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Dragon Boat Canada


IDBF


Canoe Kayak Canada

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[Dr. Evil]

If development around False Creek continues to put the squeeze on DB, perhaps Burnaby Lake may be a viable alternative in the future. It once hosted the Canada Games and was an international calibre race site until politics, disrepair, lack of funding, and nature took its course.

NEWS RELEASE 
 
For Immediate Release


June 6, 2008
 Office of the Premier

Ministry of Tourism, Sport and the Arts

 
 

PROVINCE INVESTS $10M FOR BURNABY LAKE REJUVENATION
BURNABY – The Province of British Columbia is providing $10 million to dredge Burnaby Lake,
re-establishing it as an international rowing venue and improving the lake’s fish and wildlife habitat, Premier Gordon Campbell announced today.

 

 â€œRevitalizing Burnaby Lake is a critical step forward in re-establishing an important centre for amateur sport, and creating a new centre for sport development here in the Lower Mainland,â€� said Premier Campbell. “Burnaby Lake has a rich history of rowing competitions, and this work will bring the lake back to the standard required for international rowing and kayaking competitions, as well as improve the lake’s habitat for fish and wildlife and restore its stormwater management function.â€�

 

The rejuvenation project will include removing 360,000 cubic metres of lake bed sediment to improve water quality and enhance the lake’s fish and migratory bird habitat. The dredging will also restore the open water environment on the lake that will allow for a 2,000-metre rowing, canoe, kayak course required to accommodate competitive, international-standard events.

 

The City of Burnaby will also contribute $10 million to the project. Today’s announcement fulfils a 2005 election commitment to invest in the rejuvenation of Burnaby Lake.

 

“The City of Burnaby appreciates this boost from the provincial government and is eager to get started on this project,� said Derek Corrigan, Burnaby’s mayor. “Almost one quarter of our city’s land is dedicated park and green space, and the Burnaby Lake project will enhance our already world-class recreational facilities.�

 

A rowing venue was initially created on Burnaby Lake in the early 1970s for the 1973 Canada Summer Games. For the next two decades, the lake was host to a number of major rowing and kayaking competitions and was recognized as one of the best venues on the North American Pacific Coast and the only international standard course. Notable Olympic rowing medallists such as Tricia Smith, Kathleen Heddle and Mike Rasher and kayakers Renn Crichlow, Hugh Fisher and Alwyn Morris all trained at Burnaby Lake.

 

Inflow of sediment began to impact the rowing course in the 1980s and 1990s, degrading the water quality and decreasing the depth of the water to the point where it was unusable for competitions.

 

“This is fantastic news. Revitalizing the international course at Burnaby is a win for sport, the environment and the entire community,� said Tricia Smith, four-time Olympian. “This funding will help re-establish Burnaby Lake as one of the best world-class rowing facilities in North America. I want to thank all partners for working together to develop this facility that will be a legacy for current and future Canadian rowers.�

 

“This is wonderful news for our community and the province,� said Harry Bloy, MLA for Burquitlam. “Burnaby Lake is an important resource for families in this region, and I am pleased to have been able to work on this project and to help secure funding.�

 

“Re-establishing the lake as a hub for outdoor sporting events is a great way to encourage healthier lifestyles,� said Richard T. Lee, MLA for Burnaby North. “This ties in nicely with our government’s ActNow program, which aims to get people outdoors to enjoy physical activities.�

 

“This funding demonstrates our commitment to our athletes and the future environmental health of our community,� said John Nuraney, MLA for Burnaby-Willingdon. “I’m delighted this project will have the added benefit of enhancing the fish and wildlife habitat at Burnaby Lake.�

[DiggerPig]

That would be awesome.  Our junior team just paddled at the BC Highschool Championships on Burnaby Lake run by BCKC - it was a nice venue but the wood in the stands were all rotten and the had signs not to go onto them .  I had a chance to paddle on an man made lake in Australia last year and it was great.  I hope Burnaby lake gets all the funding to make it a great venue.  Just don't forget about us dragon boaters!!!

[gunghaggis]

I LOVE Burnaby Lake!!!   

But it certainly is NOT big enough a venue to support a 50 team race, with 1000 spectators.

Dragon Boating has some indirect roots to Burnaby Lake because Hugh Fisher started paddling there in 1969, training for a decade before winning gold in K-2 with Alwyn Morris at the LA Olympics in '84, then training the first FCRCC team in 1986, and inadvertently inventing the "False Creek style."  see http://www.paddlesup.ca/coaches/HughFisher.html

At the Burnaby Lake clubhouse, I met Hugh Fishers former coach.  Very cool!

I lived right beside the lake from 1993 to 1998.  It was one of the GVRD owned houses beside the Wildlife Refuge Centre.  We had a 2 person Coleman canoe that I would drag down to the lake to launch, but in the space of 4 years, the silting got so bad - I had to start launching at the Rowing Centre. 

I could paddle from the Lake up to McDonald's at Willingdon for a snack.  I even paddled river kayaks down the lake, portaged around the dam marking the start of the Brunette River, and made it all the way down to the Fraser, before loading out at Westminster Quay.

If you paddle out in a summer evening... you can see beavers on the lake at dusk.
If you paddle out at night, you can hear all the frogs croaking.
Burnaby Lake is the largest drainage basin in the metro Vancouver area (excluding mountains).  All the storm and silt from streams from Metrotown, Still Creek in Vancouver's Renfrew Heights, and North Burnaby drain into Burnaby Lake.

Industrial drainage and heavy metals makes the lake water worst than False Creek.  If you think False Creek itch is bad, try the Burnaby Lake water mixed with all the vegetative rot from the lily pads and milfoil weed. 

Check out:
http://www.burnabylakerowing.ca/

[mandachan]

So that's why your hands turn orange?

Although working at burnaby lake last May was one of the best experiences I ever had