Thank you to Chris Llewellyn for giving her perspective and brief history of Dodd's Lake.
I can still remember how hard Don Llewellyn and Chris and Bruce Dodd worked to clean up the slough that used to exist.
They created an attraction to Innisfail through their water-ski events that brought national and even international recognition to our area. Their hard work left a legacy of a beautiful little lake that we can all enjoy today.
It's still fun to walk the boardwalk, watch the wildlife along the shores, even while a water skier runs the slalom course.
To reconsider the idea of a "fishing hole" surprises me, to say the least.
The time, money and resources that would be consumed to create a pastime for a few people makes no sense to me. I find it difficult to believe anyone would even consider eating a fish from a warm lake such as this when we have the Red Deer River and other fishing areas nearby.
To keep these "tasty" fish alive through the winter, aeration has been suggested as an option.
From what I know of aeration the winter ice will be unsafe. So much for anyone else enjoying the lake in the winter with skating or cross-country skiing. Are we really increasing the use of the lake? I don't think so.
If we really want to increase enjoyment of the lake, create some walking trails, plant some trees and reduce man-made nutrients from entering the lake.
Be careful what you wish for.
Be grateful to those who worked so hard, and enjoy the lake as it is -- a gem.
Allen Ladd
Innisfail
