The Goderich Signal-Star, 1972-06-29, Page 15r
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New udilition on beach
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Here, workers are• nearing completion of St. Christopher's each
picnic shelter and washrooms.
Goderich is in possession ,of a.
quiet little beach, accessible by
• ^a•,r or on foot.
As one drives down Harbor
Hill, there is a road'leading to the
left. At the end of theroad is St.
Christopher's Beach,' a quiet
little area where -tourists and
town residents can enjoy the sun
and the water. There is a park at
the top of the hill, accessible by
walking up carefully laid stairs
made frorh discarded railroad'
ties
The name of the beach
originates from early maps of the
town when the first vestiges of,
boats came to the Harbor. There
, was no beach there then.
• The beach was built inhe early
19V60's. from sand and gravel
moved when the harbor and
channel !were dredged. Later
'development was guided by B.R.
Robinson who was on council for
the term 1967-6S. He was also
responsible for the first
playground equipment.
The amea hilt1 now been
established legally as an
approved park. ,
In the last three and a half years
flood lighting has been installed in
the beach area and playground.
Children's recreation equipment,
barbecues, and tables have been
added;
The grass area has been
• These winding st
from discarded r
senior citizens.
airways leading up to Lighthouse Park are made
ailroadties. They are designed for easy use by .
- p •
Here are the erdding clay bluffs in the residential.area near Bingham Park. About 12 feet of land a year
is eroded from the edge of .the bluffs.
The banksides were restored--
vines were retnoved and debris,
was picked up. There were d;.850
trees planted- along the ar-ea.•
Types planted were..,
recommended by the -department
of Lands and Forests. Open areas
were seeded in order to hold the
bank together. About six acres of
land south of the O.W.R.C. plant„
was levelled and;...grassed. A
picnic shelter, two w*ashrooms,
and a utility room was then built.
Several people who had been
employed during this period, who
had formerly been unemployed or
on welfare, obtained full-time
jobs elsewhere. For example, a
man showing his ability got a job.
in a factory. ,
The workers had been a little
difficult to co-ordinate says, Mr,
Carroll, but they did achieve -the
installation of a 12 hundred foot
water line. So now there is hydro
doubled -in the past few yeart tb' on the --beach for public use
extend-seut�hward&past the-Ontari&- winking water is available for
Wafter -Res .n rces-C-ernmission _pi&ia cs, Y__.�.
plant.
The town council's Harbor
committee plans to make all the
waterfront area from the beach to
the town • limits a park area.
Chairman Paul Carroll says this
probably won, t go into effect until
1973.
Advertising of Abe beach
started'two years ago. Its use has
increased since then .to a point
where additional facilities alre
required.
The federal government had
funds" for local initiatives
program in January of this year.
The Harbot committee submitted
project applicatiop. for about
$11,000 which was to be spent on
-labor costs'alorle. The application
was accepted and . the town
provided additional money for
labor costs..
The committee hired12 men to
work for 10 weeks. They built
winding staiyways using
discarded railroad ties to connect
the top of the .hill to tie beach
area. The stairways are'"
engineered so that older people
can easily use them. There is a
set of stairs leading to the lookout
over the inner harbor at Cobourg
Street, stairs • connecting
Lighthouse Park, and one to the
Sunset Hotel Park area.
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approximately 1,500 feet in .area. "
There is an additional area ,of 700
feet.
The storm sewer outlet for
Elgin Avenue isle problem•, or the .
beach, Mr. Carroll sy' , it is
. open and dangerous to childn
who go exploring. Town engineers; ,.,� ,
• are searching possibilities to
have it covered. Mr. Carroll'says
the undertaking of this project _
would be costly. •
Mr., Carroll' holies that
sometime in the future, with the
covering of the open storm sewer
and the stoppage of the erosion on
the bluffs, St, Christopher's
Beach will be a more welcome
sight to happy tourists and
Goderich residents alike.
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The committee applied for an a
extension of the, program to =
September for employment of 12
men during the summer., They = .,
asked for $12,000 but the federal =_
government turned it down.
During the ten'week period -nine •
men had to b id off because of
lack of funds.
The Harbor` .cominittee is
trying to get the .Conservation
Authority to do an erosion study
on the park and residential arm _
. Clay bluffs fall into the late,
taking land -away from ,the _ i=
Bingham Park area at a rate of'12
. feet a year: Adjacent to Bingham
Park of course, is a residential
district. ' .
'The erosion of the• bluffs also .
makes the beach area smaller as _ ill•the cay builds up in the lake. MacGillivar:
Maybe this is part of the reason
the water level seems Higher now
than at this time "last year. The
level has already -reached its
peak. This usually dbes.n't occur
until mid-July, says ,Mr: Carroll.
At this time conservation
authorities don't have the
legislative authority to work on =_
lake fronts or valleys. Any ,
assistance from- them would be fi
from precendents already set in
other. areas. -
The main part of the beach is fulUmIUIIIUUptIIIIIIIIIUII111111111111111111111I1111111g
story
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Children play on the see -saw atSt. thristopher'a Beach. There nye
also swings, rrionkey bars, and Midis on the beach.
'The open storms*wer for SIginAvinue extending into the lake is an yosor'a and a dangerous trap for
small phildren. ,