BONNYVILLE – A gravel parking lot that sits along the west end of Jessie Lake has been formally closed off to the public.
The parking lot that is located across the street from École Notre Dame High School was blocked off a week prior to classes resuming this fall with the same concrete barriers that were targeted in a vandalism blitz in late summer that have been reused to prevent parking.
Prior to the extensive vandalism that took place at the lake-adjacent parking lot, a brief discussion had taken place among Town of Bonnyville council members during a regular meeting earlier in spring, noting that the area could be better used following the completion of the high school’s parking lot expansion.
What those potential changes might include was not specified.
However, the Town of Bonnyville’s mayor, Elisa Brosseau, told Lakeland This Week “Council sees this area as an asset to the community and will be looking at the long-term vision of improving this space for the residents to use.”
She indicated that the parking lot on Jessie Lake has been closed now that Notre Dame High School no longer needs the space for general parking.
The decision to close the area had other contributing factors as well.
“Over the last couple of years, we have struggled with continuous littering and garbage in the parking lot and received many complaints,” noted the mayor.
While no official plans for redeveloping the space have been announced, new possibilities will be on the minds of council members in the months ahead.
