‘It’s in their DNA’: Crystal Beach’s timeless pull for American cottagers

July 1 to 4 is a special time in Crystal Beach because it gives people a reason to celebrate twice.

“It’s like we have two holidays,” said Phil Smith, a local realtor who also owns South Coast Cookhouse, a popular restaurant on Erie Road, as well as Hotel Philco, a boutique hotel on Derby Road.

A statistic often cited by local officials suggests that Greater Fort Erie’s population grows by more than 10,000 in the summer months, and a large portion of that number are seasonal residents from the U.S. who rent and own cottages in Crystal Beach.

There are several generations of families who land in the area in late June and early July, a tradition that goes back close to 100 years for some.

Asked if he believes fewer people are crossing the Peace Bridge and heading to Crystal Beach because of ongoing trade tensions between the Canadian and U.S. governments, Smith said he hasn’t noticed a decline.

“I think it’s pretty consistent,” Smith told Fort Erie Radio in an interview.

“It’s something that’s in their DNA,” he added, referring to families coming to Crystal Beach for multiple decades.

“I don’t think the majority of people have let (politics) affect how they feel about their American neighbours or Canadian neighbours,” said Smith.

July 4 is always a party in Crystal Beach as cottagers let loose and patronize local watering holes.

But in 2018, there were instances of property damage on Erie Road, which included multiple flower pots being tipped over.

Smith knows what happened back then “is not a reflection of everybody,” but admits it was an unfortunate incident and doesn’t expect that sort of “rambunctiousness” to happen again.

For many years, “to err on the side of caution,” South Coast Cookhouse closed early on July 4, but will remain open until midnight this year, he said.

But the first week of July is always “the best time of year” in Crystal Beach, as both countries celebrate their civic pride.

“It’s really an amazing thing,” said Smith, adding that a highlight on July 4 will be the fireworks show put on by cottage owners along Lake Erie.

Katie McLernon-Bell has been spending her summers in Crystal Beach since 2004.

Long before that, her family owned a summer resort in Lindsey, Ont. for 47 years. This has given her a lifelong understanding of the bond between Canada and the U.S.

A resident of Amherst, N.Y. in the winter, she said it’s “very important” to fly both flags at her cottage.

Last year, she went to dollar store in downtown Ridgeway and noticed flags with both the maple leaf and the stars and stripes on them, and bought everything they had in stock, she said.

She also said regular seasonal residents don’t think twice about the political climate between both countries.

“We’re all one,” she told Fort Erie Radio.

“And we come here and all act like family,” she added.

Robin Bannerman, owner of the Crystal Ball Cafe on Erie Road and a member of the Crystal Beach BIA, agreed that two countries celebrating a few days apart is a lot of fun.

“It’s great when you’re a border town, you get to double down on the party,” she added.

Bannerman said the BIA and the Crystal Beach Beautification Committee have done some “vandalism proofing” since things got out of hand a few years ago, such as flower pots being hung higher and made more difficult to tip over.

But everyone has been pretty well behaved in recent times.

“I hope that trend continues,” she said.

“We do our best to keep things beautiful and I know people come here and respect that,” she said.

Constable Rich Hingley, a media relations officer with the Niagara Regional Police, said Greater Fort Erie (District 5) always has “extra police on duty on long weekends,” and that deploying more officers above the additional resources on holidays would be a decision made by the district commander for Fort Erie.

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