Bay Beach paver project finally set in stone

Brent Jones
July 12, 2026 at 2:50 PM

A long-delayed beautification project at the entrance to Bay Beach appears to be complete.

Engraved paver stones were in place around the Crystal Beach welcome sign over the weekend, with photos of the finished installation beginning to circulate on social media Saturday.

The project, led by the Crystal Beach Business Improvement Area and the Ridgeway-Crystal Beach Kin Club, was launched in 2024 as a way to replace the dirt and mulch around the popular sign with a hardscape surface made up of personalized stones.

The plan was meant to improve accessibility around the sign while giving local families, businesses and community supporters a chance to become part of the Bay Beach entrance.

The Crystal Beach sign was installed at the Bay Beach entrance in 2023 and quickly became one of the area’s most photographed landmarks. Space for additional paver stones appears to be covered with a sheet of plywood. Credit: Brent Jones | Fort Erie Radio

In 2024, the Business Improvement Area and Kin Club began selling engraved paver stones to help fund the project and finish the space in front of the sign.

The stones were intended to honour local families, businesses, loved ones and people connected to Bay Beach history.

Some of the names visible on the stones include Fort Erie Radio, Gibson and Reitboeck LLP, AG Concrete, and a tribute to former town councillor Don Lubberts. Credit: Brent Jones | Fort Erie Radio

The project was delayed last fall after crews excavated the turf and poured decorative concrete, but cold weather prevented the stones from being set before winter.

Robin Bannerman, a Crystal Beach Business Improvement Area member and owner of Crystal Ball Cafe, told Fort Erie Radio in November she had “100 per cent confidence” the project would be completed in spring 2026.

At the time, Bannerman said the groups did not want to rush the work because they wanted a durable installation that would not crack, erode or lose its engraved messages.

With the new stones now in place, the space around the Crystal Beach sign has been turned into a more finished entrance feature at one of Fort Erie’s busiest summer destinations.