New Boat Launch System and Regulations for 2019

April 8, 2019 – Chestermere Lake is well known as an amazing spot for boating so the City is working hard to make the boat launch experience even better.
“We know residents are keen to get on the water as easily as possible, so we are pleased that our Parks & Recreation team are improving the experience,” says Chestermere Mayor Marshall Chalmers.  
When applying for a license, the City will now request registration documents just once. Following approval, boaters will be issued an electronic bar-code style sticker and digital pin that will allow them to have flexible access in and out of the boat launch.
“We used to ask residents to come get a boat license every single year. That’s a pretty archaic way of operating, so we are really excited to streamline the registration process to provide them with more flexibility. Under our new system, boaters can come and go within a much larger timeframe,” says Kate Richards, the City’s Recreation Coordinator.
The new system does come with a new price tag and visitors to the lake will be asked to pay $65 for day use on a weekend when launching a motorized boat. Personal watercraft such as a seadoo will cost $55/day on a weekend. In addition, Chestermere residents who wish to use the launch will need to pay $35 for an annual pass. Fees for open bow boats under 10 horsepower will remain at $10 and the City has eliminated the previous $5 fee to launch non-motorized vessels.
City staff say the fees will go towards implementing the new system, extending the hours and adding a boating safety program to be administered by boat launch staff.
“Our lake is an amazing place and we hope to improve it for everyone by adding a boat safety program and improving the boat launch access,” says Richards.
More information about the new boat launch program is available at www.chestermere.ca/boats.