Private beach in Port Dover remains closed as talks between owners, Norfolk County continues

With warmer weather there could be a big crowd in Port Dover for the coming long weekend, but most of the beach remains off limits.

The town was quiet late Wednesday morning as a cool breeze blew off Lake Erie.

No trespassing signs remain hammered into the beach that is largely privately owned while discussions continue between Norfolk County staff and owners, including Peter Knechtel, a local restaurateur whose company, FW Knechtel Foods Ltd., owns a section of the popular beach.

A few visitors strolled along accessible mats, newly installed for the season, on the county-owned portion of the beach. Norfolk owns a 66-foot strip of property running from the end of Walker Street to the water. Otherwise, the beach is owned by the Knechtel family and a cottage park operated by the Buck family that backs onto the water.

Norfolk Mayor Amy Martin said private landowners have “graciously allowed tourists, beachgoers, and members of the community enjoy their property for many years.”

In a tweet posted on Tuesday night, Martin said “Norfolk has always worked side-by-side with the owners and will continue to do so. Our priority is to ensure owners and community partners are supported with a long-term strategy that will see their needs are met, while offering visitors a safe and fun summer when visiting our communities and sandy shores. We are continuing to work with landowners and hope to share an update with the public as soon as we can.”

Knechtel previously told the Hamilton Spectator the “no trespassing” signs don’t necessarily mean tourists won’t be welcome. He said the signs went up as proactive measure to start a conversation with the county about how best to manage the beach before droves of visitors arrive.

Knechtel said they were looking at “how to make sure that environment is best kept safe for what crowds we have coming this summer.”

He said the number of beachgoers coming to Port Dover is increasing as more Ontario beaches and parks limit access by charging user fees or requiring reservations.

In recent years, said Knechtel, there have been issues with overcrowding, garbage left on the beach, and visitors putting up tents or roping off areas for their exclusive use. He said the beach’s private owners don’t have the resources to respond to these challenges. Liability for what happens on the part of the beach owned by his family is also a concern, he said.

Port Dover County. Adam Veri said a meeting between county staff and the private beach owners is being arranged. He said council gave direction to staff at a council meeting on Tuesday to negotiate a deal recognizing it’s an “important part of our tourism strategy to have the beach open to the public.”

Veri said it’s a matter of safety – for beachgoers, for the property owners and for the beach itself.

“Things are a lot different than they were five or 10 years ago. There aren’t a lot of free beaches anymore.”

But Veri said Port Dover has a lot more to offer visitors than just the beach, including shops, restaurants, and Lighthouse Festival Theatre, which attracts 40,000 people annually. Also bringing crowds are events such as Friday the 13^thSummer Festival and the annual Port Dover Perch Derby.

“The beach traffic is still good for the economy but it’s not as much of a focal point as it once was,” said Veri. “We’re a year-round town now. We don’t roll up the sidewalks on Labor Day.”

Still, having a closed beach isn’t the best optics for a lakeside community, said Veri.

“We want to have a welcoming image of the town,” he said, adding he’d rather a deal with the beach owners “be done right than be done fast.”

—With files from JP Antonacci, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter, Hamilton Spectator