Light the Lake — Salmon Arm Daybreak Rotary Club
Salmon Arm Daybreak Rotary Club is taking on the project to light the walking path around McGuire Lake. This is our biggest project since the splash parks, and we’re excited!
Lighting the (McGuire) Lake will make the lake a downtown tourist centerpiece, while increasing safety for local residents.
After trying for three years to work with the City of Salmon Arm to improve Canoe Beach, delays made that not an option. We’re Rotarians – we still wanted a project.
When looking around our town, one club member asked about McGuire Lake and if there was anything we could do there. That discussion led to the possibility of improving the trails, and what better way to do that than to light them year round? The project was born. Presented to council in spring 2023, the outline of our proposal was accepted.
The next step is coming up with the funds to pay for the project. With over $120,000 in costs to install the lights, we had our work set out for us! Lobsterfest 2023 covered about $50,000 of the total costs, and our savings for future project gets a shortfall of around $45,000 as of February, 2024. To make up for this we will be selling sponsorship of individual lamposts.
“We make a living by what we get. We make a life by what we give.”
– Winston Churchill
We are working with the local council to ensure our lighting project has as little impact as possible on the delicate ecosystem of McGuire Lake.
Our goal is to have the lighting in by Summer, 2025. To get there, we need help.
Here’s a couple ways you can help us:
- Help Make 2024 Lobsterfest a success
- Donate Directly to the Cause
- Let City Council know you support the idea.
- Join Rotary and become a person of action.
Image Credit to Mick Hall – unmodified.