No trespassing signs on Port Dover beach cause controversy
Private property owners are drawing a figurative line in the sand by using no trespassing signs to keep the public off their land to try and restore some order in Port Dover.
The signs were put up by local property owners who say the public is not respecting that they're on private property when they set up on the beach for the day.
“Our signs are up to help people realize that it is private property and to ask for respect of private property,” Peter Knechtel, a property owner of the beach said.
Knechtel's family owns a restaurant on the beach, and he says before COVID-19 beachgoers were allowed everywhere due to an informal agreement that had maintenance and bylaw enforcement done by the county.
But the beach closed during the height of the pandemic, and when it reopened last summer, Knechtel says the county stopped helping.
It was around this time an overwhelming number of visitors took over.
The popular beach destination is just off the downtown strip of Port Dover, and while a large portion of it is private property, there is a small strip of the beach that is owned by Norfolk County and is a public beach.
Either side of this small strip is private property.
“Without enforcement, there’s nothing there and the people soon realized that and we were pretty much laughed at and asked to show our ID to the property and all these other things. It was a pretty rough summer for us,” Knechtel said.
As the property owner, Knechtel says he is liable for what happens on the property, and while he and his fellow property owners want to keep it open, they can’t afford to enforce rules on their own
“There has to be some kind of control to it, that’s why we’re reaching out to the county for some guidance and some leadership to figure out what we’re going to do going into the season,” Knechtel said.
Visitors and locals aren’t sure if the signs will do much.
Karen Gauthier, who lives around 50 kilometres away in Dunnville, questioned why people can’t take a dip in the lake to cool off on a hot day.
“How can you tell people if it’s 100 degrees that they can’t go in the water to cool their babies down,” Gauthier told CTV News.
Don Dobie, who works in the area of the beach said he doesn’t know if people will follow the signage.
With the May long weekend almost here, people in town are hoping something can be worked out
“You just hope that there’s a viable solution for all. And sooner than better for the community and for the Knechtels',” said Dobie.
In an email Norfolk County mayor Amy Martin said: “Council has directed staff to work with the private landowners to arrive at a mutually beneficial agreement that will eliminate informal agreements that have existed. The County continues to have approved budgets to maintain the waterfront area.”
Meanwhile, Knechtel said the end goal is to have the beach fully opened again with better maintenance and enforcement of the rules.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Poilievre kicked out of Commons after calling Prime Minister Justin Trudeau 'wacko'
Testy exchanges between the prime minister and his chief opponent ended with the Opposition leader and one of his MPs being ejected from the House of Commons on Tuesday -- and the rest of Conservative caucus walking out of the chamber in protest.
Baby, grandparents among 4 people killed in wrong-way police chase on Ontario's Hwy. 401
A police chase which started with a liquor store robbery in Bowmanville Monday night ended in tragedy some 20 minutes later when a suspect fleeing police entered Highway 401 in the wrong direction and caused a pileup which killed an infant and the child's grandparents, as well as the suspect, investigators say.
Freeland leaves capital gains tax change out of coming budget implementation bill, here's why
Deputy Prime Minister and Finance Minister Chrystia Freeland will be tabling yet another omnibus bill to pass a sweeping range of measures promised in her April 16 federal budget, though left out of the legislation will be the government's proposed capital gains tax change.
Man dies after suffering cardiac arrest while waiting in ER, widow wants investigation
When an ambulance took David Lippert to the hospital in March of 2023, the 68-year-old Kitchener, Ont., executive was hoping to find out why he was feeling weak and unable to walk. Some 24 hours later, he was found unresponsive in the ER.
Sword-wielding man attacks passersby in London, killing a 14-year-old boy and injuring 4 others
A man wielding a sword attacked members of the public and police officers in a northeast London suburb Tuesday, killing a 14-year-old boy and injuring four other people, British authorities said.
WATCH Arnold Schwarzenegger spotted filming in Elora, Ont.
The name of the project has not been officially released although it’s widely believed to be the Netflix series FUBAR.
BREAKING Hosting Vancouver's FIFA World Cup games could cost half a billion dollars
Hosting seven games in Vancouver during the 2026 FIFA World Cup could cost more than half a billion dollars, according to an updated estimate provided Tuesday.
Moe 'will respond' to CRA, insists Saskatchewan has 'paid in full' amid carbon tax audit
Saskatchewan Premier Scott Moe says his government 'will respond' to the Canada Revenue Agency when it concludes its audit of the province, but that his position is Saskatchewan doesn't owe Ottawa any money.
Eviction for landlord's use was legitimate, despite owners' partial move, B.C. court rules
A B.C. judge has upheld the eviction of a family from their North Vancouver townhouse, finding that the landlords did not take an unreasonable amount of time to move into the home after the tenants vacated it.