A victim of the Georgian Bay’s high-water levels, the Town of the Blue Mountains’ (TBM) Little River Beach Park is in desperate need of repair.
“I know there has been more damage in the past year than in the previous 39 years that I have lived here,” said TBM deputy mayor, Rob Potter.
The TBM’s much-loved Little River Beach Park currently remains closed to the public, despite many of the town’s other facilities having been reopened following the COVID closures.
“I live next to Little River Beach Park and I am concerned about the area's drainage issues, tree preservation, overcrowding, traffic and record-high water damage,” wrote TBM resident, Kim Harris-Gardner in a letter to council.
Staff recently presented TBM council with a report outlining plans to restore the area and estimated the project will cost $15,000.
“Predictions are that we will continue to be at record-high water levels through the fall and therefore can expect more damage than last year. Let’s plan for this now,” pleaded Harris-Gardner.
TBM council approved the project, sourcing funding from the Community Service Asset Replacement Reserve Fund.
“There has been some undermining of the large stone that is acting as a retaining wall,” said Ryan Gibbons, director of community service for TBM. “The intention is to bring those back into place and raise the height of them.”
The shoreline protection along Little River Beach Park will require repositioning the current rocks, adding additional rocks, repairing the border along the waterfront side of the playground, replacing and relocating nine concrete bench pads, clean up of gravel and rocks along the length of the property and general landscaping.
Town staff have identified possible cost savings for the town as it currently has a stockpile of rocks at Delphi Park that can be utilized for the project.
“This would include using some of our own supplies that we have stockpiled, some contractor work and renting equipment to clean the park up,” Gibbons said. "Ideally, this would get us through the storms that we will see in the fall."
TBM staff have applied for a permit from Grey Sauble Conservation Authority to undertake the work and, with the green light on the budget from council, town residents should begin to see repair work beginning at the site in the coming weeks.
