Now, if only the weather would cooperate!

Your spot on the beach has finally been cleared, now if only there was a reason to put a blanket down to soak up some rays.

With summer but a rumour so far this season, Rupertites might be forgiven if they don't all rush off to Diana Lake, but once the weather begins to cooperate the chance to finally find some room on the beach will be there.

The clean up of logs and debris from the Diana Lake park site is complete for the most part, with only a bit more work to be done around the dam area once the weather improves and the ground becomes a bit more workable there.

But, should we find a sunny day or two along the way there's a spot on the beach with your name on it. The Daily News featured details of the reclamation project in Thursday's paper.

Logs cleared from lake's beach
Diana lake is now more accessible thanks to work of volunteers
By Patrick Witwicki
The Daily News
Thursday, July 10, 2008

Pages one and five

Rupertites who love to spend a sunny day at the beach may finally get their wish at Diana Lake.
Granted, the way summer has been going, sunny days appear to be few and far between, but when that round yellow stranger finally decides to poke its nose from behind the array of clouds, residents will come across a nice surprise up at the provincial park - an actual beach, free from logs.

Port Edward Chief Administrative Officer Ron Bedard addressed council Tuesday night, updating councillors on the work that took place at Diana Lake during the first week of July in which volunteers got together and did their part in cleaning up the stack of strewn logs.
"It looks good," said Bedard. "I'm happy to say we had Kristoff Trucking and Jamie from (Storey's Excavating) up there, working hard."

Coun. Murray Kristoff, who had his truck up at Diana Lake for the clean-up, said it was great to finally get some work done on the park.

"I kind-of got Jamie into it," he said. "I basically said do what you want, the equipment's there, ready to go."

The beach is now log free, but there are still logs up against the dam. That part of the equation will have to wait until later this summer, said Bedard.

"They're worried about (the ground) being too soft," he said. "The rest will have to wait ... if it would ever stop raining."

Once the water level does finally go down, the next plan on the agenda is to fix up the remainder of the beach area.

"We're looking at some more funding," said Bedard. "If that happens, there would be more money to put into the project."

Other businesses around Prince Rupert have offered to help when the time comes, including the Port of Prince Rupert.

Kristoff then asked Bedard whether, if the funding does come through, Port Edward could use some of those funds to potentially look at doing something about the Rainbow Lake boat launch, which is in a state of disrepair.

"If we can't fix the launch, at least maybe put a dock in," he said.
Bedard said he would look into the possibility.

"There is some interest up there," he said. "And it wouldn't cost that much to put a dock in there.

"I'll see what I can do."

But for now, Port Edward's main concern is with Diana Lake, and the district hopes to continue with the clean-up in August.

Seeking the means to help clean up Diana Lake

One of the north coasts most picturesque settings may yet get the clean up that it deserves.

Diana Lake Park, the little oasis just off of Highway 16 is set to be given a once over, now that funding from BC Parks has been accessed for the long delayed and much needed project.

The park and beach has become a bit of a mess over the years, as the fate of Skeena Cellulose followed its path, the once regular maintenance of the beach and park areas tailed off.

Of most importance is the beach area, which needs much work in a rejuvenation bid, a project that has the District of Port Edward calling for volunteers to come to the parks assistance. Those who own or operate heavy equipment have been asked to step up and lend a hand (and some equipment) to help stretch out the funding that has been received for the project.

The District has called a 10 a. m. meeting for Monday morning to gauge the interest in support for the job at hand and to try and map out a plan of attack for the number of things that need to be done.

The Daily News featured all the details in the Friday paper.

Diana Lake action urged
BY CARLA WINTERSGILL
The Daily News
Friday, June 20, 2008

Pages two and three

BC Parks has put forward the funding for the restoration of Diana Lake, but the district of Port Edward is still looking for volunteers to help with the clean-up.

"The money isn't enough to do the job completely," said Dave MacDonald, mayor of Port Edward. "Volunteers can help us stretch the dollars that we do have."

Port Ed council is asking all companies with heavy equipment that would be interested in donating their resources to meet at the Port Ed municipal building on Monday morning.
Although BC Parks has talked about doing some roadwork, MacDonald says the organization is more concerned with the lake itself.

"We've asked them to start up-front and work their way back," said MacDonald. "The beach area is the most important part."

Once maintained by the pulp mill, Diana Lake has since fallen into a state of disrepair. Logs and debris block access to the lake, making it treacherous for anyone who wants to go in for a swim.
"We're worried about children walking over those logs and getting hurt," said MacDonald.

The state of the lake has been a source of frustration for the council, which has waited for the funding from BC Parks to come through for quite a while. The last major clean-up of Diana Lake was some 15 years ago and the sandy beach that was put in place has since been washed away.
"We want to be able to put the sand back in."

Community members who say they would be willing to donate machinery have already approached some city councilors.

Monday's meeting is to find out who is still interested and available to do some work on the beach.

"We're looking for general contract work to tidy up the area," said MacDonald.
"We need hauling to do a general clean-up and fix-up of the area."

The council will take into account financial considerations for fuel cost.

MacDonald urges all interested in donating their time to attend the meeting on Mon., June 23, at 10 a.m. to find out what they can do to help.

Just in time for the end of summer, Diana Lake gets a clean up

With the days at the beach beginning to dwindle and school just around the corner, the most used recreation area in the region finally got a makeover.

Port Edward Council took a look at the long standing irritant, which featured Sun Wave Forest Products taking it’s time in cleaning up the Diana Lake park site. In recent weeks BC Parks and Sun Wave finally got to the task at hand and cleaned up the massive amount of logs that had littered the beach area over the last three years or so.

