Kayaking on Kentucky Lake (Image Credit: Sharon Munk)

By James Peters

Two & Out

PETERS: There’s no such thing as a secret lake

Jul 14, 2023 | 12:07 PM

EARLIER THIS WEEK, CFJC posted a photo of a woman kayaking on Kentucky Lake to our Facebook page. The photo had been submitted by a member of the public and included the description of the location.

Kentucky Lake is located southeast of Merritt, off the Merritt-Princeton Highway. It is easily searchable on Google Maps and is adjacent to a provincial park and campground.

Even so, identifying the lake was apparently a no-no. Commenters scolded us not to identify ‘secret lakes’ because people will swarm to them and ruin them for those who treat them respectfully.

It’s reminiscent of that old quote attributed to Yogi Berra: “Nobody goes there anymore; it’s too crowded.”

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Let’s clear this up right now: there’s no such thing as a secret lake in B.C.

They can’t be jealously hoarded for the use of a small group of people at the expense of everyone else.

It’s like when your favourite little hole-in-the-wall restaurant or bar starts getting busier so it gets more difficult to get a table.

You may think you discovered it and have the right to keep it to yourself, but that’s just not the way it works.

Johnson Lake east of Barriere is the oft-cited example of a beautiful, tucked-away gem that has become “too popular” because its stunning photos have been shared on social media.

But who took those photos? People using the lake.

Who is going to set a threshold of how many people are allowed to visit a lake?

If we all got our way, we’d each get a lake for ourselves. It just doesn’t work that way.

Of course, it is a shame when people misuse a lake and make it worse for everyone else. That’s too bad and it shouldn’t happen.

The solution, though, is not to try to keep certain lakes a secret. It’s to follow the lessons we all learned in kindergarten: be nice to others, share and treat nature with respect.

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Editor’s Note: This opinion piece reflects the views of its author, and does not necessarily represent the views of CFJC Today or Pattison Media.