Back in July 2020, lifelong Arrow Heights resident Jennifer-Lyn Bowden got a surprise when her son Jayden cycled home from one of his countless days fishing at Revelstoke's Williamson Lake.
"He was really upset and he was crying, and he said there was a sign here that said there was no fishing (allowed anymore)," Bowden recalled.
Caretakers of Williamson Lake had recently reported an incident where another child had their foot hooked by a fishing line. The area was promptly closed to fishers, then partially scaled back to prohibit fishing whenever swimmers were in the lake - "which is all the time," Bowden affirmed.
The lake had served as a leisurely venue for her sons, and she wrestled with the thought of them having far fewer opportunities to cast a rod into its depths.
"What better way than to catch some fish," she remarked about Williamson Lake, where she also fished as a kid.
For at least a decade, the Revelstoke Rod and Gun (R&G) Club has also helped children learn to throw a line at the lake through events such as its Father's Day fish. The Freshwater Fisheries Society of BC brings 500 rainbow trout up to the lake from the Kootenay Trout Hatchery every June, on top of perch that already swim there, while the club supplies rods, bait and other tackle.
"That gives the kids a better chance," said George Buhler, Revelstoke R&G Club president, who explained the June 15 event is a great chance for the little ones to hone their angling skills in a safe space while spending time with their fathers.
In a potential problem-solver to keep fishing going there, the Rotary Club of Revelstoke donated a dock, but Bowden said that didn't resolve the wider conflict between fishers wanting access and other lake users wanting safety. Another option was crowd-funding, but it didn't seem feasible.
So, she looked bigger and contacted the Freshwater Fisheries Society, which builds, installs and invests in recreational docks through its Go Fish BC support program.
"I basically told them Revelstoke only has one safe place to fish," Bowden said.
Her vision became a $25,000 L-shaped dock that would hang off the northwest end of the lake, where the water drops deepest. She then organized a stakeholder meeting in 2021 to plan consultation with the city and Splatsin tribe of the Salish-speaking Secw茅pemc Nation, and to propose to Revelstoke R&G Club where the new fishing dock should go on Williamson Lake.
"We (Revelstoke R&G Club) want enough separation there so there's no interference (with swimmers)," Buhler said, adding this might mean having to clear a trail through the brush.
The lake's existing and more central swimming dock, which is a decade old and slated for replacement, has played an important role in recreation every summer, but was in some cases too narrow for fishing anyway. Along with the more spacious new fishing dock, Bowden has suggested to the R&G Club that anglers try taking children out on small boats to get better access and have more space to safely cast.
With the lake site being city property but the water being Crown property, all local groups needed to be approached to obtain Crown land tenure for the dock, according to parks, recreation and culture director Laurie Donato, who's been Revelstoke's point person for the Crown. On her own, Bowden dedicated many months to local land consultation, meeting with members of the Splatsin tribe, calling on the BC Wildlife Federation for support, and keeping the ball rolling for the new dock. All said and done, the land approval process took about a year.
"It wasn't the type of consultation process that you would envision," Donato said, noting the conflicting interests that arose for swimming and fishing. Still, "we thought it was a good opportunity to separate the two uses and set everyone up with safety in mind," she added. "It's a great spot for learning to cast."
The dock has sat built and ready for installation for two years now, but the Crown has reportedly completed its review at last, Donato said, despite it and stakeholders taking longer than anticipated to follow through. Now about four years after Bowden first came forward with her carved-out plans for a dedicated fishing dock, Donato applauds her for seeing the project through and ensuring all stakeholders had a voice.
While Buhler has heard that a lack of current city funding means the dock might not ultimately get installed until 2026, Donato is hopeful to have land tenure for the new fishing dock by this summer, upon which "we'll reach out to Freshwater (Fisheries Society) for the dock," she said.
"I'm super happy with the fact that we're going to end up with a dock whose sole purpose is for anglers," Bowden said. "I'm looking forward to (my son) Ryker being able to follow in his big brother's footsteps and fish."
Looking even further, Bowden would like to see improved access at Williamson Lake for people with diverse mobility needs.
The nearby Williamson Lake Campground is currently taking reservations and opens May 9.