BC Parks expressed some frustration with the local owner of the currently closed pulp mill, listing a number of excuses that they provided for not being able to launch a major clean up of the beach area of the park.

Port Ed Council for its part is hoping that this will be the beginning of more frequent and timely clean up of the park and that the scenario of logs piling up over the course of a couple of years won’t be replayed.

With the issue of logs on the beach an ongoing and seasonal concern, it’s hoped that the company becomes a bit better corporate citizen and is more proactive in its efforts to clean up the park area.


The Daily News examined the story in Thursday’s paper.

DIANA LAKE GETS LATE SUMMER CLEAN UP
Port Edward council annoyed the clean up by Sun Wave Forest Products didn’t happen sooner in the summer season
By Patrick Witwicki
The Daily News
Thursday August 16, 2007
Pages one and five

For the first time in three years, Diana Lake almost looks presentable. But just because the scattered logs that dominated the beach have finally been moved doesn’t mean the lake has a perfect bill of health.

That issue was discussed in full at Port Edward Council Tuesday night as Brian Last from B. C. Parks attended the meeting.

Even though it seems like summer just arrived, winter’s arrival is inevitable, and with it, more fallen logs up against the dam and on the shoreline.

Port Edward wants to be certain the problem doesn’t bog down for another three years in the future.

“The first thing I’d like to say is thank you,” said Mayor Dave MacDonald. “They went in and cleaned up the logs.

“But the question now is… what do we do next time? Whose responsibility is it, and when is a decision made to clean the park?

“It’s not us, but we get the flack.”

In response, Last, area supervisor for the Skeena/Nass region, echoed the exact same statements that councilors have made over the past three years – Sun Wave, the new owners of the former mill known as Skeena Cellulose, are supposed to be in charge.

“Sun Wave has the park keys, and they have the liability,” said Last. “(Prior) to the (park’s) opening on May 15 they dragged their feet on it, and then they said the equipment was delayed due to the flooding, and the, they had to repair the log jam.”

Eventually, B. C. Parks got together with Sun Wave to finally clear out the biggest mess of logs that were closing up the beach, but that only happened recently, with summer almost over.

Last, along with Port Edward Council, is hoping that in future years Sun Wave does a better job of taking care of the mess.

“We’re hoping that Sun Wave will be better at getting at it sooner,” he said.

Due to the mill’s closure in the late 1990’s, the neglect on the part of Skeena Cellulose and now Sun Wave up at Diana Lake has led to the deterioration of the beach area, and Port Edward would love to see the beach restored to its original glory.

After, it is the only valid picnic summer area with swimming facilities near Prince Rupert.

Last said that the beach is on their list of parks that need upgrading at Diana Lake. This includes dealing with the road, some drainage issues, and some culverts. But council reiterated that the beach has to be at the top of that list.

“It’s the focal point of being there,” said Coun. Murray Kristoff . “If you can’t use it, you’ll go somewhere else.”

“Considering it’s the only one of its kind between here and Terrace, I think it’s worthwhile. Something needs to be done.”

MacDonald added: “I can put up with a bumpy road as long as the beach is something we can use.”
Last said at upcoming capital upgrade meetings, he will broach the subject of Diana Lake, and will arrange to have connecting discussions with Port Edward Council on the issue.

A little logging required at Diana Lake

Port Edward is tired of the local picnic and recreation destination being ignored by those that should be inclined to help out.

Diana Lake continues to suffer from an accumulation of logs that are jamming up the works at the local park. The Daily News featured their concerns on the front page of Thursday’s paper.

PORT ED WANTS LOG JAM CLEARED FROM DIANA LAKE
Issue flares again as summer picnic season begins with lake inaccessible
By Patrick Witwicki
The Daily News
Thursday, June 28, 2007
Page One

B. C. Parks have a reputation of being among the most picturesque in Canada, if not the world. And then there’s Diana Lake, a provincial park that B. C. seems to have forgotten about to the point where it is now an embarrassment to the district of Port Edward and the North Coast area in general.

At Tuesday evening’s council meeting, Coun. James Brown once again pointed out the obvious. “Diana Lake out there is just awful,” he said. “You can’t swim, you can’t do anything.”

But the issue of fallen trees blocking the beach wasn’t a new one.

Port Edward has discussed the problem before; including at the conclusion of last year’s summer season, when the district had hoped something would be done in time for spring.

Now that the summer is in full swing, councilors are once again calling for someone to improve the state of the park.

Mayor Dave MacDonald pointed out the continued dilemma that has been holding everything back – the question of whose responsibility is it to clean up the plethora of logs plugging up both the beach and the lake.

“We were going to get together with (B. C. Parks) and get rid of those logs,” he said. “But it’s not that easy. Once we go in there, it’s going to be expected that we always have to go in there.”

Chief Administrative Officer Ron Bedard echoed similar sentiments from last year when he claimed that he still believed it was Skeena Cellulose’s responsibility.

The dam at Diana Lake is owned by the mill, which used water drawn from the lake in its plant, which is perhaps one reason why B. C. Parks hasn’t stepped in to clean up the mess as of yet.

“I believe the logs are the mill’s responsibility,” Bedard said.

MacDonald said that during the off season, the Diana Lake issue was unfortunately forgotten about until the park’s reopening in late May.

However, he said it is now time for the district to insist that something is done.

“Once again, us and our neighbours have got to start putting pressure on B. C. Parks,” he said.

“Maybe at least we can get together with B. C. Parks and get them to do something, or help us to (talk to the mill owners.)

“We all know it looks awful, and we though that something would be done in the fall, but it hasn’t happened yet.”

Council then decided to try to get a representative from B. C. Parks to attend a future council meeting to discuss the issue further.