The city council rejected the proposal. Sunset Beach remains public and open for everyone to enjoy. Stay ready to defend our waterfront if private interests try this again.
May 12, 2017
Final supporters
Oppose the privatization of your public beach!! Citizens of St. Catharines north south east and west, of Thorold and NOTL, in fact people across Niagara who believe public beaches belong to everyone!! A private organization wants to take Sunset Beach away from you. Niagara Rapids, a private pay to play volleyball league, has submitted a proposal to the City of St. Catharines asking council to carve off over half of YOUR beachfront access for 12 permanent volleyball courts...erecting a wooden Stonehenge in the middle of this tiny beach and ruining one of the most scenic unbroken views of the horizon in all of Niagara. Their goal, as stated in an email to their membership, states a desire not just to install volleyball nets for their use, but to "run a beach volleyball academy with beach camps, training and leagues," while hosting OVA tournaments at least three weekends every month all summer.
The waterfront is for EVERYONE, not just a private sports league. Volleyball is already represented there with two free courts; this group wants to privatize those and add 10 more, in essence monopolizing the beach for their use, their profit. Access to free and unfettered waterfront is YOUR inalienable right, a right too often taken from you by developers and private interests. The beach should be shared by all waterfront recreational endeavors, not monopolized by one private pay-to-pay group. Remember what happened to Port Dalhousie?? Fight the takeover and restriction of your public access to Lake Ontario beachfront! This group can invest monies raised through their registration fees and install sand courts anywhere. We support volleyball courts in city parks; leave the waterfront for the enjoyment of all! Join us in this S.O.S. -- SAVE OUR SUNSET BEACH! Sign this, and say "NO PRIVATIZATION OF SUNSET BEACH"!! (Once you sign, send an email to the City to oppose this proposal: contact Kristen Sullivan at [email protected].).
Updates
February 14, 2017
We just hit 1,000 signatures to keep Sunset Beach public. Call your city council representative today and tell them no private academies on our waterfront. Post this link on Facebook and text three friends right now to keep the pressure on.
Reached 1,000 supporters
February 14, 2017
February 14, 2017
We just hit 100 signatures to keep Sunset Beach public. Post the link to your Facebook feed right now and text three friends to keep this momentum moving.
Reached 100 supporters
February 11, 2017
788 Comments
We have few nice sand beaches in this area and they are not large enough to support this type of development without impeding public access. The developer should look to buy already private land along the shore and make a man made beach at their own expense.
I just moved to St. Catharines from Toronto and bought property because it was within walking distance of sunset beach..I enjoy fun weekends with my daughters and grandchildren not to mention it is used everyday like a park by the community
Just to popular of a beach to loose such a big portion and no matter how you organize the parking will never be enough to handle the well over a hundred extra cars for the volleyball! 12 courts with 12 players, 1 ref not to mention subs, 12x13 =156!
I grew up in North St. Catharines and the public beaches need to stay public! Let private interests buy up other land and create their sand courts there, not on public recreation lands that add to the social fabric and enjoyment here in St. Catharines.
This is one of only two public beaches in St. Catharines that we have left. We already lost one near Port Dalhousie (DYC side) to private development ... No More ! If Councel wants to keep there seats they might want to rethink this kind of monitzation of PUBLIC LAND.
Please keep this Beach open for families, local residents and visitors. It’s wrong to take a small public beach and make it a profitable business. Go buy a piece of land somewhere else and start your business there!
I trust the city will screw this up. Port Dalhousie still hasn't recovered from the city's mess a few years ago. Don't change anything! Don't add pay parking either. Leave it alone! It is wonderful as is.
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The city council rejected the proposal. Sunset Beach remains public and open for everyone to enjoy. Stay ready to defend our waterfront if private interests try this again.
May 12, 2017
Final supporters
Oppose the privatization of your public beach!! Citizens of St. Catharines north south east and west, of Thorold and NOTL, in fact people across Niagara who believe public beaches belong to everyone!! A private organization wants to take Sunset Beach away from you. Niagara Rapids, a private pay to play volleyball league, has submitted a proposal to the City of St. Catharines asking council to carve off over half of YOUR beachfront access for 12 permanent volleyball courts...erecting a wooden Stonehenge in the middle of this tiny beach and ruining one of the most scenic unbroken views of the horizon in all of Niagara. Their goal, as stated in an email to their membership, states a desire not just to install volleyball nets for their use, but to "run a beach volleyball academy with beach camps, training and leagues," while hosting OVA tournaments at least three weekends every month all summer.
The waterfront is for EVERYONE, not just a private sports league. Volleyball is already represented there with two free courts; this group wants to privatize those and add 10 more, in essence monopolizing the beach for their use, their profit. Access to free and unfettered waterfront is YOUR inalienable right, a right too often taken from you by developers and private interests. The beach should be shared by all waterfront recreational endeavors, not monopolized by one private pay-to-pay group. Remember what happened to Port Dalhousie?? Fight the takeover and restriction of your public access to Lake Ontario beachfront! This group can invest monies raised through their registration fees and install sand courts anywhere. We support volleyball courts in city parks; leave the waterfront for the enjoyment of all! Join us in this S.O.S. -- SAVE OUR SUNSET BEACH! Sign this, and say "NO PRIVATIZATION OF SUNSET BEACH"!! (Once you sign, send an email to the City to oppose this proposal: contact Kristen Sullivan at [email protected].).
Updates
February 14, 2017
We just hit 1,000 signatures to keep Sunset Beach public. Call your city council representative today and tell them no private academies on our waterfront. Post this link on Facebook and text three friends right now to keep the pressure on.
Reached 1,000 supporters
February 14, 2017
February 14, 2017
We just hit 100 signatures to keep Sunset Beach public. Post the link to your Facebook feed right now and text three friends to keep this momentum moving.
Reached 100 supporters
February 11, 2017
788 Comments
This beach has always belonged to the public . Privatization will change a local heritage site including the kids carousel that has been the pride of our city & has been accessed by all the rich and the poor at symbolic 5 cents ride
We have few nice sand beaches in this area and they are not large enough to support this type of development without impeding public access. The developer should look to buy already private land along the shore and make a man made beach at their own expense.
I just moved to St. Catharines from Toronto and bought property because it was within walking distance of sunset beach..I enjoy fun weekends with my daughters and grandchildren not to mention it is used everyday like a park by the community
Just to popular of a beach to loose such a big portion and no matter how you organize the parking will never be enough to handle the well over a hundred extra cars for the volleyball! 12 courts with 12 players, 1 ref not to mention subs, 12x13 =156!
I grew up in North St. Catharines and the public beaches need to stay public! Let private interests buy up other land and create their sand courts there, not on public recreation lands that add to the social fabric and enjoyment here in St. Catharines.
This is one of only two public beaches in St. Catharines that we have left. We already lost one near Port Dalhousie (DYC side) to private development ... No More ! If Councel wants to keep there seats they might want to rethink this kind of monitzation of PUBLIC LAND.
Please keep this Beach open for families, local residents and visitors. It’s wrong to take a small public beach and make it a profitable business. Go buy a piece of land somewhere else and start your business there!
I trust the city will screw this up. Port Dalhousie still hasn't recovered from the city's mess a few years ago. Don't change anything! Don't add pay parking either. Leave it alone! It is wonderful as is.
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This beach has always belonged to the public . Privatization will change a local heritage site including the kids carousel that has been the pride of our city & has been accessed by all the rich and the poor at symbolic 5 cents ride