‘Friends Of Lake Minnedosa’ are raising funds for a new weed harvester for their lake to combat the ongoing challenge of excessive weed growth.

Committee member, Brian Martineau, says the harvester will cost $58,000 in U.S. funds, but they are partnering with the town for the entire project, which will be substantially more.

“We’ve got more than just a weed harvester,” explains Martineau.  “We’ve got to get a trailer and there are other things that we have to do with regards to setting up the program.”

“So, the town has budgeted for the weed harvester,” he says.  “We have set a target of $125,000 to try and raise over the next 2-3 years to assist with this whole program.”

Fundraising efforts have just begun for the ‘Friends of Lake Minnedosa’ committee, starting with a commitment of about $20,000 thus far.  “But we really haven’t gone hard on the fundraising because we had to have permission in order to have it.”

“This is a waterway,” he adds.  “This is not just one single lake, so we had to have permits from Oceans and Fisheries and the Province to use a harvester.  So, we’ve just started arranging to do a major fundraising launch.”

Applying for grants and holding fundraisers are just a few of the ways the committee is looking at raising the necessary funds.  “We’re going to approach some businesses,” say Martineau. “We have talked about doing a Go-Fund page.  We’re also looking at the possibility of becoming a charitable organization where we could issue tax receipts.”

“So, over the course of the next few months, and certainly over the winter months, that programming is being put together.  We’re just trying to strategize on how we’re going to move forward on this.  But we think that’s do-able.  We don’t feel that is an unreasonable target.”