The discussion continues between council members of the RM of Prairie Lakes and members of the Friends of Pelican Lake as they refine the AIS Mitigation Model to help stop an infestation of Aquatic Invasive Species, specifically zebra mussels, in Pelican Lake.
Last Sunday close to 200 people crowded the Ninette Community Hall to hear the proposed plan and to ask questions.
Related Stories:
Friends of Pelican Lake committee member, Dale Dalgleish, says even though there were some tough questions once the full explanation of the program was presented, the meeting turned out to be quite positive. "People left with a better understanding of how the model is being implemented to help prevent the spread of AIS within our community," he says.
"As everyone knows, this has been ongoing for several months," explains Dalgleish. "We’ve met with various stakeholders and received diverse opinions. We incorporated the Council’s advice into this model to make it as successful and user-friendly as possible. From the beginning, our goal was to maintain transparency with the community and the users of Pelican Lake."
He adds the Sunday morning meeting was crucial for ensuring transparency and avoiding any surprises for the local residents.
"Based on what we learned [on Sunday], there were several questions, most of which were answered. We also received email questions from those who couldn’t attend the meeting, many of which overlapped with the community discussion. We will review these questions to ensure fairness.
"Now, we need to sit down with the RM of Prairie Lakes Council to develop a suitable plan based on today’s insights and our journey so far, aiming to implement it by spring 2025."