Fishing guide wants new gate at Grand Lake park unlocked to extend season
Shubenacadie Canal Commission says there have been problems with fires, dumping
A local angler wants to see a new gate at Lock 5 Park on Grand Lake opened so people can continue to launch their small boats to fish for striped bass.
The gate was put in place last year and it was locked on Nov. 1 by the Shubenacadie Canal Commission, which oversees maintenance of the park.
"In order to access the striped-bass fishery here on Grand Lake, we have to use this park," said Ryan Anderson, who runs School of Fish Guide Service. "A couple of weeks ago they put a gate up and we haven't been able to get boats in here since."
The commission said the gate was put up for several reasons. The park has become an after-dark hangout spot for some locals who have lit fires and left behind trash. Others have used the short road that leads to the edge of the lake to dump construction debris in the bushes. The clean-up costs money and the commission received a limited amount of government funding.
"This is not a new issue at the site, in fact this is a long-term problem we've had," said Claire Halpern, the commission's executive director. "There's been vandalism, tons of garbage and even if people use the garbage cans that are there, we don't have the resources to empty them."
Anderson said the local recreational fishing community wants the date when the gate is closed to be changed.
Halpern said she is not opposed to extending the season and keeping the gate open longer, but it all comes down to the amount of money they receive.
"Across all of Canada we know that since the pandemic, our park spaces and park user numbers are up, but budgets have not gone up with that," said Halpern. "We've had the same funding arrangement for the past three years and we all know that costs have risen exponentially."
Lock 5 was an integral part of a 115-kilometre inland waterway that consisted of nine locks, seven lakes and the Shubenacadie River. The Shubenacadie Canal linked Halifax Harbour to the Bay of Fundy between 1826 and 1870. The fully restored lock is a provincially-recognized historic site.
Striped bass are very active on the lake, both in spring and fall. This fall temperatures have been very mild and it's the best time to be fishing for them as they congregate in the south end of Grand Lake, near Halifax Stanfield International Airport.
"It's disappointing that we are losing out on this. I mean, this area is usually loaded with boats and trailers all through the fall," said Anderson. "So there are a lot of people missing out on the opportunity here."
The only other public launch in the area is at Oakfield Park, which closes in early October. Anderson would like to see the Lock 5 Park open from early April to late December.
"There has to be more options and I feel like they might not understand how many people use this park responsibly," said Anderson. "Their first option to minimize the vandalism and dumping and what not was to put a gate up, which really affects a lot of people."
Anderson said he plans to contact all of the politicians who serve the area in an effort to secure more funding for the park so it can remain open longer.
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