It’s the end of an era for boat users at Kitchener’s Victoria Park. New signs have been set up announcing a ban on most recreational uses of the water in the park, including boating. Matt Morris said he’s been canoeing the waterway for five years now. “Back in about 2021, I was walking around Victoria Park and saw the signs and it looked like boating was allowed. No fishing, no swimming of course, but boating was allowed,” Morris said. He told CTV News he reached out to the city at the time to confirm the rules. “I asked, ‘Is boating allowed?’, and they said, ‘Absolutely.’ And so, I started canoeing.” It wasn’t uncommon for people to recognize Morris paddling through the park because of his unique man-made boats. “I have three boats and it’s been great fun. They’re only designed for this water. They wouldn’t last in a large lake,” Morris explained. On Monday morning, he was shocked to receive news that he would no longer be allowed to continue canoeing the waterway. “I’ve been out 25 times already this summer, this [would have been] my 26th. I was ready to go, and I got a message this morning from a friend - it was a picture of a new sign that said many activities, including recreational boating, was banned in the park,” Morris recalled. The City of Kitchener issued a public statement that noted the lake in Victoria Park is part of the city’s stormwater system and has specific regulatory requirements as a stormwater facility. The statement said the city updated signs at the park to align with signs at other stormwater facilities. “Because of the historic and unique nature of Victoria Park Lake in our community, it is clear upon further review that it has had a different status that allowed recreational boating in the past,” the statement said, in part. “Staff will review the current status of boating at this location, including any safety considerations and how potential risks could be mitigated, with the goal of determining how boating can be safely reinstated at Victoria Park Lake.” In the meantime, regular park goers remember a time when the lake was enjoyed by many users. “I used to skate on [the ice in the winter] when I was really young,” said Daniel John-Hamilton who was in the park Monday afternoon. “I’ve seen the gondolas, I’ve seen all the boats going and it’s sad not to see it now.” There are big upgrades planned for Victoria Park over the next decade. Morris said he attended a recent public consultation meeting about the park’s future and advocated for eventually expanding activity on the water. He was hoping to bring back boat rentals, which ended years ago. “They’ve come up with a beautiful plan, but somehow this part never got recognized in the plan. So, for me to come down and see the sign, it was a bit of a shock and certainly sadness,” he said. The city’s review on reinstating boating in the park is expected to be completed by the end of June.
