Batchawana Park premature closure leaves many fuming
Monday, September 10, 2012 by: Darren Taylor
“Shameful.”
That’s how Frank O’Connor describes the Ontario Ministry of Natural Resources’ (MNR) decision to close Batchawana Bay Provincial Park for the season—much earlier than usual.
O’Connor has been the owner and operator of the Voyageurs’ Lodge and Cookhouse, one kilometre north of the scenic park and its white-sand beach, for the past 10 years.
O’Connor told SooToday.com “I can’t recall them closing the park on Labour Day weekend.”
The MNR has stated the early closure is to avoid duplication of services, as there are tourist stops 10 kilometres north of Batchawana Bay, at Pancake Bay, as well as 10 kilometres south, at Chippewa Falls.
O’Connor said “we had a guest from Sault Ste. Marie show up here on the Tuesday after Labour Day to report the park was closed, their gate is up, and she had a provincial park pass, she bought it for the season and said her favourite place is Batchawana Bay Provincial Park, I’m here to enjoy it and its locked.”
“Later that day I went down and found the gates were up. People assume the passes are good for the fall colour and that parks won’t close early”.
Algoma-Manitoulin MPP Mike Mantha told SooToday.com he would investigate the early closure.
Mantha said “this is a question I am going to enjoy putting to the Ministry and the House. They’ve been indicating a lot of cuts over the course of this summer.”
“A lot of information centres which are normally open at this time are now closed, which is completely devastating a lot of Northern Ontario tourism.”
“I was aware the Park opened later than usual. Now, the early closure is something I will be asking MNR Minister Mike Gravelle about.
O’Connor lamented “we’ve selected our business location based on this beautiful beach and all summer long we looked down that beach it was busy, its been busy for us as we feed people on the way home to Sault Ste. Marie so it directly impacts on us, how we business operators do around Batchawana Beach.”
“It’s a natural resource we’re proud of and want to show off, so when it closes September 4, we can’t promote the notion of going for a stroll on the beach and seeing the fall colours.”
“People then have to go to another park, and I just don’t think we should be closing these parks this early in the season.”
“This beach should be open to Ontarians, Canadians and people who come from all over the world to see the North Shore.”
Batchawana Bay Provincial Park was also late in opening this season.
O’Connor says “this past spring the MNR decided to open the park later in the season than they usually do, they usually open over the Victoria Day weekend, but they waited until June 4.”
“They (the MNR) delayed opening by two weeks, and it just so happened the Victoria Day weekend was a beautiful weekend, with lots of tourists on the North Shore, and had the Park been open, the tourist businesses would have been busy as well.”
O’Connor added “some of our guests driving through from the north, going south, between Thunder Bay and here, told us they saw other ‘closed’ gates at other parks too.”
After the early closing, O’Connor says “we put up a sign on our Lodge door saying ‘Sorry, Batchawana Bay Provincial Park is closed prematurely.”
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kodak11 9/10/2012 10:37:08 PM Reportwhats hard to figure?its a government agency,its about the money,the same superintendent,is probably responsible,for Batchewana,pancake,cresent lake,and agawa parks,Batchewana just dosent make enough money.I dont agree with it but its probably pretty close to why it opened late and closed early.
SammH 9/10/2012 10:42:18 PM ReportThis is especially brutal considering we're still having and are expected to have warm weather awhile longer.
kodak11 9/10/2012 11:32:33 PM ReportOh by the way we had a great meal friday night at your establishment,well except the fish tasted like fish......lol
Alona B 9/10/2012 11:50:49 PM ReportDidn't this park also open late? Many people were parked at the gate and on the highway to enjoy the beach on Victoria Day weekend, due to the park being closed.
Sajamima 9/11/2012 12:04:05 AM ReportOne of my pet peeves...Batch'a'wana is north of the city about 50km. Batch'e'wana is near Garden River. Please correct me if I am wrong. Do our reporters need to be enlightened? Or me.
Wicket 9/11/2012 12:08:34 AM ReportThe difference in strolling along the beach at Batchewana and Pancake, is like comparing apples and oranges, with Batchewana Beach being the overall winner from spring to fall, not Pancake. Do the powers that be that live in a concrete jungle in southern ontario make the decisions for the northern ontario park superintendent???
hitch 9/11/2012 12:11:24 AM ReportU..
hitch 9/11/2012 12:16:57 AM ReportSorry--U (you) are wrong if you think it isn't north of the city---as B.B. Isn't near Garden...
Snowdon 9/11/2012 1:33:23 AM ReportHow is strolling along Batchawana beach better than Pancake? The beach at Pancake is gorgeous.
Also, isn't there a free beach directly across the road from the Voyageur?
Knight44 9/11/2012 1:42:46 AM ReportBang on Kodak 11. This almost certainly has to do with a lack of available resources given that MNR budget has been disembowled for nearly twenty years now, most recently in the spring provincial budget.
