An initiative to ensure abandoned ice fishing huts are removed from Sylvan Lake at the end of the season has netted The Sylvan Lake Management Committee municipal recognition and could catch the eye of the province.
The committee received a municipal sustainability award for leadership at the Alberta urban Municipality Association’s annual convention, Sept. 25 in Edmonton.
The award was in recognition of the Take it Off -- Respect Sylvan Lake program, which was established to cut down on the number of ice huts abandoned on the lake at the end of the winter fishing season.
As well as mandatory removal of the ice huts, the program includes education and a voluntary ice fishing hut registration.
As well as presenting the management committee with an award, the AUMA, clearly impressed with the management plan’s initiative, passed a resolution that the province implement a mandatory ice fishing hut registration program.
Chairman of the committee Beverly Anderson said the group was honored pleased to receive the award.
“We were extremely pleased and proud. We plan to repeat the program again this year.”
Anderson said the success of the committee is due largely to the partnership between the town, the counties and the summer villages.
Charlie Guild from the Summer Village of Jarvis Bay who sits on the committee said he was thrilled the committee had been recognized.
“It’s nice to know our little committee accomplished that,” he said. “Ice fishermen are fabulous people, but there is always just a few that abandon their huts and it is important to deal with that.”
The Sylvan Lake Management Committee is comprised of representatives from the Town of Sylvan Lake, the counties of Lacombe and Red Deer, and the summer villages of Birchcliff, Half Moon Bay, Jarvis Bay, Norglenwold and Sunbreaker Cove.