important notices

COVID-19 Update

Special Covid-19 Rules Overview (updated January 19, 2021):

Please make sure to read our current Special COVID-19 Rules to see what is OPEN and CLOSED at the park. Remember to always keep your physical distance from others (at least 2 meters), wash or sanitize your hands often, and do not visit the park if you are showing any symptoms of COVID-19 or have been in contact with anyone showing symptoms.

Lakeside and Lake Access Residents - Please make sure to read all rules before skating on the lake. Remember... no guests are allowed, no hockey games are allowed, and no after hour access to the ice surfaces.

Entrance - North entrance is open. Park hours are 9am - 10pm Monday - Friday, and 8am - 10pm on weekends and holidays. Please read all signage at the entrance before making your way into the park. You must present a valid lake card to enter.

Guests - Members are allowed to sign in two guests per household per day (weekdays only)..

Main Building/Office - The office is open by appointment only from 1pm - 5pm Monday, Tuesday and Thursday and 10am - 5pm Saturday. Please email office@lkbonavista.ca or call 403-271-3333 (during office hours only). You can access the office through the north doors of the main building. Washrooms are open in the main building. You can access the washrooms through the west doors (by the fire pit) of the main building. The building will close at 9pm for cleaning. As per the City of Calgary bylaw, face coverings are required in all indoor spaces.

Skating

You will need to change your skates outside this skating season. NO INSIDE SKATE CHANGING AVAILABLE.
There are benches around the firepit area to change into your skates.
Once the lake ice opens for skating, there will be picnic tables to sit on to change into your skates down by the docks.
Please limit the amount of personal items you bring with you, as there is limited space to store your items while you skate. There is no inside storage space.
Once you have changed into your skates, you will need to remove your shoes and other personal items from the bench / table area. At the top rink there are limited shelves to store your shoes on, otherwise you can place them on the ground away from the benches and walkways.
Larger items like wagons, strollers and bins cannot be left in the above area. Please store them in the designated area beside the guard house.

Rink Limits and Usage

Each rink has posted limits for usage. Please do not over crowd rinks.
We ask skaters to all skate in a counter clockwise direction.
Skaters must maintain social distance from others of at least 2 meters.
Please try to limit your skate to 45 minutes.

Skate Walkway to the Lake - There are walk out areas on the rubber mat pathway down to the lake. Please use these to social distance from others coming the opposite direction.

Fire Pit - AHS considers this a gathering point, therefore it will be closed for the season.

Hockey games are not allowed, as per AHS. Sticks and pucks are allowed on lake rinks for practice only. No sticks or pucks allowed on top rink. ,

Food - BBQs are closed. We ask that you not prepare food on the premises (no bbq's). If you bring snacks with you, do not share with any other household.

Equipment Rentals - We are not renting out any equipment at this time.

Washrooms - North washrooms are open, south washrooms are closed for the season. Please read all signs posted and use physical distancing of at least 2 meters at all times. North washrooms close at 9pm for cleaning.

Group Bookings - We are not allowing group bookings at this time.

All other rules of the park remain in place.

Archived COVID-19 updates are at the bottom of this page.

Lake Ice Open for Foot Traffic & Ice Fishing

December 4, 2020

The lake ice is now thick enough for foot traffic. We are also opening ice fishing up for the season. Please observe all fishing rules posted.

Boat Rentals and South Washrooms Closed

October 15, 2020

All boat rentals are closed for the season.

South washrooms are closed for the season.

South Gate Closed

October 5, 2020

The south gate is now closed for the season.

Please use the north gate when entering the park.

Catch & Release Rule Revised

September 10, 2020

We are revising our catch and release rule to allow anglers to take up to 2 fish per household per month.

Once you reach your household limit, it will be catch and release only.

City of Calgary Face Coverings Bylaw

July 28, 2020

Beginning August 1st, we will be following the City of Calgary Face Coverings Bylaw and requiring masks to be worn inside our buildings. Appropriate signage will be posted.

We will have a limited number of disposable masks in the office to distribute if you forget to bring your own. We ask all members to please remember to bring your mask/face covering and to wear them anytime you are inside the buildings.

Thank you for your assistance.

Calgary Face Coverings Bylaw

Waterfront Project

July 20, 2020

Update: The project is now complete, as of July 20, 2020.

September 2019 (original post)

Due to the age and condition of the present seawall it had become apparent that we needed to replace (rather than repair) the structure and docks.

This Waterfront Project will include a new seawall,new aluminum docks,and a larger asphalt walkway/sitting area.

