ItB次元官网网址檚 officialB次元官网网址擲proat Lake is the best lake in the province.

ThatB次元官网网址檚 according to a recent CBC competition, which saw online voters spend two weeks whittling down a list of B.C. lakes to determine the best in the province. After more than 100,000 votes were cast, the final came down to Sproat Lake against Shuswap Lake in the provinceB次元官网网址檚 southern interior.

Sproat Lake emerged the winner, by just 120 votes.

Sproat Lake is a 37-square-kilometre lake just west of Port Alberni on Vancouver Island. It is made up of four B次元官网网址渁rmsB次元官网网址� and has three provincial parks on its shores (Sproat Lake Provincial Park, Taylor Arm Provincial Park and Fossli Provincial Park), along with a number of lakeside residences. It is also the current home of the Martin Mars water bombers, known around the province for their firefighting capabilities.

Formerly known by its Nuu-chah-nulth name of B次元官网网址淜leecootB次元官网网址� (meaning B次元官网网址渨ide openB次元官网网址�) Sproat Lake was re-named in 1864 after Gilbert Sproat, a government agent who helped to establish the first sawmill in Port Alberni. The lake is located on the territories of the Hupacasath and Tseshaht First Nations.

Justin McElroy, a municipal affairs reporter for CBC Vancouver, organized the bracket for B.C.B次元官网网址檚 best lake. He has put together a number of other brackets for CBC, including B次元官网网址淏.C.B次元官网网址檚 Best Roadside AttractionB次元官网网址� (the winner was Goats on the Roof in Coombs) and B次元官网网址淏.C.B次元官网网址檚 Best Small TownB次元官网网址� (the winner was Kimberley, B.C.)

For McElroy, the brackets started out as a personal project, bolstered by . His first bracket, back in 2017, determined that Mr. Dressup was CanadaB次元官网网址檚 most memorable TV show.

B次元官网网址淧eople got excited about that,B次元官网网址� McElroy recalls. B次元官网网址淚t went massively viral, and [the brackets] became a thing.B次元官网网址�

For the B次元官网网址淏est B.C. LakeB次元官网网址� bracket, McElroy started out with a list of around 90-100 lakes, which was then narrowed down to a 48-lake shortlist, including Sproat Lake.

B次元官网网址淚tB次元官网网址檚 a lake on Vancouver Island that everyone on the Island knows about, from Port Hardy to Victoria,B次元官网网址� said McElroy. B次元官网网址淚tB次元官网网址檚 known as a destination on the Island itself. ThereB次元官网网址檚 lots to do on the lake for many different people, and lots of different ways to enjoy it.B次元官网网址�

But McElroy says the community support might have been the ultimate winning factor for Sproat Lake. In the final round of the bracket, people of Port Alberni put their support behind Sproat Lake, with everyone from politicians to the Port Alberni Fire Department telling people to B次元官网网址淰ote Sproat!B次元官网网址�

B次元官网网址淚t was super cool to see how Port Alberni got behind this,B次元官网网址� said McElroy. B次元官网网址淭he number of votes coming from the area in the final round was massive.

Josie Osborne, MLA for Mid Island-Pacific Rim, took to social media after the final result was announced to say that itB次元官网网址檚 no surprise Sproat Lake was voted best lake in B.C.

B次元官网网址淲e always knew it, but now we get to celebrate it with everyone,B次元官网网址� she said. B次元官网网址淲e love this gem of a lake, with so many nooks and crannies for swimming, boating and camping.B次元官网网址�

She acknowledged that it does B次元官网网址渢ake a little extra effortB次元官网网址� to get to Sproat Lake right now, due to the ongoing Highway 4 closures as a result of the Cameron Bluffs wildfire.

B次元官网网址滲ut like so many great things in life, itB次元官网网址檚 worth it,B次元官网网址� she added.

elena.rardon@albernivalleynews.com
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