Construction on the new floating portion of the boardwalk at the Swan Lake Christmas Hill Nature Sanctuary got underway Wednesday, with crews from Knappett Projects using a crane to put the first float into place.
Work is expected to take the rest of the summer. Plans call for the entire boardwalk, which is changing from wood to aluminum, to be opened this fall.
The first phase of the boardwalk, which goes through a stand of willows, was installed in 2015. It was the initial step in replacing a 1991 structure that was too old to repair.
Trails in the area remain open and the Swan Lake Nature House has maps showing an alternate route around the lake while work continues.
Great care is being taken to respect the environment of the lake while the project goes on, said Kathleen Burton, executive director of the sanctuary.
An $800,000 fundraising campaign is ongoing for the repair through the Bridges to Nature Campaign. Go to swanlake.bc.ca for donation details.
