Region offers beach to Wainfleet

Offer fails to address residents concerns

Despite offering to give the Township of Wainfeet a Niagara Region-owned beach worth more than $1-million, the gift falls short of accomplishing the goals of residents who hoped to stop a development from proceeding.

“They weren’t listening,” Wainfleet’s acting Mayor Betty Konc said in an interview, Friday. “That is not what the residents asked for.”

Wainfleet residents recently met with Regional Chair Alan Caslin, and shared their concern about a condominium development that has been planned for the lakefront property for more than a decade.

Residents say Caslin advised them to ask township council to request that the Region and Niagara Peninsula Conservation Authority purchase the property, although Caslin later denied giving that advice.

But responding to the township’s request at Thursday’s meeting, Caslin said the property owner Lakewood Beach Properties Ltd. is not interested in selling.

A letter from company president Ralph Terrio says his organization “remains committed to seeing this project to fruition as a private sector development, that we believe will enhance the community and also significantly support the Wainfleet community tax base for the benefit of all its residents while respecting and supporting the environment and natural heritage components of the property.”

However, Caslin said “there’s a possibility that we can come up with a win-win.”

He said regional staff have suggested that the Region turn

over its beach in Wainfleet to the township.

St. Catharines Coun. Bruce Timms then introduced a motion to give the township the beach for “a token amount of $1, to provide the township with the ability to ensure long term public access to the residents.”

Timms said the Region “is not generally in the business of owning parks, so this is an opportunity to set that straight.”

The motion was referred to the Region’s planning committee for discussion.

“That’s quite a gift to the township,” said Niagara Falls Coun. Selina Volpatti, after learning that the beach was worth $1won’t million to $2-million.

Konc said she wouldn’t turn down the offer.

“We would definitely say yes to it. Why wouldn’t we?”

But if the gift is ultimately approved and accepted by Wainfleet council, she said the township would assume the cost of maintaining the beach.

Konc, however, said residents asked township council to approve the motion, because the proposed development “has been an explosive issue for 12 years.”

“It was an attempt to stop it from happening,” she said. “But also, to take advantage of a strategic plan that (former regional chair) Peter Partington put in place to acquire as much beachfront property as possible for the residents of the Region.”

Nevertheless, she said the offer enhance beach access for residents, “because it’s already being used to its extent, and there’s not enough parking there.”

Konc said she was disappointed that she didn’t have an opportunity to discuss the motion.

“It was definitely a deflection from having to speak to the motion that was brought forward by Wainfleet.”

She said she was “totally blindsided by that.”

“I didn’t see that one coming, and perhaps I should have just from watching and listening to how the Region has operated in the last term,” she said. “It was definitely a sideshow that was put on – nothing less than that.”