Professor's Lake

Professor's Lake
Location Brampton, Ontario
Lake type artificial lake
Basin countries Canada
Surface area 65 acres (26 ha)
Average depth 42 metres
Max. depth 42 m (138 ft)
Settlements Brampton

Professor's Lake is a 65-acre (260,000 m2) spring-fed artificial lake located in Brampton, Ontario, Canada. Beginning in 1918, the area where the lake currently is was used as a gravel pit. In total, the pit produced approximately 20 million tonnes of sand and gravel.[1] It re-opened as a quarry from 1954 to 1973. When digging hit the water table, the gravel pit flooded and the lake was formed in 1983. Improvements to the resulting lake were undertaken in 1973 by the company that owned the gravel pit operations, and it was at this time that it was given its name in honour of Hans Abromeit, a German professor of economics and the company's president.[2]

The lake is used extensively for sailing, windsurfing, fishing, and canoeing. Professor's Lake Recreation Centre is located on the southern side of the lake and has a beach for swimming as well as a waterslide. There are also three volleyball courts at the far end of the beach.[1]

The immediate residential neighborhood surrounding the lake is also widely referred to as Professor's Lake. Residential homes surrounds much of the lake with a small park at the southwest end. The park continues on the east side of lake with a beach, small boat dock and city recreation centre. A paved 2 kilometre promenade surrounds part of the lake. Prior to residential development, the lake was farmland.

In August 1998, the beach was temporarily closed after a local fisherman caught a rogue piranha in the lake. The origins of the piranha remain unclear.[3][4]

References

  1. ^ a b History of Professor's Lake at the Professor's Lake website
  2. ^ P. Roulston, Place Names of Peel: Past & Present, Toronto: Boston Mills Press, 1978.
  3. ^ http://www.thestar.com/living/article/846523--urban-oasis-brings-cottage-life-to-city
  4. ^ http://www.scubaboard.com/forums/archive/index.php/t-53367.html