The beach closure is an interesting account of how the sublteties of the politics of austerity reveal themselves.
icemantbi 9/11/2012 1:45:14 AM ReportSad to see, but not totally understandable. Pancake has trails and camper sites... Batcewana is just a beach.. and like someone said, beach going drops past labor day.
sumosah 9/11/2012 1:47:07 AM ReportThe point is .... If you buy a provincial park pass they should all open and close at relatively the same time unless its geographic location presents environmental hazrds for the time of the year it is ... if I bought a pass and for no good reason it was closed I would be pissed and the local businesses that rely on the end of the season or "last kick of the can" for business is quite unfair ...
vantez 9/11/2012 7:58:14 AM ReportIn my opinion these day use parks should stay open until the snow flies and even later. Also, why do travelers have to pay to stop in for a washroom break and maybe have lunch at these parks? I realize there is a cost associated with maintaining the facilities, but I don't imagine it's a huge cost considering what facilities are available at most of these parks. Take a drive down I75 and check out all the free rest stops...my 2 1/2 cents
bruno-b 9/11/2012 8:45:50 AM ReportAnother MNR bad decision MNR stands for MINISTRY of NO REASON It is of no value!!!!!
spookie 9/11/2012 9:23:59 AM ReportEach provincial park within the province is unique in it's location, amenities, revenues and costs to operate. Batchawana is very different from Pancake. It has warmer water, is more accessible, has shallower water for children, and because it is day use only, does not have the same type of users. Many people from the surrounding area bring their kids to this area for the day, rather than going further to Pancake.
Tourists come from all over North America to view the fall colours along the Hwy 17 N corridor during the month of September, and Ontario has vigorously campaigned to encourage that with the advertising slogan "Yours to discover". If we want to encourage tourism, and the tourism dollars that come with them, then perhaps we need to keep the gate open so they don't have to park along a busy highway and climb over a chain to do that. This doesn't seem to be very welcoming to me.
I understand there are money issues, but if the visitor centre is already being maintained by non government people, I can't see why leaving the gate open would cost much more, if at all. Please reconsider this decision, and do it quickly.
Snowdon 9/11/2012 9:28:25 AM ReportNot many people are going to be swimming this late in the season. The number of people this affects is hardly worth even getting upset about.
Some people will choose to go to Pancake, some will find a free beach, and the miniscule percentage who don't will moan to the media I guess.
Wobbler 9/11/2012 12:19:39 PM ReportSAJAMIMA:
From what I understand.....Batch'e'wana First Nations is comprised of 4 reserves: Rankin, Goulais Bay, Batch'e'wana and Whitefish Island. Batch'e'wana Reserve is located at Batch'e'wana Bay on Lake Superior. Hope this clears things up for you.
Snootr 9/11/2012 1:47:10 PM ReportI am a seasonal resident in Batchawana and I use the beach across from the Voyageurs' Lodge daily. This beach is amazing and the water is warmer than at Pancake. Anyone who has used both beaches can tell you that. The fact that the day park is only open for 3 months of the year is beyond disgusting. The beach is not cleaned by the MNR so the only cost is to pick empty garbage and clean the outhouses. As taxpayers we should be outraged by the fact that the park is closed. It just forces people to park along the highway and walk in. On the May long weekend there were at least 20 vehicles doing this. One of these days a little child is going to get killed as the vehicles are being unloaded for a day at the beach. Motorists travelling in Ontario should be able to stop at any day park until the snow flies. The MNR needs to wake up and hear the people that keep their parks going!!!! I'm looking out at the bay right now and think I'll take my dogs down to the beach and enjoy the sun.
By the way last year people were swimming in October up here.
Tiajah 9/11/2012 2:14:10 PM ReportI tried the beach at Point Des Chenes this past weekend which was also closed for the season. Mark's Bay was still open so I was able to let the dogs romp a little there. Not quite the same as a bigger beach front though. Bad decision to close early. Some of us are still on holidays after the long weekend.
geterdun 9/11/2012 2:54:36 PM Reportcut backs to the people to help pay for the huge salaries and pensions of the politicians.just sayin!!!!!its their park not ours...right???
guestwho 9/11/2012 7:42:31 PM Reportshould spend less on advertising the north and then closing the north ,instead have far less adds and when they do come, at least it will be open,makes far more sense,oh ya sorry CENTS after all that`s what it all about
Cormorant 9/11/2012 9:03:57 PM ReportI'm an old guy but in the 1940's I was once young. Some of my best memories on a weekend in the summer was the drive my parents took to Batchawana Bay beach with our family.
We'd drive the old highway to reach the coast always after a change of a flat tire somewhere along the route, and drive off the narrow highway onto my dad's favourite sand trail lined with old growth white pine trees. This was, at last the park! And we'd lay down our blanket and stay the day. At no cost! Frozen memories still arise from the old black and white photos in my mom's albums. In those simple days we just used this beautiful place on Lake Superior to enjoy life on a non work day. Today, I see that we are governed to death and maybe I must admit that I am left behind by the modern world.
We've lost something along the way. This place is for all of us. It should be used as much as possible. But the powers that determine our lives tell us that we can use it only for a few days a year and that they know best, so don't question them. I'm so saddened that our society has reached a state that we listen to people who sit somewhere and make decisions which they claim are best for all of us. I'll soon be gone but this place will stay forever. Those who make these informed choices to restrict us will also fade away. I hope the next generation will come to value this wonderful beach, which has shaped my life from a young age and that the deciders will open it up again for a full season so that young kids can, when they are as old as I am, have great memories about this special place in their lives.
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