The construction will be done in two stages. Beginning September 30th the first stage of construction will begin with removal of the docks and placement of the sheet pile wall. In the Spring of 2020 the new docks will be installed. We envision this project to be complete before June 2020.

Please note - Boating equipment will not be available for rent during construction.

Water Testing

June 4, 2020

Due to the current COVID-19 pandemic, AHS has suspended all natural recreational water sampling for beaches in Alberta until further notice. AHS labs are unable to test any samples at this time. LBHA has taken it upon ourselves to bring in a private company to test our water during swimming season this year. This recreational water sampling service will comprise weekly sampling for Escherichia coli testing, as well as monitoring for presence/absence of cyanobacteria. Testing includes sampling, analyses and results reporting. If there is ever an issue, we will be able to let our members know within a day of testing. Our members can be confident that we are doing our best to ensure your swimming experience at the lake is safe and enjoyable.

2020-2021 Fees

May 16, 2020

Your 2020-2021 Lake fees are due June 30, 2020. Find more information on paying your lake fees here.

Lilac Rejuvenation

May 5, 2020

We have been getting a lot of questions concerning the lilacs that were cut down on the south end of the park. There were cut to rejuvenate them and they will be growing back.

Whirling Disease

August 26, 2018

Reducing the Risk of Spreading Whirling Disease

Reducing the Risk of Spreading Whirling Disease
The Canadian Food Inspection Agency confirmed whirling disease,a fish disease that affects salmonoids,in Johnson Lake in Banff National Park.

Anglers,

boaters and recreational water users can help reduce the risk of spreading whirling disease. It can be transmitted through equipment used for swimming,paddling,boating,water pumping,and fishing,or through infected fish and fish parts. Never move live fish from one body of water to another (that is illegal in Alberta).

Please ensure that you clean and dry all equipment that came into contact with water and eliminate all water from equipment before transporting.

Thank you - LBHA

For more information please follow this link -

http://aep.alberta.ca/fish-wildlife/wildlife-diseases/whirling-disease/default.aspx .

COVID-19 Updates Archive

This is an archive of all of our Covid-19 Updates. The most recent update will show at the top of this page.

August 1, 2020

Face Covering are required in all indoor areas, as per the City of Calgary Bylaw.

Closing time extended to 10pm.

July 20, 2020

Our Boat Shack is now open and watercraft rentals are available. members must supply their own life jackets. We are not renting life jackets at this time.

Please read all the rules for boating before renting a watercraft.

July 13, 2020

New... Junior members can now sign in 2 guests each weekday mornings. See below for details.

June 26, 2020

The South Gate is now open. Please observe all signage at gate. We need to keep the sidewalk clear for pedestrians, so please line up at pylons if others are checking in. And allow people to exit safely, keeping physical distance.

See our Special COVID-19 Rules Chart for all that is open and closed right now.

June 5, 2020

Hello neighbours! We have another update for you. Starting today:

Members can now play singles tennis/pickleball with other members outside of your own household, as long as you do not share equipment. Please use different coloured balls or mark them with a sharpie. Doubles tennis/pickleball is still to be played with household members only. Always practice physical distancing (at least 6 feet) and use good hand hygiene.
Outdoor fitness equipment is open for use. Please use good hand hygiene.
The volleyball and hockey nets are out for use between members of the same household only. Please bring your own balls and sticks.

May 29, 2020
Hello friends! We have another update for you. Starting Saturday, May 30, 2020, a few things will change:

We are extending our park hours to 9pm. Our park hours will be 9am - 9pm Monday - Friday, and 8am - 9pm weekends and holidays.
Our office will be open to walkins. Office hours will be 10am - 6pm Monday - Saturday. We are only allowing two families in the office area at any one time. Please read and follow the guidelines on the signs outside the office.
We will be opening the main building washrooms. Please remember to use physical distancing when using the washrooms and wash your hands. Main building washrooms will close at 8pm.
We are opening all playgorunds in the park, in line with the City of Calgary. Please remember that playgrounds are high touch areas. Make sure to read the guidelines for playgrounds posted on the signs inside our entrances.
As many of you know, the Province has halted all water testing for private lakes. It is currently swim at your own risk. We have taken it upon ourselves to hire our own person to test our water weekly throughout the Summer. There will be more information on this next week.

May 22, 2020

Good afternoon neighbours! We have an update for you. Beginning tomorrow (Saturday May 23rd), we will be opening the water for swimming. YAY! There are some restrictions...no water toys or inflatables at this stage, and the floating docks are off limits for now. The beaches will be open for play, walking and for access to the water. To limit the number of people on the beach, we ask that you not setup on the sand area. Please only setup your chairs, blankets, etc. on the grassy areas, 12 feet apart from other member’s setups. Benches and some picnic tables are also available. The picnic shelters and bbqs are not be available at this stage. We also suggest you limit your stay to 3 hours. Signs will be posted to assist you.

