Quesnel canoeists are all fired up about a new Dragon Lake boat launch. In 2012, the local Dragonboat club – the Dragon Lake Paddlers – were forced to find a new location on the lake for their launch when they were moved out of an area they had been using for five years. Lacking the funds necessary to build the new boat launch to keep the club going, the canoeists began searching throughout the region to find funding organizations to help them out. Northern Development extended a paddle to the club in the form of a $21,060 grant from the Trust’s Community Halls and Recreation Facilities program to help build the launch and boathouse the club needed to stay afloat. Now, the club has a permanent base of operations to hone members’ dragonboating skills so that they can compete in competitions throughout B.C.
Cathy Briggs, Quesnel Canoe Club treasurer, tells us, “The new boathouse gives us a permanent home and a solid presence in the community. We have a great club and are looking forward to next season.”
