Stolen bikes popping up in Regina lake

These days, the north shore of Regina'sWascanaLake looks like a graveyard of stolen bicycles.

The Wascana Centre Authority lowered the lake level by a metre last week in order to do some maintenance work on the shoreline at Pine Island.

After that happened, numerous bikes that had been tossed into the shallow lake became visible.

It's really nasty looking.- Regina's Jared Mysko

"It's really nasty looking," said Regina residentJared Mysko, who added he hopes it gets cleaned up before the Grey Cup, when there'll be a lot of visitors in town.

Along one 500-metre stretch on the north shore, a CBC reporter counted 11 bicycles, presumably ditched by thieves, that were either sticking out of the water or could be seen afew centimetres below the surface.

The amount this year is a little surprising.- Wascana Centre Authority spokeswomanCarissa Robb

Every year, staff find a few bikes, but there is definitely more this time, Authority spokeswoman Carissa Robb said.

"Usually it's a couple of skateboards, a couple of bikes, a couple of lawn chairs," Robb said. "The amount this year is a little surprising."

Staff will go out in the next few days to fish out which bikes they can, she said.

Told that at least one Wascana Park visitor was spotted trying to do it himself, Robb said that's not a good idea.

"You don't want to fall in there this time of year," she said.

The bikes are "most likely" stolen, so after they're are removed, the police will be contacted, she said.

The lake level is the lowest it's been since the "Big Dig" dredging operation in 2004, Robb said so it's possible people are seeing the end result of several years of bike-discarding activity.