Tents pose beach hazard: Redekop
St. Catharines woman and family escorted from sun and sand by police Monday
The mayor of Fort Erie says the town didn’t set out to throw shade on beachgoers when it added new restrictions to what is allowed on newly-redeveloped Bay Beach.
Niagara-on-the-Lake resident Courtney Jackson took to Facebook to express her shock after being escorted off the beach by Niagara Regional Police Monday because she had set up a halfmoon pop-up tent.
Jackson said the small tent was for her son, in case he needed a break from the sun.
She didn’t think much about it — there were umbrellas along the waterfront at Crystal Beach — until a bylaw officer told her the tent was prohibited and told her to take it down.
She refused and the bylaw officer returned with two police officers, who told her she had to leave the beach.
Mayor Wayne Redekop said council in April approved several amendments to the bylaw which regulates the use of town parks and beaches.
While umbrellas with a centre pole greater than 2.3 metres in height and a maximum shade area of 2.47 metres are permitted, any “mounted material on supports” is banned, including tents of any size or type, tarps and cabanas.
“We’ve had very positive comments from residents, neighbours and beachgoers about the facility so this was a little surprising,” Redekop said of the incident.
“We have had some occasions where the bylaw might not be adhered to but, usually, the patron simply acquiesces and complies.”
Redekop said tents are prohibited because the devices are both a visual obstacle and a potential safety hazard.
“If they’re pegged into the sand, sometimes the pegs get left behind and are partially covered and people don’t see them. We had some incidents last year with respect to that.”
Tents, the mayor added, also take up valuable real estate.
“On a busy day, there could be 4,000, 5,000, 6,000 people on that beach. Space is at a premium. We just want to try to make sure there’s adequate space for everyone.”
The bylaw was amended after the town invested $3.1 million in renovating Bay Beach. The major project, which began in 2015, included new washrooms, a new children’s playground and wheelchair access to the waterfront.
“We had to determine how we were going to maintain the beach and park,” Redekop said.
“We focused on four specific areas relative to the beach and the beach experience — security, parking, what would be permitted on the beach and whether we should charge (admission) or not.”
There is a now a $5 fee to enter the beach area and security officers are on site.
Jackson’s Facebook post, which had generated more than 1,800 comments by Thursday afternoon, also questioned the need to involve police.
Redekop said the bylaw officer was simply following procedure.
Meanwhile, tents and shelters are also prohibited in city parks in Niagara Falls.
Within Niagara Parks properties, tents that require stakes are not allowed. The agency is developing a policy regarding tent structures which will be going before the parks commission this fall, said chief executive officer David Adames.