and Canoeing the Grand used to rent canoes in the park, before the pandemic.
Morris said there are still many boaters who use the lake.
“Some mornings down there it might be busy, and I bump into the regular people I see, and it’s a very friendly community down there.”
But, Morris mused, there is still that peace and quiet many boaters crave.
“Other times I’ll go quite early in the morning when the sun is just coming up, and the mist is on the water. I’ll say, it’s a magical experience, in the core of our city.”
After discovering the signage, Morris took to social media expressing his disappointment on Reddit.
The post garnered dozens of replies within hours. Even invoking a reply in the form of a statement from the City of Kitchener.
570 NewsRadio was able to obtain the same statement:
“Victoria Park Lake is a beloved amenity in the City of Kitchener, and we understand that some residents have questions about recent signage changes related to boating.
The lake is part of the City’s municipal stormwater system with specific regulatory requirements as a stormwater facility. Recently, the City updated signage at Victoria Park to align with safety signage across all stormwater facilities in Kitchener.
Because of the historic and unique nature of Victoria Park Lake in our community, it is clear upon further review that it has had a different status that allowed recreational boating in the past.
Staff will review the current status of boating at this location, including any safety considerations and how potential risks could be mitigated, with the goal of determining how boating can be safely reinstated at Victoria Park Lake. The review is expected to be completed by the end of June.”
