Despite the slow start to the season, it was a surprisingly successful summer for Nickle Lake Regional Park.

"We were never a hundred per cent sure if we could open, what we could open, if we'd be able to stay open, but, I believe it was June 26th, we went from being able to have 50 per cent of our nightly sites open to a hundred per cent, and we were full that very first weekend that we were able to be full," shared Park Manager Sandra Popescu.

The park's washrooms and other services don't officially close until after September 15th, though, which is the last day everything will be open. So this weekend is the last chance many will get to enjoy the beach and nice weather.

Popescu said this year they were busy with day traffic than in other years.

"We had a lot of day trippers, a lot of people who hadn't been out here in years, who kind of rediscovered the park, and a lot of just general good comments," she said. "We had a lot of people who stopped in to say they either hadn't been out here in 10 years or so, or had never been out here and they really enjoyed it."

She said several of those people who stopped by also asked about seasonal sites for next year.

"They said how it was clean and well-run, and everyone was pretty happy with it," she said. "I think a lot of people had the opportunity to explore closer to home, and I think Nickle has always been kind of one of those places thats' a little hidden, you wouldn't know it's here so much, unless you knew about it, and so a lot of people just kind of take it for granted or had forgotten about it."

"This year kind of gave everyone the opportunity to re-explore and find out what's in the area again, which was a good thing for us," Popescu said.

"Obviously we had less of our activities and events that we would normally have, that we would want to have, so it was quieter in that sense, but it was made up for tenfold with the amount of people that just came out to get outside," she noted.

Popescu said they also got a lot of compliments on the beach this year.

"We had about 150 yards of fresh sand brought in, and that made a huge difference," she explained. "And last year they had applied for permission to do a bit of weed control and maintenence, so my husband and I actually spent quite a few evenings out in the water, wading out and trying to cut down the weeds around the swimming dock, and the swimming line, and the boat launch, to try to keep it clear as we could, too."

"It made a difference, it helped, and the beach was busy, and there was lots of compliments on it because it didn't get as sludgey and green as it sometimes does, but also the the wind, I think, helped us a lot this year, too, with that."

With no time early this spring to prepare the paddling pool for opening, and with some repairs requiring parts, Popescu added they then found themselves competing for parts with suddenly-opening pools everywhere. However, she said next year they will ensure the paddling pool is up and running for the season. Mini golf, however, was open throughout summer this year.

Find Nickle Lake online via their website HERE and via Facebook HERE.