South washrooms will be open. Please remember to social distance and wash your hands when using these facilities. Washrooms in the main building remain closed at this stage.

As well, we will be opening doubles tennis and pickleball between members of the same household only. At this stage members can have singles/doubles tennis or pickleball matches between members of the same household, bring their own basketball and play on the hoops with members of the same household, or bring in soccer balls, frisbees, etc. to use between members of the same household. As long as you are playing with your own household and not sharing equipment with anyone else, you are good to go.

Please see the Special COVID-19 Rules for what is and is not open at the lake. We are fully compliant with the guidelines given to us by AHS and we ask that you help us stay that way by following all rules posted in the park and on our website. We are slowly getting back to some kind of normal.
Have a great weekend everyone! If you have any questions, feel free to email us at office@lkbonavista.ca.

May 16, 2020

Today we are opening up tennis and pickleball for singles matches between members of the same household only. We are also opening up basketball to be played between members of the same household only. And we will be allowing members to bring in balls (footballs, frisbees, basketballs) to use between members of their own household only. Currently members will be able to: - Take a walk or jog in the park - Fish while adhering to current fishing rules. - Bring in their own SUP, kayak, or canoe to use in the lake. - NEW Bring in and play with a football, frisbee, soccer ball, etc. with members of their own household - NEW Play singles tennis or pickleball with members of their own household - NEW Use our hoops to play basketball with members of their own household. Please bring your own ball. Please read all rules posted in the park when visiting and follow all instructions on signage provided throughout. These rules must be followed in order for our beautiful park to stay open. Always keep at least two meters between yourself and others at all times. And do not visit the park if you are ill. If all goes smoothly this weekend, we may be opening up other activities in the following weeks. Thank you everyone for being so understanding and helpful during this time. Have a great long weekend.

May 8, 2020

Hey everyone! I know a lot of you have heard the good news from Dr. Hinshaw today about lakes opening. LBHA, along with other lake communities, are expected to receive specific guidelines from AHS next week. Many of the questions you have all been asking will be addressed. Things will be different this year, but hopefully we will be able to have an enjoyable Summer. Until then, please see our website for what is currently open and closed at the lake under the Covid-19 Special Rules. Have a great weekend everyone.

May 5, 2020

Members... please remember there is NO SWIMMING in the park at this time. Do not go into the water. We have now closed off the sandy beach areas. The beaches will remain closed until swimming is allowed.

May 4, 2020

Good morning Lake Bonavista! It's a lovely rainy day here at the lake. Here is your Monday Morning Update! There have been a few changes since last Monday: We have opened fishing up at the lake.-We are allowing members to use their own SUPs and Kayaks in the lake (see details below).

All other rules below stay the same.

We are aware that the City of Calgary has given the ok for tennis, pickleball, and basketball. We are in the process of discussing this change and implementing guidelines for our facility. Please be patient.

April 30, 2020

We have now opened the lake up for fishing and for personal watercraft.

Members may fish from shore (no beaches), keeping in mind social distancing. Please do not share equipment.

Members may bring in their own personal watercraft, SUPS and kayaks only. This watercraft must be able to fit through the main entry. No floaties.
Lakeside residents may use their own personal watercraft, SUPs, kayaks, canoes, and row boats only. You may not bring your watercraft onto our shores. To enter the park area, you must come in through the gates. No floaties or trampolines.

All other rules remain in place at this time. Please see below:

The Park is open for Walking. Please keep at least two meters between yourself and others.
Members may not sign in guests at this time. We reserve the right to limit the number of people in the park at any time.
The lake water is closed to swimming for now.
We are not renting out watercraft at this time.
Members may bring in their own SUPs or Kayaks to use in the water. Watercraft must be able to fit through the main entry gate. No Floaties.
Lakeside Members may use their own SUPs, Kayaks, Canoes, or Row Boats. No Floaties or Trampolines. Lakeside residents may not bring their water craft on shore. To visit the park, you must come through the gates.
Fishing is allowed. Please keep your social distance and do not share equipment.
Our buildings, boathouse and washrooms are closed to members. All playgrounds, exercise equipment, tennis courts, basketball nets, and picnic table are off limits. We are not loaning out any equipment at this time.
Members may not have BBQs, Picnics, or any other gatherings in the park. Members may not bring in chairs or blankets to sit on, as we are not allowing members to set up spots to stay on the beaches or anywhere else in the park.
Members may not bring in coolers, games (including balls or frisbees), sand toys, etc.
The south gate will remain closed until further notice.
We will have ZERO tolerance for abuse of, arguing with, or disrespect for lake staff, including security guards. We will have ZERO tolerance for behaviour which breaks the rules.

