Candle Lake officials say spring flooding and soft road conditions are improving after heavy snowmelt pushed large amounts of water through the area.
Candle Lake Fire Chief Jim Arnold said Monday that the situation appears to be under control, although water continues to move through the lake system.
“Currently, they seem to have it under control,” Arnold said.
Arnold said a large amount of water has been coming from Birch Park Lake into Torch Lake, then flowing through Torch Creek toward Candle Lake. He said Torch Lake is above what it would normally hold, and the Water Security Agency has opened the flood gates to help move water out of the system.
Arnold added that he believed they were open at about 30 per cent.
Arnold said he was not sure what that meant in terms of the amount of water being released, but said there was “a huge amount of water coming into Torch Lake.”
Within Candle Lake, Arnold said only a small number of properties are facing immediate concern.
“There’s a couple of cabins that are slightly threatened,” he said. “However, I think our manager of public works, Jason Campbell, has the majority of stuff under control.”
Arnold said the biggest local issue has been soft roads caused by the spring melt. He said Candle Lake recieved a large amount of snow over the winter, and the melt has left water in the ground.
“Roads are getting soft, and with the trucks going over the roads, it’s beating them up a bit,” he said.
Arnold said the only road closure he was aware of was the industrial road, which he said was closed because of soft road conditions and high groundwater. He said road and water conditions appear to be improving.
SPSA helped the community with pumps about two weeks ago, Arnold said, but Candle Lake does not currently require that assistance.
“The Water Security Agency has been up here to assess the situation,” he said. “They have opened the dam going into the Torch River, and hopefully that mitigates the situation.”
Arnold said residents, cabin owners and visitors can continue using local roads, but should report any problems they notice to the village office so public works can respond.
The flooding update comes as Candle Lake also prepares for another wildfire season. Last year, the Shoe Fire pushed the Resort Village into a local state of emergency and voluntary evacuation advisory as the fire advanced near the community. Daily Herald reporting from June 2025 said the fire was 11 kilometres from Candle Lake at one point.
Arnold said Candle Lake is preparing by holding values protection training next week with SPSA.
He said about 50 firefighters are expected to take part, including firefighters from Candle Lake, Buckland, Lakeland Co-op, Garden River and Smeaton. The training will include setting up sprinklers to help protect homes during wildfire conditions.
Arnold said the goal is to be better prepared heading into the season.
