The fact that the Big Dock is in need of a Big Upgrade is nothing new.
The deck is pocked with holes, the foundation is crumbling, and its design creates a bay full of stagnant algae. But there’s a light at the end of the tunnel: Lac La Biche County hopes to have ownership of the dock within a couple months time, which would mean our municipality can finally start the work of tearing the aging structure down and constructing a new and improved Big Dock.
Since it was constructed in the 1930s as a hub for floatplanes and fishing boats, the Big Dock has been the property of the federal government’s Fisheries and Oceans Canada with Government of Alberta owning portions of the surrounding shoreline. Historically, that’s meant that maintenance and upkeep came from the Governments of Canada and Alberta and not Lac La Biche.
However, thanks to years of work by the county and the Big Dock Preservation Society, the town may soon be purchasing the Big Dock from the government.
Ken Willis, Manager of Parks and Open Spaces for Lac La Biche County, said that for $1 our municipality would receive ownership of the Big Dock – plus $499,999 from the government towards a new structure. As soon as ownership is transferred, the county will be closing the Big Dock to the public then tearing it down.
“Right now we’re working on cost assessment, environmental studies, concept designs, and construction details,” Willis said, adding that it was too early to speculate on how much the project would cost.
The Big Dock Preservation Society has held numerous open houses for public input. Currently, the most popular option is a semi-circular design with plenty of room for water to flow underneath – which would hopefully clear out the fetid standing water that has been sitting in the bay for seasons.
“It’s done – it’s had its day,” said Ovide Langevin, the newly elected president of the Big Dock Preservation Society. “First of all, the construction created a sheltered lagoon so algae can’t get out even with an east wind blowing. We’ve got some good designs that would see the flow of water going under that structure.”
Schematics provided by Lac La Biche County say the design would be built on “a series of earth fill core breakwater islands with … a raised composite boardwalk, pier lighting and rip rap material on the exterior of the breakwater.”
“We’ve got to tear down the existing structure and build something completely new with far more water flow with some slips for boats,” he added. “And it will be built so in the future we could have commercial outlets and lakeshore development.”
There are already plans to build on and improve the shoreline, with artist renderings showing a marina with a gas bar, businesses built right on the dock, an amphitheatre, along with extensive landscaping and trails. Whatever the final design may be, Langevin stressed that the structure can become a point of pride for the Hamlet of Lac La Biche.
“It could be the focal point of our community,” he said. “That’s what we need here. The lake is being used more and more, the fish population is up, now is the time – we need the Big Dock back.”
Willis stressed that a total overhaul of the Big Dock is a long-term project that will need a lot more planning and public input before it begins. He said he expects more open houses in the future and invites the community to work with the county to develop a project that will benefit Lac La Biche County for years to come.