It’s sometimes hard to tell exactly where public water access points are located for those wanting to have some fun in the water. Smaller access points are often grown over or appear to be private.
The Town of Huntsville’s website shows where major public boat launches and beaches are located but there is no information about smaller water access points. That’s about to change, according to Huntsville Councillor Scott Morrison who chairs the Town’s Community Services Master Plan and Waterfront Strategy Committee.
Morrison said the committee has asked municipal staff to compile an inventory of all public water access points in the town and post it on the municipality’s website in a visible manner and share it on social media. Morrison said the request was prompted by the idea that for every certain number of kilometres there should be public access to water. “So the first thing… is getting an inventory. So that’s something that’s being worked on hopefully sooner rather than later.”
Morrison agreed that a list of access points should be prominently available on the Town’s website. “I mean there’s a public access point on Roe Road, there’s one even in that subdivision behind Riverside, when I lived there it was barely used and it’s a really nice piece of land with a beautiful dock. So, I think the one thing we can work on is better communication to the public about those access points and if somebody goes there and they feel they’re not welcome, we would deal with it for sure.”
Morrison spoke further about the issue of public access to water. “Maybe we want to make sure at some point in the next five years or so that everybody can walk their kayak or their canoe or something to an access point. I mean it’s going to take some time but we do have a lot of road allowances, we have a lot of spots where we can put them. That’s something that can be discussed because a lot of these points are small pieces of land but there’s no parking,” he noted.
In the meantime, the municipality is expected to start by making information related to water access points more readily available.
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Will any of these location have swimming areas?
It would be great to allow people (neighbourhood) residents to have access to the river. Church st is such a location…. Neighbours have made many attempts to make it difficult to access and make it appear to be private. Post no parking signs if you are concerned about parking. Great idea to let people know that they have access.
Ralph,
That’s an incredibly selfish and negative attitude to take. You are likely assuming that every water access point will result in PWC launches, parties, and litter. That might happen in some instances, but it already isn’t a widespread issue with existing boat launches and public users (not talking about waterfront property owners).
We should have access to all the lakes in the area, they are public and not privately owned. Waterfront property owners should not have the only access to these lakes.
Negative behavior from ‘some’ users should be addressed on an individual basis, not restricted access for everyone.
Thank you. A correction has been made.
I’ve read the article and have concerns about the accuracy of the reporting. We own property on Palette Lake and the picture used appears to be of a privately owned property. If it is of that privately owned property, access to it is over a private road. Both the road and that property require legal deeded access to use. It is not and never was a public access point to Palette Lake. It is access to the water for non-waterfront property owners with proper deeded access.
That’s great news for the locals but once visitors find these precious spaces they will be overpopulated. Parking and garbage become a problem. Think it through.
On the whole, as many bad points as good.
In Lake of Bays, the same can be said.
In many cases the adjoining cottage owners tend to suffer from a case of “not in my backyard” and do their best to either hide, or take over the public lots such that nobody else knows they exist. As Ralph points out this is not without cause.
We already throw out lakes open to the world, for free on designated public beaches and launch ramps so that anybody can come and use these assets with no corresponding benefit to our area in any economic way. Most people are reasonable but there is that small percent that you just wish they could maybe not find these areas in the first place
I think future problems can be avoided, both for these public access points and for private lots, by requiring all parking to be “off street” for any term longer than an hour or two, year round (like we do in winter already). I know a nearby cottage owner who uses the road as if it was his private property when it comes to parking for his contractors and friends and a playground for his kids. One day this may amount in a tragedy but so far that little miniature ATV with the 6 year old driver has negotiated the public highway successfully. Maybe this kid will be a good candidate for Highway 400 in a BMW when he grows up.
I don’t think the people living on these lakes will be very grateful.
You have just opened up our lakes to every moron type lowlife
looking to raise a little hell.
Lets hope the descent people out number their opposites
Great idea…My wife and I live here and love to paddle the smaller lakes, finding access to these lakes is usually by word of mouth or nonexistent. Waseosa being just one example. Thank You Scott and municipal staff, looking forward to this.
Paul Hilton.
If they plan to post online all these water access points, then they should be regularly maintained. Ie garbage and recycling cans, a little bit of landscaping…
The one near my house used to have a dock. Now it just has a bunch of cribbage littering the water.