Dear Editor,
I am writing to raise awareness regarding the upkeep and ongoing maintenance at Pitt Lake.
I grew up in Pitt Meadows and spent a lot of time in the area enjoying canoeing, camping, and swimming and even dining in the restaurant that used to exist.
Pitt Lake is one of the largest tidal lakes in the world. Knowing this, one might assume that the provincial government would treasure and have pride in the natural wonder.
My family and I went for a bike ride out there recently and found the site to be in terrible shape. In the parking lot we saw cars from Alberta, Colorado, and Ontario as well as many B.C. plates.
This lake is popular, even on a drizzly wet March afternoon.
Despite the popularity, there are no working bathrooms, no canoe rental, no first aid, and a real lack of anything that vaguely resembles a park.
How can this beautiful, unique setting be so abandoned by the province and or local governments?
The potential here for canoe/kayak rentals, small concession stand, educational tours, historical First Nations education, etc. is huge.
I have seen the parking lot during the summer so full that people need to park on the side of the road backing up past the gate.
B.C.’s slogan of the “best place on earth” has never been more incorrect. Is this the image of B.C. parks that we want the world to see? Is this the kind of lame amenity we want to be providing for our citizens?
How can Pitt Meadows seriously call itself “The Natural Place” yet leave this most natural place to flounder in the wind.
Tim Suddaby, Maple Ridge
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• READ MORE: Fishing lodge owner irked by fisheries officers actions in Pitt Lake
• READ MORE: Pitt Lake in winter
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