‘Approach is working’ to security at Port Dover beach

Satisfied landowners to continue leasing popular private beach to municipality.

By JP Antonacci | Hamilton Spectator

Thursday, November 16th, 2024

Bylaw officers caught hundreds of people breaking the rules at the Port Dover beach over the summer. But the offenders did not pay a dime in fines.

The man in charge of enforcement says that was by design.

“The intent behind this was compliance,” Jim Millson, Norfolk’s manager of bylaw services, told councillors at Wednesday’s meeting.

Instead of issuing tickets, Millson explained, private security guards and Norfolk’s bylaw staff educated beach goers about what is not allowed on the privately owned beach.

Warnings and one-on-one discussions worked to change visitors’ behaviour “100 per cent of the time, or very close to that,” Millson said, adding repeat offenders were rare.

“Once the message is passed (on), then everybody is aware,” he said.

This past summer at the popular beach was “generally uneventful,” Millson told councillors, with an average of 18 daily interactions between security personnel and visitors.

Of the approximately 1,200 infractions reported, 515 were warnings to people who wanted to set up an enclosed tent, which are forbidden under the terms of the county’s lease agreement with the beach’s owners.

Another 276 people were told to get their dogs off the beach, while 191 warnings were issued for smoking or vaping, and 141 people were asked to take down large beach umbrellas blocking the view of Lake Erie.

A few dozen complaints covered people drinking alcohol or barbecuing on the sand.

County staff met last month with the beach’s owners, who confirmed they want to continue the lease agreement next summer, albeit with more garbage pickup and security on-site until Sept. 30 rather than Labour Day.

“In general, the feedback was positive and the 2024 season was deemed to be an improvement over previous summer seasons and a success,” Millson’s report read.

Norfolk paid a hair under $78,000 to run the beach this summer. Security was the highest single expense at $20,300, followed by cleaning the beach and renting garbage bins.

Next summer the price tag for bylaw enforcement will jump to $26,600.

Mayor Amy Martin said she understands the education-based approach, but wondered aloud if that commits the municipality to a hefty security bill every summer without seeing any of the cost recouped through fines.

Chief administrative officer Al Meneses said as visitors get the message about what behaviour is acceptable, the need for full-time enforcement on the beach “will likely go down” and the security budget can drop accordingly.

“Compliance seems to be getting better year after year. I think the approach is working,” Meneses said.

“That’s what we felt all along — if people knew the rules, they would abide by the rules.”

J.P. Antonacci’s reporting is funded by the Canadian government through its Local Journalism Initiative. jpantonacci@thespec.com