Innisfil Beach Park, approximately 30.35 hectares (75 acres) of open and forested land on the shores of Lake Simcoe, is the largest park in the Town of Innisfil.
It’s also the nearest beach, not only for residents of Innisfil but families in surrounding areas. It is less than an hour’s drive from Toronto.
The growing popularity of Innisfil Beach Park as a destination for day trips has led to overcrowding, parking issues on roads surrounding the park, and complaints from residents.
It has also led to a new strategic planning process for the future of the lands, and an invitation to Innisfil residents to “Make your mark on Innisfil Beach Park.”
A first Open House was held at the West Pavilion at the park on Friday – an opportunity to view some of the ideas that have been proposed, and to provide input.
The park currently offers beaches, tennis courts, a soccer pitch, baseball diamonds, picnic areas, a children’s playground, and a boat launch, with limited docking facilities.
The vision presented was a park that was an “arts, culture and entertainment hub,” with “a cluster of rental kiosks, a restaurant, and attractive public spaces,” catering to both pedestrians and boaters.
“This is not about what’s happening now, or next year,” said Innisfil Mayor Lynn Dollin. “It’s about what’s happening 20 years from now. It’s about having foresight.”
Through a series of picture boards, Town staff – who were on hand to answer questions – presented several possible scenarios.
Some had already been discussed, from allowing food trucks into the park, to building an amphitheatre for special events, and adding a dog park, a splash pad for children, and a trail with fitness equipment.
Others were new.
A new “gateway” to the lake showed 1.5 to 4-storey, mixed use retail-residential development along Innisfil Beach Road from 25 Sideroad to the lake, replacing the existing homes and cottages, including 5 beachfront residences on Lakelands Avenue.
The proposal extended to selling off a forested portion of the park at the southwest corner of 25 Sideroad and Innisfil Beach Rd., near the existing fire station, for additional retail/residential development.
A “Port of Innisfil” proposal would transform the park into a destination for boaters from all over Lake Simcoe and the Trent-Severn waterway, with massive floating docks – including a floating dock surrounding most of the existing beaches – and a new access canal.
“All of these are topics of discussion. They’re meant to generate emotion, and discussion, and dissent,” said Innisfil Mayor Lynn Dollin. “You have to give some ideas to generate that conversation.”
There was plenty of emotion, discussion and dissent.
Several residents on Lakeslands Drive were shocked to learn that their homes have already been redesignated as Mixed-Use Commercial, as part of the Town’s new Official Plan.
Although the Mixed-Use concept dates back to the redevelopment of Innisfil Beach Rd., the Town never formally adopted the designation of the eastern portion of the road until last year – and the documents never mentioned Lakelands Ave., said Anne Smith.
“All it says is Innisfil Beach Road,” said Smith, although drawings do show a circle at the lake that includes a portion of Lakelands. She added, “I just want the park to stay a park.”
“I’m in shock,” said resident Darlene Bramwell. “I happen to be one of the houses they rezoned and I’m just incensed.”
Bramwell said she had not been notified of the redesignation of her property. “It was so hushed up and so quickly put forward. I don’t know who dreamed this up. They weren’t thinking of residents.”
Manager of Land Use Planning Tim Caine said that although the drawings show proposed commercial development within the park boundaries, “nothing in the park has been designated.” It’s a concept only, for discussion.
“These aren’t the only choices. It’s just to get people thinking,” he said.
The designation of mixed-use commercial along the south side of Innisfil Beach Road, including the portion of Lakelands, was part of the Town’s 2018 Official Plan – but with over 13,000 properties in Innisfil, “it’s hard to point out every change,” Caine said.
The Town has also passed an interim use by-law, to prevent speculators from rushing in to acquire the properties, and the lands have not yet been rezoned. “There’ll be an additional public process,” said Caine, noting that homeowners “can appeal the designation.”
The proposed ‘Port of Innisfil’ also came in for criticism.
“A floating dock in front of the beaches is one of the stupidest ideas,” said resident Diane Sykes, noting that the area enclosed by the dock is too shallow for swimming – and that cutting off wave action would lead to an increase in the water’s bacterial count, already an issue over the summer months.
She also opposed the idea of having the area ringed by docked boats, “leaking oil and fuel into the water,” and questioned why the Town was looking to increase outside use of the park.
“Have they forgotten there will be 65,000 residents here by 2025?” Sykes asked.
Marg Mossman opposed the addition of what a new “versatile indoor public space” at Innisfil Beach Park. “What do we need that for? We have other facilities,” she said. “Leave it alone. I just don’t get it. Leave it the way it is.”
Resident Alex Lawson filled out a survey, and made clear his opposition to the greater commercial use of the park. “The park is so small,” he said. “I want a more passive-use park than commercial.”
“Never sell the land,” Lawson said, warning that the needs of residents and “intrinsic values” of the community could change, over the next 20 years.
“It’s all ideas,” said senior policy planner Paul Pentikainen. “It’s thinking long-term what Innisfil Park should be, maybe in ways it hasn’t been thought of before. It’s asking the public what their thoughts are on some of these ideas.”
The Port of Innisfil concept had been suggested to complement the Friday Harbour development at the north end of Innisfil, Pentikainen said. “They like a place to dock and access the shops and restaurants of Alcona.”
So far, surveys have shown that only 15 percent of respondents want the park be left as it is; 45 percent were open to development and told the Town, “just make it awesome,” he said.
Residents were invited to fill out the survey, write a letter to the park expressing their ideas for the future, provide their own ideas – and place a dot on the images of some future options, expressing their support for ideas that included a splashpad and an amphitheatre.
The open house was just one step in “a whole bunch of gathering input,” said Mayor Dollin, who is also a member of the Innisfil Beach Park Committee that meets twice a month to look at different issues and challenges at the park, from improving operations at the boat launch to parking.
There will be a second Open House on Aug. 13, from 5 to 8 p.m. at the Lakeshore Branch of the Innisfil ideaLAB & Library, 967 Innisfil Beach Road.
As for the proposed options and the often critical responses, “This is not set in stone,” Dollin said – but it is “wonderful to see so many people out.”
Some of those attending came to the park for the ‘Fresh Air Flicks’ free movie screening, also scheduled for the evening – but dropped in to have their say on the future of the park.
