Possible increase to resident Bay Beach pass costs put on hold
January 14, 2025 at 3:38 AM
A staff recommendation calling for resident season passes for Bay Beach to be doubled has been put on hold.
Mayor Wayne Redekop referred the report back to staff for more information when it was originally presented at the January 13 council-in-committee meeting, questioning the need to increase the passes from $10 to $20.
“I like the idea of looking at other alternatives for how we can generate revenue. But I’d like to know, what’s the barrel we’re shooting into it…I don’t know how much revenue we need to raise,” he said.
The referral came after councillors Ann-Marie Noyes and Nick Dubanow both questioned the proposed increase.
“I’m having a really hard time justifying the doubling here,” Dubanow said. “I understand the challenges but I think we need to find a way to make up the difference.”
The councillor initially moved an amendment to keep the price at $10, instead of the proposed $20, but withdrew following Redekop’s request to refer it back to staff.
According to a staff report, prices for the resident season passes hadn’t increased since they were introduced at $10 in 2019. The increase to $20 was proposed “for the next few years to account for inflation and the general cost of operating the excellent facility, which has been undergoing continuous improvement since its reconstruction.”
However, councillors questioned the need to increase. The financials said the beach ended 2024 in a net operating surplus, with parking revenue ($205,000) and admission revenue ($480,000) outpacing operating expenses ($405,000).
“I’m wondering why (the Town is considering) this amount of an increase when basically we were ahead of the game and actually made revenue,” said Noyes.
Director of infrastructure services Kelly Walsh suggested there’s more that goes into it, such as depreciation and life cycle costs.
As part of his referral, Redekop requested more information on those costs, as well as other options such as day pass costs. The mayor also acknowledged the beach isn’t like other open spaces and is more comparable to one of the Town’s arenas.
“We’ve put a lot of money into Bay Beach, so it’s more than just the beach,” he said.
Day pass fees increased in 2023, and that didn’t seem to have any effect on turnout. About 60,000 day pass holders visited Bay Beach last year, according to staff estimates, along with 10,000 children, who don’t require a pass. The beach reached capacity on nine of the 105 beach days.
The report did point out plans for new facilities at the beach to support staff, including a relief area with air conditioning and some added privacy for staff to get away from the crowd during breaks.
Other improvements planned include plumbing work and better signage.
Stand up paddleboards (SUPs) were allowed on a trial basis last year, which staff said proved successful. Under the trial, beach visitors were allowed to use SUPs anytime Monday through Thursday, and from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. on Fridays through Sundays.
A survey that generated 168 responses found strong support–92.9 per cent–for allowing SUPs and kayaks, though some concerns were raised about overcrowding, safety and conflicts with swimmers.
Staff recommended in the report to keep the hours the same as the pilot. This is despite support in the survey responses to open up SUP use to any time, which staff pointed out represented only 119 people who supported anytime SUP use. Instead, staff recommended monitoring the situation to see if tweaks are needed in the future.
The report is now expected to return back to committee at its February meeting.
Motion seeks to kickstart Waverly Beach reconstruction project
Fort Erie Hills subdivision gets an uneasy extension from council
New rules will allow for recorded votes at committee meetings
About The Author
Luke Edwards
Luke Edwards is a longtime Niagara community journalist who has covered a variety of beats, including business, agriculture, the wine industry and politics. When not writing, there's a good chance he can be found at a baseball diamond or curling rink.
Why doesn’t the TOFE make Waterfront Park visitors pay for parking during the summer months similar to the charge for parking at Bay Beach. This would generate a lot of revenue. Boats users saw a hefty increase in their fee for launching boats, why are cars not paying? Waterfront park has a lot of litter at any time of the year and these fees would perhaps help to clean it us for everyone.