Brand-new twin docks and a boat ramp are coming to Anderson Lake just in time for the May long weekend this year.
The old docks, described as two increasingly decrepit side-by-side cedar-decking structures, have served both property owners and tourists alike in the D'Arcy area since 1982.
A storm in December last year caused one of the docks to break making their replacement more urgent. However, for years, tenure was questioned as several jurisdictions, including federal and provincial agencies, were involved.
"They were in a complete state of disrepair, and in really bad shape for the past five or seven years," said Russell Mack, Squamish Lillooet Regional District (SLRD) Area C Director, adding that the previous docks were never legal and users had just been patching them up for years.
"I'm sure the community will be pleased to hear (the old dock and boat launch) are now officially retiring from service."
The new dock and launch project costs about $150,000 and was funded by gas-tax funds collected from Area C.
The dock was identified in 2015 as a priority by the SLRD board, which acquired tenure of the docks from the province of B.C. in August 2016. The contract for replacing the docks was awarded at the SLRD meeting last month and will be carried out by Whistler-based Munster Construction and Management Ltd., which also built the dock at McGillvray Falls.
"I appreciate the board for getting onboard and really supporting this," said Mack, who added that the new project comes at a time when an increase in use is obvious.
"In the mid-90s, we'd go out fishing and see half a dozen boats — now it's a ton of boats," he said.
The fabrication of two metal docks has begun in the past few weeks. The docks will be removed and replaced one at a time so that one working dock will be available for use during the construction phase.
"It's time to get this thing in the water," said Mack. "I'm looking forward to it."
