Letter: Re: Lake Gumboots

I owe the Town an apology. For some months now, I have been highly critical of this massive body of water located on and across the walking trail at the North end of town. It is highly used, although not so much anymore since when that body of water appeared. It is now impassable to baby carriages, wheelchairs and the like.

At first, I thought it was a huge ugly muddy puddle, but now I realize it is actually a tiny muddy lake – and its purpose is not to seriously annoy everyone who uses the path, it is instead intended to be a tourist attraction! It will do wonders for our town’s economy. For this, I apologize for being so short-sighted. You folks have a wonderful long-term vision beyond us mere path walkers and bike riders.

My enquires as to why the Town did nothing whatsoever to alleviate the puddle was met with excuses that it was a developer who was somehow to blame. I actually wasn’t looking to see who was to blame, I was looking for a solution – which never happened. My taxes should go to solutions not excuses, thinks I, but then I am not gifted with the gift of bureaucratic gobblygook.

What I suggest is that the town build a dock on both ends of the puddle and perhaps some volunteer group could rent kayaks and canoes. In the winter time, it could be a skating rink or a curling rink and you might set some funds aside for a Zamboni. I’m a curler myself and perhaps a few more feet of ice and we could have a bonspiel or two. A watering hole for after the games might bring in the occasional nickel to the town’s coffers as well.

Other things we might consider is a gumboot race on the pond or the muddy field beside it. You would have to use gumboots because running shoes get all smothered in muck. We could invite TSN to cover a 40-metre gumboot race.

Also, the CBC would love to host a comedy special here maybe. A while back, I saw a teenage couple riding their bikes through our wee lake. The boy was teasing his girlfriend about being so slow going through the water and muck. She came very close to falling over and was not amused. Then the young lad decided to show her how he could stunt his way through on his back tire only. He got about three feet and you probably heard the splash. In he went. He floundered about and made like he was drowning, asking the young lady to save him. It’s a bit of a challenge to drown in eight inches of water. She told him to go ahead and drown.

Which brings up the need for a lifeguard too, I guess. Hope the budget can handle it. Perhaps you could offset the costs by charging folks for laundering their pets in the water, calling the muck on the bottom SPA Mud.

We will need washroom privies of course. I suggest three. One for the men, one for the ladies, and one for those who can’t decide.

We could have a name the lake contest too. That would create a lot of interest. My personal choice would be to name it after its most prominent feature, that broken pallet in the middle of the lake, though others would support the obvious name: LAKE GUMBOOTS.
So again, please accept my apologies for being so short-sighted.
Yours truly,

Ter Hamer

Morinville News reached out to Town of Morinville’s communications department for a response to the condition of the trail. Their response from Felicity Bergman, Corporate Communications Coordinator, follows:

“We’re currently in conversations with a contractor to come up with a semi-temporary solution. Timeline and details are still to be determined. We understand residents’ frustration and are working to find a solution.”

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5 Comments

  1. God this f*cking puddle. How much incompetence is in a town admin that can’t fix a god damn PATH with the second highest tax rate in the region. And we trust this same administration to build a multi million dollar multiplex?

    • I dare to say if it was a PHOTO RADAR Issue it would be a D.S and Town administration Priority repair issue… JUST SAYING..

  2. A picture may be helpful and I took one on my run today, but can’t post it here for some reason? Either way, you literally CAN NOT get by this puddle without wading through mud anymore.

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