By Cheryl Jahn

Ferguson Lake focus of City attention

Mar 16, 2021 | 3:26 PM

PRINCE GEORGE – Ferguson Lake Nature Reserve is a 55-hectare gem in the northern part of town, but some of the trails and boardwalks need some TLC.

“We’re planning to restore what we have. We don’t want to extend the footprint,” explains Michael Le Morvan, Assistant Engineer with the City. “That means working on the trails. All those muddy places that, in spring and fall, is just impossible to pass. Our plan is to create floating boardwalks and to fix those boardwalks that are already deteriorating.”

The City has applied for funding to the tune of $848,980 from the Canada Infrastructure Program. But some who live in the area, such as Ellen Loughrey, say the nature reserve has almost become too popular.

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“What I’ve seen is a perversion, I think, of what it was meant to be,” says Loughrey, who walks the trails around the lake every day. She says she picks up garbage every day and many people bring their dogs unleashed. The dogs disturb the habitat and wildlife in the reserve.

Le Morvan says the City won’t know about the success of the application for a while yet. But regardless some work will be done using $50,000 from the City’s “Nature Park Improvements.” That work will repair another 30 metres of the boardwalk on the southside of the reserve.

And, while Loughrey has concerns about how the nature reserve is used, she also knows how precious it is and it should be shared with everyone.

“Should people come and enjoy this? Yes, they should. They should be respectful. There should be oversight here. Unfortunately, that’s not happening. I’m all for people enjoying the environment because if they don’t, we’re going to lose it.”