April 28, 2020

In addition to the rules set forth below, the lake water is closed to swimming and all watercraft. This includes all people living on the lake or lake access.

April 24, 2020

With the weather improving and a great weekend forecast ahead, we would like to remind all of our members of the rules that are in place right now due to the Covid-19 pandemic.Our park area is open for walking. Please feel free to bring the family to the lake this weekend for a walk around park. All playgrounds, fitness equipment, tennis courts, and basketball hoops are off limits. Our building and washrooms are closed to members at this time.We are not allowing guests to be signed in. And we are not allowing BBQs, picnics, or other gatherings of any type in the park right now. We ask that you not set up chairs or blankets on the beach, as we are not encouraging long stays in the park. We reserve the right to limit the number of people in the park at any given time.Please keep in mind that we are one of only two lake community parks in Calgary that are still open at this time. We can only stay open if the rules we have put in place, for everyone's safety, are followed. Today, we had some people ignore these rules (which are all listed on a board as you enter the lake). If this keeps happening, we will have to close the park completely.We want our lake activities to open as much as anyone else. This is temporary and as government restrictions ease, we will allow activities to start up at the lake. Please help us to stay open by following all of the rules set in place. And please be respectful to our staff.

April 20, 2020

Now that the weather is nicer and the ice is melting, we need to adjust our park rules a little more so that we make sure we are safe and following the proper Covid-19 response guidelines. Our park area is open at this time. We ask that members please not linger in the park. Please feel free to take a walk and let the kids run around, but keep your distance from others at all times (at least two meters). Members may not sign in guests, may not have bbqs or picnics in the park, and may not gather together in any way. You are welcome to walk on the beach, but do not set up chairs/blankets or linger there. We reserve the right to limit the number of people in the park at any given time. To avoid people gathering, our basketball hoops and tennis courts are off limits for the time being. All playground and exercise equipment is off limits. Our building and washrooms are closed to members. Please remember, this is all temporary. As Government guidelines change so will our adapted rules. We are fortunate to be able to stay open during this time. If we work together, we can hopefully stay that way. If you need to contact the office, please email us at office@lkbonavista.ca.

March 23, 2020
After making the decision to keep the park area open last week, we were happy to see that people have been keeping their distance from others and respecting the safety guidelines in place.

The park area remains open here at Lake Bonavista at this time. Please continue to keep your distance from other people. We ask that you please stay off of playground equipment and exercise equipment. Members are not allowed to bring guests in at this time. All of our buildings continue to be closed to members, including the washrooms. We reserve the right to limit the number of people in the park at any time.
Let's work together to keep all of us safe. If you have any concerns or questions, please email us at office@lkbonavista.ca.

March 16, 2020

Our building is closed to members and guests.
The park area will remain open for now for walking. Our top ice is closed for the season.
Again, we stress that if you are presenting symptoms of illness or if you have been in contact with anyone presenting symptoms or have traveled recently that you stay home. We want to leave our park open as long as safely possibly, but we need your help to do that..
Circumstances may change quickly. We will provide updates as we know more.

March 13, 2020

Hello Neighbours! We want you all to know that the health and safety of our members, guests, and staff are an upmost priority to us. We have been monitoring the COVID-19 situation very closely. We are following the lead of the Government of Alberta and adopting practices that will help prevent the spread of the virus. At the current moment we are at low risk here in Calgary, but we are treating this situation very seriously. At this time the office and park remain open. As per the Government of Alberta guidelines, we are requesting certain individuals refrain from coming to the office, or use any part of the facility. These individuals include anyone who has:

Flu like symptoms, such as cough or fever.
Had any contact with someone who had flu like symptoms.
Traveled outside of Canada recently.

Unfortunately, we will be cancelling any events after this weekend in the Bonavista Room until further notice. If you currently have an event booked, we will be in contact with you shortly. This includes our Thursday Seniors Social Morning. We also wanted to assure our members and guests that we will continue to employ our regular building cleaning, as well as take extra precautions and implement additional sanitation to high traffic areas, especially where hands make contact on a regular occurrence. As well, we have installed two new hand sanitizing stations in the main room of our building. We know that accurate information from reputable sources plays a very important role in ensuring the safety of everyone. For any additional information we recommend our members visit the following resources online: Government of Alberta Government of Canada World Health Organization We will continue to monitor this situation closely and will provide updates as needed. Thank you for your patience and understanding. We will get through this together.