THUNDER BAY – The City of Thunder Bay held the first public information session last night at the Current River Recreation Centre for the new Municipal Class Environmental Assessment (EA) of the Boulevard Lake Dam Rehabilitation Project.
In collaboration with representatives from Arcadis Canada, JML Engineering, and Northern Bioscience, a history of the dam and its function was presented, as well as possible approaches to address the need for improvements to its structure. The City must complete an EA before proceeding with any rehabilitation work on the dam.
Participants were invited to share the features they considered most important to Boulevard Lake Park and the surrounding area, and any potential concerns they had regarding the proposed dam rehabilitation project.
“Repairs and improvements are necessary to restore parts of the dam’s structure that have deteriorated and to meet current regulatory requirements in the Ministry of Natural Resources’ Lakes and Rivers Improvement Act,” said Mike Vogrig, the City’s Project Engineer overseeing the dam rehabilitation project.
“As the project proceeds there may also be opportunities to enhance existing features of the dam such as the pedestrian walkway.”
He added that the ultimate goal of the project is to determine solutions so the park can continue to meet the needs of everyone who uses it.
Residents can provide feedback on the City’s website regarding the proposed dam rehabilitation project until July 8. A second public information session is scheduled for fall 2016. For more information, visit: thunderbay.ca/boulevardlake