Visitor numbers dictate closure of Lakeland Ridges tourist attraction
The picturesque North Lake Provincial Park in York County is being abandoned by the provincial government for a second time, but this latest move comes after taxpayers invested $1 million in the park only four years ago.
Lakeland Ridges Mayor Leonard Foster recently notified the community that the municipality’s largest tourist attraction would be closed. He penned a letter to Premier Susan Holt expressing his disappointment, noting that the municipality was not consulted and did not receive notice prior to the decision.
“The park has been the heart of our local summer economy for the last few years, supporting seasonal jobs and drawing visitors to our area,” Mayor Foster said. “Its closure will have an immediate and lasting impact on local businesses, youth employment, and community well being. The loss of the public beach is especially troubling, as this space has been a cornerstone for family recreation and community gathering.”
The mayor and council organized a public meeting in Meductic on March 23, attended by 50 people, and circulated a petition for residents to sign. The petition containing 1,200 names is being delivered to the provincial Legislature by Carleton-York MLA Richard Ames.
“The park needs to stay open,” Ames said. “It runs as an extension of Mactaquac Park to keep costs low. They made this decision cold turkey without any consultation and without showing any numbers. It’s a political decision. I have requested a meeting with the department before budget estimates next week.”
Bruce MacFarlane, spokesperson for the Department of Tourism, Culture and Heritage, said the Holt government completed a review of parks and tourism sites with fewer than 5,000 visitors each year, and decided to divest 10 properties, including North Lake.
“North Lake opened in 2022 as a rustic park with roughly 45 sites and receives on average 3,000 visitors per year,” said MacFarlane. “We are exploring options for the site, including the potential transfer of ownership to local rights holders, communities or organizations.”
Mayor Foster contended that 3,000 visitors at the gate did not include the hundreds of people who go directly to the beach, where admittance is free. He believes the actual number of visitors to the North Lake Park could exceed the province’s benchmark.
“If they would just give us one more year, we’re quite sure we can come up with a business plan to keep the park,” Foster stated. “We want to have first dibs.”
Foster said the council for Lakeland Ridges intends to work on the business plan as soon as the municipal elections on May 11 are over. In the meantime, he has requested a meeting with Premier Holt.
“It’s not really fair to take opportunity away from small communities,” Foster contended. “Rural areas are taking a shellacking. All they want is our resources. It’s almost criminal to shut down the only beach in the area.”
Foster said the province is likely to lose some of its investment if the park is left unattended due to vandalism-related damage. Three seasonal jobs and student summer employment at the park will also be eliminated.
The North Lake announcement comes as a shock to many residents after the park’s refurbishment and reopening by the former Higgs government in 2021-2022.
At that time, the province terminated a long-term lease with Partners for Youth, a non-profit group that was using the campground. The organization signed a new lease and moved its camp farther down the shoreline, where a new youth facility was constructed, and a large road was built by the province to provide access.
The province also covered the cost of restoring the beach, spreading new sand, and upgrading the park’s infrastructure.
“The province’s commitment at that time gave our community confidence in the park’s future,” Foster commented. “A confidence that now feels misplaced.”
The North Lake Park first closed 15 years ago after the Local Service District (LSD) voted to shut it down due to community concerns about safety and noise at the beach. Following public consultation, the provincial government followed through with the closure.
North Lake Park then fell into disrepair, and the beach area grew up with grass and weeds.
At one time, the park employed summer staff and drew large crowds to the beach on weekends. It was known as the jewel of the lake country for decades.
