Public invited to shoreline clean up to help re-open Lakeshore beach

Visitors to Sandbanks Provincial Park will be admitted free of charge Friday – and invited to participate in the Great Canadian Shoreline Clean-up program to begin the process to re-open Lakeshore beach.

On Healthy Parks – Healthy People Day Friday, July 19, no day use fees are collected at all provincial parks “to invite people to experience the physical and mental health benefits of spending time in the natural environment,” said Aggie Bortolussi, Assistant Superintendent. “It is, of course, important that the environment itself is healthy.”

Bortolussi said high-water levels on Lake Ontario this spring are only now beginning to slowly decline.
“Because of the high-water levels Sandbank’s Lakeshore Beach became strewn with debris, litter and plastic. This led to the beach being closed to the public.

“If, as part of your free day at Sandbanks, you would like to help us restore this beach you can join us in the first beach cleanup event.”

This event, from 9 a.m. until 11 a.m. is part of a larger campaign known as the Great Canadian Shoreline Clean up and will be undertaken with park staff, volunteers and Friends of Sandbanks.

“The beach will remain closed to general use for several more weeks but on this morning, you are invited to meet at the Lakeshore Beach parking lot to launch the cleanup. Gloves and cleaning supplies will be provided, and we will be reporting on the volumes and types of materials collected and recycled.

“After spending these first two hours at this temporarily closed section of beach we hope you can spend the warmer parts of the day at the nearby Dunes Beach or Outlet Beach.”